FWSF Q1 2024 Connections Newsletter

2024 FWSF President
(View Bio) 

Dear Members:

The theme for FWSF this year is “CONNECTION.” As we continue to navigate the new post-COVID world, with many working remotely or in hybrid arrangements, we are hearing from our members the desire for more opportunities to connect with peers and colleagues.

FWSF is a very special community of like-minded, successful women (and men) in finance, and our objective is to strengthen our connection to our community – our members, sponsors, scholarship recipients and the Bay Area at large. We have several initiatives underway to achieve this, including:

Programming – We are working to align our events to how our members want to consume their programming – with a balance of virtual and in-person events, as well as programs that provide thought leadership and more opportunities to network.

Marketing – We have engaged an external marketing consultant to help refresh and refine our messaging and branding. You should have received a survey via email – please take a moment to complete this as your feedback is very important to our efforts.

Sponsorship – We are so thankful for our corporate sponsors who support our scholarship program. We are looking to expand our sponsorship reach by identifying new sponsors, as well as enhancing our engagement with our sponsors through joint programming, networking, and mentoring.

At our Board retreat in January, I asked our Board members to share their one-word answer to “Why FWSF?” (e.g., Why did you join? Why do you stay? Why are you engaged?). Some of the words they shared were:

Community, Support, Allyship, Opportunity, Welcoming, Affinity, Belonging, Empower, Inclusion

It is my hope that each FWSF member has a similar response to that question and that you are feeling engaged and receiving value out of your membership. If you are in need of connection – attend our events, volunteer to help at an event,  join a committee, engage with us on social media, introduce us to other women in your network – we are here to support you.

Thank you for being part of the FWSF community and I look forward to “connecting” with you at an upcoming event!

June 6, 2024

Wharton School, San Francisco Campus

We are excited to announce that the scholarship event is being reimagined this year. The event will be held in the afternoon and will include the inspiring speeches of our scholarship winners followed by a networking reception.

This format will allow for us to all interact more with each other as well as afford the opportunity to meet all of the scholarship recipients.

We will be announcing our amazing scholarship winners in early May and will have a link to register for the event on our website.

In her role as a Senior Relationship Manager at City National Bank, Deb was recently promoted to Senior Vice President. Furthermore, Deb is in the interview process of becoming a Board Member of a Non-Profit, whose mission is very honorable and speaks to her heart. She hopes everything works for the best. Congratulations, Deb!

Past FWSF scholarship recipient Tabitha Shikuku was recognized in honor of Black History Month by CalCPA for her rich experience in sustainable financing and project management across continents, naming her "a force for organizational culture and community empowerment." Read more here. Congratulations, Tabitha!

Sue English Mazzetti, our FWSF President, was named one of wealth management’s Top Women Industry Leaders for 2024 by the Wealth Solutions Report. The WSR Pathfinder Awards series for the year is in honor of Women's History Month and recognizes excellence in executives from underrepresented backgrounds and communities. Pathfinder winners are selected based on their ability to serve as role models, their influence and reputation within the industry, their accomplishments and track record, as well as their dedication to the industry. Way to go, Sue!

These members represented FWSF in collaboration with Rock the Street Wall Street’s financial literacy program. The program’s overarching goal is to empower high school girls in the U.S., U.K., and Canada to explore the possibility of a career in the financial services industry and to gain early access to lucrative internship and job opportunities in the financial sector. The four FWSF mentors worked with 15 girls at Gateway High School, a public charter school in San Francisco that serves as a college gateway for students regardless of race, income, or learning style.  What a meaningful way to give back! Thanks for representing FWSF – Anne, Kim, Lyssa, and Jennifer!

Did you get a promotion? Change jobs? Launch a business. We want to know so that we can promote your news to the FWSF community! Submit your news.

Kristin, Vice President and Practice Leader at Woodruff Sawyer, is passionate about bringing "Wall Street resources to Main Street employees" for their retirement funds. Read her full interview here.

Summer, Vice President-Financial Consultant at Charles Schwab, loves teaching children dance, Soul cycle, and her Cocker Spaniel. Read her full interview here.

You can provide a full interview through our Meet A Member Monday Series. You will be able to introduce yourself and more detailed info you would like to share. Please include a photo!

Our members want to meet you. Fill out the questionnaire.

Our world is changing and constantly becoming more complex technologically – and now, a big part of that is AI. In February, we had an in-person deep-dive into AI, and our “AI is Here. Are You Ready?” event delivered. This event featured a panel of practitioners and experts who discussed how companies should prepare for GenAI/AI uses, including understanding emerging impacts on marketing, legal and privacy, outsourcing, cyber risk profile, and more.

“FWSF's International Women's Day” event was a success. The theme was DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. Breakthroughs in fintech, cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence redefine possibilities in the finance industry. But are these innovations champions of equity, especially for historically marginalized groups including women and girls? Technology and innovations present a gateway to address longstanding inequities. During this year's IWD event, we explored current progress in this area and saw where there were opportunities to do more.

Our Keynote Speaker was Jessica Ross, Sr. VP and CFO of Frontdoor. She was joined with Moderator Alexandra Legend Siegel, VP and Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Talent at Expedia Group, for a Fireside Chat where they shared an inspiring discussion that explored our theme of fostering equity through technology and innovation. Ms. Ross’s motto, “Lead into the fire” is a call for us to do the hard things when the going gets tough.

Dr. Sonal Desai, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Franklin Templeton Fixed Income joined us in March as our speaker for our popular “Economic Trends and Outlook for 2024.” Dr. Desai addressed such questions such as: Is an economic slowdown expected in 2024? How will the U.S. election impact markets? What risks do the ongoing geopolitical events pose to the global economy? Our insightful lunch program included networking before and after the speaker’s presentation.

Along with these popular events, our three book club events in Quarter 1 were held virtually. These books stimulated engaging discussions:

January: “Burnout,” by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

Our January book club book choice was “Burnout,” by sisters Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski. What's expected of women and what it's really like to be a woman in today's world are two very different things – women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. Our book club attendees had an insightful discussion on how to recover from and prevent burnout.

February: “The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership,” by Morra Aarons-Mele

February's book club event was based on the book "The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership" by Morra Aarons-Mele. This book is a timely and compelling guide to managing the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading-from entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and top-rated podcaster Morra Aarons-Mele.

March: "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink

March's book club event was based on "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink. Pink drew on four decades of scientific research on human motivation and exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does – and how that affects every aspect of life.

We have highly informal events that are a fantastic opportunity to get to know other FWSF members, discuss work experiences, and explore mutual business opportunities. FWSF offers similar events at different times of day to better serve your busy schedule.

Monthly Meditations: Virtual event typically occurring near the beginning of the month at lunch time. A monthly meditation practice, using mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought or activity. A great way to unwind and calm yourself from your busy day!

Virtual Monthly Meditation
Wednesday, May 1, 2024  |  12:00 - 12:30 p.m

Alliance Event: “Double Trouble” Regulatory Update
Wednesday, May 1, 2024  |  11:45 - 1:00 p.m. 

Virtual Bring Your Own Lunch (BYOL)
MEMBERS ONLY  |  Tuesday, May 14, 2024 |  12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Master Class: Lessons in Leadership
Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Scholarship Awards
Thursday, June 6, 2024 (Save the Date!) 

Co-hosted Summer Mix 'n' Mingle
Thursday, June 13, 2024 | 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Sunitha Anand — CEO, AddsVal 

Carey Carpenter — Partner, PWC 

Maria Castel — Risk Director, U.S. Bank 

Shannon Corrigan — Assistant Vice President, Heffernan Insurance Brokers 

Michelle Larsen — Vice President, Human Resources, ICONIQ Capital 

Khirstine Lumbar — Retirement Plan Consultant, Newfront 

Thais Rains — Director, Protiviti

Robyn Rogin — Director of Lending, Pacific Community Venture 

Radhika Soundarajan — Lead Financial Analyst, Philips International  

Jie Wang — Strategic Finance, Scale AI

Sandra Wasicek — Co-Founder & CEO, Zorro Wealth   

Are you looking to help make a positive impact on women in our community? Interested in building your leadership skills and a path to a FWSF Board seat? If so, please consider joining one of our fantastic Board Committees! As a volunteer-run organization, our Committees are integral to making FWSF an essential source of insight and inspiration. Committees are also a great way to gain exposure to FWSF's leadership and develop the skills for a future position on our Board.

Learn more here 

You are encouraged to explore and join any of the FWSF committees. To learn of roles that we most need filled in the Programs and MarCom committees, click here.