It’s December 21 and we are officially in holiday mode. If you ask the big box stores, the season kicked off sometime around Labor Day, when we had our first sightings of tinsel, ribbon and all things red and green. But with Hanukkah starting this past weekend and Christmas on Sunday, we will soon be bidding farewell to another year. Beyond exchanging presents and overindulging in food and good cheer (have you had your first Mistletoe Margarita yet?), this is usually the time of year when we reflect on the past 12 months, as well as our hopes for the future.
At STA WIF, we’d like to take this moment to look back on our achievements in 2022.
In March, the STA Women in Finance Committee participated in STA’s DC Spring Update, where we featured keynote speaker Kylie Patterson, Director, Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. Ms. Patterson shared her thoughts on the importance of keeping both the long and short game in mind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Also speaking at the event was Congresswoman Ann Wagner, vice-ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, who discussed key issues impacting women in financial services, including recruiting and retention, licensing and continued education, parental leave, and how the industry can be more family-friendly to empower women to thrive in their careers.
In conjunction with October’s Market Structure Conference in DC, we held our 7th Annual STA Women in Finance Symposium. Keynote speaker Erin Gibbs, Chief Investment Officer at Main Street Asset Management, spoke to an audience of 110 industry professionals, reflecting on the evolution she has witnessed in terms of inclusivity. Her remarks highlighted one fundamental idea: as far as our industry has come, there is still work to be done in building diverse workplaces where all perspectives can be heard.
We continue to promote #PutHerOnThePanel, which stresses the importance of featuring women professionals in speaking roles at industry conferences and events. While our 2022 Market Structure Conference fell short on panel diversity compared to pre-pandemic, an area we will look to improve on in 2023, STA fared better in this area compared to the industry as a whole.
Several STA WIF Committee Members participated in an STA New York (STANY) WIF Spring Fundraising Campaign in June, which consisted of a charity walk to benefit the women and children at the heart of the crisis in Ukraine.
Each month, we published our STA WIF newsletter to a growing distribution list. Many of those newsletters featured heartfelt stories written by our very own STA WIF Co-Chairs. We will look to continue these, and other feature articles, in the coming year.
We also plan to revive the STA Foundation Awards in 2023, as we recognize the value in honoring both men and women who have made a genuine contribution to the advancement of women in finance. We hope that you wrap up 2022 by reflecting on all that you have achieved, and look toward the New Year with optimism and peace.
From all of us at STA WIF, Happy Holidays!
Read the full newsletter here