Throughout the years, the STA Foundation Awards have recognized those who have made notable and genuine contributions to the well-being of individuals within the financial services industry. Ahead of this year’s awards ceremony and panels on Dec. 1, we’re talking with past recipients to find out what the STA Foundation Awards mean to them. Today, we speak with Peggy Bowie, who received the Dictum Meum Pactum Award in 2019.

What was it like to receive the STA Foundation’s Dictum Meum Pactum Award?

For me, it was so humbling and so amazing. It was just a wonderful experience, as has been my experience with STA on the whole. Receiving that award, I said to myself, “Oh my gosh, it just doesn’t get any better than this.” It was quite an honor and just fabulous.

What does the principle “My Word Is My Bond” mean to you?

As a trader, it means everything. Your word has to be trusted. Having “Dictum Meum Pactum” as a guiding principle and your overall approach to any relationship or transaction you engage in is the only way, certainly for me, to be able to conduct business. No matter what markets you work in, it is important that people trust you, and if you can’t be trusted for your word, you’ll have a difficult time in this industry. This extends to our personal lives as well.

The U.S. and Canadian markets have long enjoyed a close relationship. What do you see as STA’s role in bringing together securities industry professionals from these two nations?

The two countries have always been close, right down to geography, though we’re on the northern side. From equities to bonds, everything is connected with the U.S. For Canadian traders, some of them can spend their whole careers trading just U.S. securities. Others can spend their whole lives trading Canadian securities and have no connection to the U.S. To me, as markets have evolved from the time I started in the business, it has always been that Canada is a global participant. They participate in every facet of business globally and always have, especially given that they started as a forest products and mining based economy – that makes a big difference in looking globally at commodity prices. And so it was, I think, a natural evolution for Canada to be involved with STA in the U.S. It makes us stronger as it makes the U.S. stronger. I think the Canadian Security Traders Association is around 20% of STA membership at this point in time. But these things ebb and flow, as they do on both sides of the border.