As Women in ETFs celebrates its tenth anniversary, co-heads of the London chapter, Roxane Sanguinetti and Jessica Lana, have urged women and male allies working in the ETF business to join the association.
Since its founding in January 2014, Women in ETFs has amassed over 10,000 members worldwide, with 13 chapters located solely in EMEA.
The group’s objectives are to uplift and support women’s careers in the ETF business, promote diversity, and empower male allies.
This is made possible by the 50 sponsors who help Women in ETFs provide members with complimentary events for professional and educational growth.
ETF Stream spoke with Roxane Sanguinetti, head of strategy at GHCO, and Jessica Lana, vice president, institutional commodity sales EMEA, ETFs, at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Women in ETFs. The topics of discussion included the necessity of motivating the next generation of women in the ETF industry as well as the significance of including men in the discourse.
Lana (on the left) stated “Women in ETFs is a group that, among other things, organizes educational and mentorship events to unite men and women working in the ETF sector. Our goal is to identify and nurture both male and female talent as well as honor their accomplishments in the business.
Our three goals are to: inspire – provide educational forums – support – provide assistance to the upcoming generation of women in ETFs – and connect – generate possibilities for professional progress. We’ve now attained 10,000 members worldwide, having started ten years ago.”
Sanguinetti (on the right) said “Anyone is welcome to join at no cost thanks to our supporters. To gain access to our events and mentorship, simply register on the website. We would like to emphasize that participation in the conversations we wish to undertake should involve men as well as women. Since we want guys to speak out on diversity and inclusion, we genuinely want to encourage more men to speak on our panels.”
Lana added further saying, in the banking profession, where there are so many new efforts for women, I have had the great fortune to work with companies that have always fostered an inclusive workplace. However, as this does not occur at every company, women in ETFs is extremely significant. Even though it was harder for women to work in finance when I first entered the field in 2008, progress has already been made. I notice that many female grads attend our events these days, so it’s wonderful to be influencing the next generation. The ETF market has always been very welcoming to both men and women. My experience has been positive since I have had the good fortune to work for companies with a diverse staff.
Sanguinetti mentioned that Businesses prioritize other matters during difficult times, thus inclusive and diverse projects are shelved. But companies must realize that a more diverse workforce is beneficial, which is why it is essential that Women in ETFs continue to support its programs. Strong female role models in the ETF ecosystem include Deborah Fuhr and numerous additional heads or board members. The ETF business had a high number of women in leadership positions due to the manner it grew. While increasing diversity among trading teams is a never-ending effort, many departments, including sales, have a more balanced workforce than other financial divisions.
