The continuation of Annie Leibovitz’s 'Women' exhibition was made possible by a partnership with financial services firm, UBS.

Sergio Ermotti, CEO at UBS, said at the launch of the exhibition this morning, "Annie chose a topic that is quite relevant to our corporate agenda".

The gender equality so eloquently communicated by Leibovitz’s work, Ermotti says, is equally lucrative in business. In a traditionally masculine sector, UBS must demonstrate its inclusivity to its female employees and clients.

UBS has always shown a commitment to contemporary art, from its sponsorship activities to its art collection; comprising more than 30,000 works, and, like Leibovitz, it wants to position itself as the best in its field. The firm has also prepared a series of free learning programmes to accompany the exhibition on its worldwide tour.

Annie Leibovitz’s exhibition, ‘Women: New Portraits’, opens to the public on 16 January 2016 at Wapping Hydraulic Power Station – the start of a 10-city, worldwide tour. The exhibition will be free of charge.

Leibovitz’s new work is a continuation of a project that began over 15 years ago, in collaboration with Susan Sontag. The exhibition was today (13 January, 2016) described by Leibovitz as a, “Work in progress”. She plans to continue photographing women in her direct, honest style at each of the exhibition’s host cities.

Ermotti says, “It is fantastic to be partnering with Annie on this project, which celebrates women, their strength and their role in bringing about positive change in the world. She is the best in the world and the project builds on our long-standing support of initiatives which help shape contemporary culture.”