Rowntree is a board member of Progress Together, a membership body which is working to improve socio-economic access, retention, and progress in financial services. He was also part of the City of London’s Socio-Economic Taskforce which aimed to improve diversity across senior roles in financial and professional services.
He has also spoken at the Mortgage Solutions Diversity and Inclusivity Finance Forum to highlight the barriers faced by people from certain socio-economic backgrounds and is a sponsor of Paragon Banking Group’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion network.
Rowntree received his award at the Guildhall in London in the presence of his family.
The Freedom of the City of London award dates back to 1237.
Rowntree said: “I am extremely proud of this honour, for both myself and my family, as this is an area that I am extremely passionate about.
“Achieving balanced socio-economic representation across all levels of the financial services industry is so important as it leads to diversity of thought and better outcomes. I strive to see better representation at senior levels of the industry in particular and am working hard with sector peers to help remove barriers.”
He added: “I grew up on a council estate in Southend, so have experienced first-hand some of the challenges and prejudices somebody from my background can face when moving up the career ladder. I am extremely proud of my background and where I come from, and that certainly shouldn’t be a barrier to progression, but unfortunately for too many it is. That needs to change.”
