Written by: Hope Celani, CIPM | Manager – Global Financial Institutions Consulting, Global Risk Solutions, BNY Mellon Asset Servicing
Last month, I had the opportunity to participate on a panel, called “Women in Performance & Risk,” at The Journal of Performance Measurement®’s Sixteenth Annual International Performance Measurement, Attribution & Risk Conference (PMAR).
I was joined on the panel by Ashley Reeves, CIPM, Senior Vice President, Global Investment Performance Standards, The Spaulding Group, Inc.; Christine Iannacone, Investment Vice President, Prudential Financial; and Debi Rossi, President, Kyza Performance Consulting.
The panel gave me an opportunity to look back over what I have observed in my career to date. I have seen women within my company rise to the level of managers and directors of divisions. I have spent more of my career with female managers than with male managers and, for the last 10 years, I have worked with a woman at the helm of my organization.
Things are changing, but we still have progress to make. For example, last month while presenting at a client’s investment committee meeting, I was the lone woman at a table of 15 participants. In general, based on my experience attending industry-related events, the number of female speakers does not exceed 20 percent and the number of female attendees is typically the same.
Beyond these anecdotes, I am proud of what BNY Mellon has been doing to move the needle. We have a number of diversity programs, including the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN). This business resource group supports the advancement of women at BNY Mellon through various channels and opportunities for professional development. WIN programs include mentoring, leadership workshops, client engagements, and networking opportunities. It also has a robust “Male Allies” contingent, championed by Dan Kramer, Executive Vice President and Head of Client Experience for BNY Mellon Asset Servicing. All of these factors create an environment where women’s perspectives are heard and valued, and their professional talents are cultivated.
I have heard it said before that diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. Throughout my career, I have sought out and looked up to so many women and marveled at their success. I have spent over 20 years in the financial industry, and I can name every female role model along the way. I would not underestimate the impact of female role models.
With more events such as this recent panel, more commitments by banks and other institutions to develop female talent at every career level, and significant cultural and educational shifts such as the inclusion of young girls in Scientce, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs at school, I am confident that the opportunities we have to accelerate progress in gender representation and inclusion – to claim our seat at the table – will continue to improve.
Hope Celani, CIPM, is Manager – Global Financial Institutions Consulting, Global Risk Solutions, for Asset Servicing at BNY Mellon. She is also a key thought leader in Global Investment Performance Standards, GIPS®, and is the current Chair of the Canadian Investment Performance Council. She has twenty-six years of investment industry experience in performance and risk analytics services.
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