June 2023

Chairwomen of the Board: Why Representation at the Highest Levels of Leadership Matters

By Inessa Ruffman

JonesTrading & STA WIF Chair

It's no secret that having women in senior leadership and board positions helps companies outperform. While there is still work to be done, the increase in women serving in senior roles serves as powerful validation of our mission to provide women in financial services the necessary resources and platform to succeed.

Each year, STA and its affiliates hold elections for our Board of Governors, welcoming new candidates eager to continue serving our members across the U.S. and Canada. This year, we're thrilled to have more than 60 women serving on STA Boards, and we'd like to see that number continue to grow. As annual national and affiliate elections for 2024 begin to take place, we're here to encourage all female STA members to run for Board positions.

The STA community is based on values of service, support and camaraderie – and that means making all individuals feel welcome. By the same token, industry firms must do their part to build corporate cultures that encourage all perspectives to be heard and ensure there are a range of viewpoints represented in every room, including the boardroom. In 2022, a Harvard study found that women make up just 20% of board seats at the highest levels of corporate leadership. As ever, the work must continue.

We are resolved in our mission to help continue that work, and we are proud that STA and its affiliates are delivering opportunities for women to raise their hands, apply their skills and exemplify the value that diversity and inclusion present to any organization.

Congrats to Gina King - Carolina STA's New President!

STA Women in Finance would like to congratulate Gina King, LPL Financial on being elected President of Carolina STA!

Ms. King is currently an Equity Trader with LPL Financial. She has 30 years of experience in equity trading and sales. She began her career in New York with Furman Selz as a clerk on the NYSE and then joined The Interstate in Charlotte, NC in 1996 as an Institutional Equity Sales Trader, spending 25 years there. Ms. King has been involved with the Carolina Security Traders Association since 1997.

Check out the latest edition of STA WIF's "Changing the Face of Financial Services" interview series, featuring Robin Henrich, Head of Equity Trading at Hotchkis & Wiley.

Robin Henrich

Head of Equity Trading

Hotchkis & Wiley

Articles of Interest

Female Invest Launches Educational App Revolutionizing Financial Literacy For Women

Fintech Global

Denmark-headquartered Female Invest, a financial education and community platform, has launched an educational app on its mission to improve women’s financial literacy. The Female Invest app offers an array of resources, including comprehensive courses on various facets of personal finance, such as budgeting, investing and retirement planning.

here



Women Working With Financial Planners More Likely to Feel Ready for Retirement

Yahoo Finance

With a possible recession looming, 40% of women investors feel the U.S. economy is already in a financial crisis, with another 24% convinced that the country is on the brink of a downturn. With all that in mind, it's no wonder that 27% of those women say they feel unprepared for retirement. But there's some good news, too, and it demonstrates a good strategy for dealing with retirement anxiety: 40% of women who work with a financial professional say that they feel "very prepared for retirement."

here

Only 11 Percent of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Are Women

Atlantic Council

With Kristiana Georgieva at the International Monetary Fund, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the World Trade Organization, Christine Lagarde at the European Central Bank, and Janet Yellen at the US Treasury, we’re given the impression that women are at the helm of economic policymaking. However, this success has not translated into broad representation. Structural barriers continue to prevent many women from reaching top roles in finance and economics—and the problem is more pronounced than in other areas of policymaking.

here

Save the Date!

8th Annual STA Women in Finance Symposium

October 11, 2023

JW Marriott Washington DC

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