Following our research yesterday on how women are under-represented at banks, we ask five women who have made it in finance to share their advice on making it to the top.

• Get domestic help, says Virginia Bottomley, who chairs the Odgers Berndtson Board and CEO Practice. "It's time women grow up about this - you can only fly to the top if you are relieved from domestic duties."

• Don't try to do it all, says Jenny Knott, chief executive of Standard Bank: "You can't be superwoman."

• Get a mentor, says Bronwyn Curtis, global head of research at HSBC: "Whether male or female, ultimately, you need somebody to take a bet on you."

• Be yourself, says Caroline Silver, a managing director at Moelis & Co: "Being a woman has been an advantage in some respects - clients see all these men in blue and grey suits. If you aren't afraid to be a bit different, people remember you, but you have to have courage."

• Speak up, says one senior banker: "When people become project runners, women think first and speak later - in the mean time, the chap has already spoken out. Women need confidence to speak up and speak out. We're good team players, consensual, but sometimes that stands against us."

The full research on gender inequality at banks is available here