By Inessa Ruffman, JonesTrading
2024 STA WIF Chair
As we near the end of March, the STA Women in Finance Committee would like to take this moment to reflect on and recognize the countless achievements of women in our industry and throughout history.
Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (IWD) align perfectly with STA WIF’s core mission: to assist in meeting the unique career development needs of women in the securities industry, and to foster and advocate for a culture of inclusion. This year’s theme for IWD, celebrated earlier this month, was #InspireInclusion. This theme asks us all to examine how we can champion inclusivity and harness the full power of diverse perspectives.
Inclusivity has proven time and again to fuel innovation and accelerate progress – which means the financial services space can reap significant benefits. Here are just a few ideas for how we can work to bring more perspectives into the fold:
- Advocate for diversity in leadership and encourage female colleagues to apply for decision-making positions
- Host a monthly informal coffee chat in the office to create a dedicated space for women at your company to network and ask questions
- Develop a more structured mentorship program or host educational workshops to benefit future generations of women in finance
We also encourage you to take inspiration from women who have already paved the way. One of WIF’s chief goals is to amplify the voices and perspectives of female professionals on Wall Street. One way we do this is through our “Changing the Face of Financial Services” Q&A series – you can explore the full archive here. In addition, our WIF Symposium, held each year at STA’s Annual Market Structure Conference, provides valuable discussion and networking opportunities. We celebrated our eighth installment last October, with speakers including Tracy Caliendo (Bank of America Securities), Eva Walsh (J.P. Morgan Asset Management) and Patricia Koetzner (Siebert Williams Shank & Co.). Check out the full recap here.
Although Women’s History Month is winding down, STA WIF is committed to keeping our members and observers informed and inspired all year round as we champion the next generation of women in finance. Stay tuned for future interviews, perspectives, event recaps and more in upcoming editions.
Happy Women’s History Month, all!
Read the full newsletter here.