Like investment bank bosses around the world, Jean-Yves Hocher faces the challenge of how to help women carve out careers in an industry often seen as behind the curve in dealing with gender diversity.

The chief executive of France's Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank (CACIB) does not have all of the answers, and some of his thoughts might seem controversial – his advice to women trying to juggle a career in M&A with a young family, for example, is to consider moving into a less time-intensive business such as human resources for a few years.