Last Reviewed: August 2025
Sturgeon Ventures LLP and The Sturgeon Group Limited are together a family of companies owned by Seonaid Mackenzie, who is the Director and Managing Partner across the family. Sturgeon is an owner managed firm and is more than 51% female owned.
Since 2000, Sturgeon has incubated over 200 start-ups in Financial Services, of which 12 have been started and operated by women. In light of this, Sturgeon is active at encouraging diversity within the sector. Seonaid Mackenzie is a regular speaker in private and state schools on issues of diversity in finance and is a mentor for LGBT Great, an organisation which supports businesses to be more inclusive (https://www.lgbtgreat.com/). Sturgeon Ventures LLP has also been a signatory to The Women In Finance Charter since 2016, following the findings of the 2015 review into the representation of women in senior management within financial services, (published in March 2016) which found that women made up only 14% of Executive Committees.
See HM Treasury website for further information – Women In Finance.
The Sturgeon team is predominantly made up of women and it is part of the Firm’s culture to encourage professional women back to work. The structure of the companies means that team members are paid in line with the sector whilst also working remotely, with client face to face visits when needed, therefore having the flexibility to manage families and homes. Sturgeon’s model since inception has offered a blend of office and remote working for all its team, which has also encouraged work from home fathers, enabling quality time with their growing families too.
Sturgeon ensures that team members undertake training of at least 10 hours a year, not only to maintain but to increase their skills; team members are empowered not only through financial earnings but also by supporting their continuous professional development and leadership skills. We also recognise the needs of each individual, regardless of background, and we aim to strike a balance across everything that we do for our clients and ourselves in order to make Sturgeon a place for people to thrive and grow.
Sturgeon understands that each of us is different – based on experience, culture, generation and ethnicity, and we value our differences. Sturgeon strives to create an environment of collaboration and authentic relationships and values thinking, learning and being different, so all our empowered.
Sturgeon is committed to promoting a supportive and inclusive culture for all of our employees, consultants, clients and partners. We aim to ensure that no job applicant, employee, consultant, client or partner experiences less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, age, gender reassignment or parental/marital status, sexual orientation or disability. By integrating individual strengths, we maximise efficiency and creativity and deliver greater service.
Aims
Sturgeon will work to ensure that:
- The firm continues to encourage women led start-ups in the industry and motivate our next generation by sharing our own experiences.
- Employees and consultants are treated fairly and without discrimination, commencing with the recruitment process, and have access to development and recognition, whether through financial reward or further training when available, based on merit.
- Fairly appraised and rewarded for personal contributions to the organisation.
- Able to access opportunities for training and development to develop to their full potential.
- Supported in balancing work and home life commitments and have requests considered objectively.
- Treated with dignity and respect in a fair and consistent manner in an environment where inappropriate behaviour is not acceptable.
Roles and Responsibilities
Sturgeon is committed to promoting equality for all. If an employee or consultant feels they have been subject to discrimination in their role, which is in direct conflict with our commitment to equality of opportunity, they should raise this with a member of the management team.
All employees and consultants have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect. If an employee or consultant is found to have acted in a deliberately discriminatory manner, appropriate disciplinary procedures will apply.
All employees, consultants, clients and partners will be informed that an equality and diversity policy is in operation and are bound to comply with its requirements. This policy will also be drawn to the attention of consultants, clients, stakeholders and job applicants through appropriate communication channels.
It is expected that when staff are representing Sturgeon in an external capacity, and as part of their role, that they will endeavour to ensure that equality and diversity principles and practices are adhered to.
External Targets in Accordance with the Women in Finance Charter
Sturgeon Ventures LLP has signed the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter, a pledge for gender balance across financial services.
By signing the Charter, Sturgeon Ventures LLP has committed to implement four recommendations to improve gender diversity in financial services. The charter asks financial firms to support the progression of women into senior roles, set internal and externally reportable targets to improve diversity in the workforce, and publicly report on these goals.
Each individual member of the Sturgeon team is responsible and accountable for promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the industry, and for ensuring our team maximise career opportunities within the financial services industry particularly for back to work mothers.
We have set a target at Partner level to consider how we encourage men into our team and ensure a flexible working environment, and to promote and understand how their requirements can be addressed to build towards the long-term goal of a gender neutral society.
Our Policy is to keep at least 50% of senior management as female.
Our publicly reported external targets are to:
- Support 5 women who wish to continue their financial services careers to be retained in consulting, contracting and other permanent positions in the sector. To encourage and support continual training of these women.
- Support 5 women, who would have otherwise been lost to the industry, to continue or return to careers. Often working mothers with a flexible contract.
- Support Schools in the United Kingdom – to speak to at least 2 schools from Year 11-13 in the next financial year on Gender Diversity in Financial Services and aspiring into front office roles with no gender bias.
Review of this Policy
We will report on the progress of these targets on this page.
Sturgeon will regularly evaluate its services and the effectiveness of its equality and diversity policy.
September 2025 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon is proud to confirm it continues to be a member of the Women in Finance Charter. The Sturgeon team is proud to advise that in 2025 the team is made up of 60% women, many of whom are working mothers and the Senior Management team is 66% women. We strive to continue to encourage the development of women in Finance and to maintain our 50% target for women in Senior Management.
March 2025 – Update
On 11 March 2025, the UK’s financial regulators confirmed they have decided not to move forward with proposed diversity and inclusion (D&I) rules for financial firms over a certain size. This decision in a letter by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and a letter by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) marks the end of a long-running debate that has been ongoing since 2023. However, while formal D&I improvement measures are off the table, culture remains firmly in the regulators’ sights, with new rules on non-financial misconduct expected by June 2025.
No New Rules to Improve D&I
The decision not to introduce new D&I regulations follows industry push-back, set against the global landscape where D&I has become a polarized topic in some jurisdictions, including the U.S. Regulators initially aimed to mandate D&I policies, setting out that diversity was crucial to improving governance, decision-making, and reducing group-think risks. However, firms raised concerns about the administrative burden and costs associated with mandatory requirements, arguing that existing legislation already addresses many aspects of workplace equality and inclusion.
Sturgeon Ventures LLP and The Sturgeon Group Limited will continue to maintain their DEI Policy and continue with their goals already disclosed within The Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter.
Culture Still on the FCA’s Agenda
Despite the abandonment of new D&I rules, culture within financial firms remains a key focus for the FCA. It has made it clear that it intends to publish new rules on non-financial misconduct by the end of June 2025. This commitment highlights the FCA’s ongoing effort to tackle cultural issues within the sector, including misconduct that falls outside traditional financial violations.
Non-financial misconduct covers a wide range of issues, including harassment and other inappropriate behaviour within the workplace. By maintaining pressure on firms to address these cultural challenges, the FCA is signalling that it will not tolerate harmful practices within UK’s financial services industry.
Firms should take note that non-financial misconduct will soon be in the regulator’s enforcement remit, and proactive steps to build positive, respectful workplace environments are still important.
Useful links:
https://www.fca.org.uk/about/how-we-operate/diversity-equity-inclusion
September 2024 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon is proud to confirm it continues to be a member of the Women in Finance Charter. The Sturgeon team is proud to advise that in 2023 the team is made up of 56% women, many of whom are working mothers and the Senior Management team is 66% women. We strive to continue to encourage the development of women in Finance and to maintain our 50% target for women in Senior Management.
September 2023 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon is proud to confirm it continues to be a member of the Women in Finance Charter. The Sturgeon team is proud to advise that in 2023 the team is made up of 50% women, many of whom are working mothers and the Senior Management team is 66% women. We strive to continue to encourage the development of women in Finance and to maintain our 50% target for women in Senior Management.
March 2023 – Update
Sturgeon Ventures’ Equality and Diversity policy was reviewed and updated.
September 2022 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon is proud to confirm it continues to be a member of the Women in Finance Charter. The Sturgeon team is proud to advise that in 2022 the team is made up of 50% women, many of whom are working mothers and the Senior Management team is 50% women. We strive to continue to encourage the development of women in Finance and to maintain our 50% target for women in Senior Management.
October 2021 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon is proud to confirm it continues to be a member of the Women in Finance Charter. The Sturgeon team is proud to advise that in 2021 the team is made up of 57% women, many of whom are working mothers and the Senior Management team is 50% women. We strive to continue to encourage the development of women in Finance and to maintain our 50% target for women in Senior Management.
October 2020 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon Ventures is delighted to have been approved, once again, for the Women in Finance Charter.
December 2019 – Update
Following the annual submission, Sturgeon Ventures is delighted to have been approved, once again, for the Women in Finance Charter.
July 2018 – Update
Sarah Whitehead was approved as Compliance Officer (CF10) and Head of Legal and is a Designated Partner CF4. There are only two designated partners in the firm, both women, and a further 4 Member Partners, one more of these is a woman.
To hear more about Sarah’s journey at Sturgeon Ventures – click on the image to watch her video story.
26/4/2018 – Update
In April 2018 one of those two women in the management team was appointed as the Compliance Officer CF10, yet to be approved by the FCA, and is a Designated Partner. There are now three Designated Partners, two women and one man, and a further three Member Partners, including one women.
1/12/2017 – Update
Sturgeon Ventures LLP began with two Designated Partners (one woman/one man as founding partners). During 2017 we put together a management team which was made up of two women and 1 man and the original female founder.
To read more on the Women in Finance Charter and to view all the signatories, please see the links below:
To read more on the Women in Finance Charter and to view all the signatories, please see the links below:
Women in Finance Charter:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f44e9ed915d74e62296df/women_in_finance_charter.pdf
Corporate and Social Responsibility
Passionate about what we do, the team at Sturgeon gives time to support other organisations that help and support women or young people. Sturgeon also donates a proportion of profits to charities or sponsorship each year.For further information please see – Our Values – Corporate and Social Responsibility
Diversity Officer
Seonaid Mackenzie – Managing Partner of Sturgeon Ventures
Contact: hello@sturgeonventures.com
