I have spent the last 15+ years working in the financial services industry in client-facing roles dedicated to building and maintaining constructive relationships. I most recently served as the Head of Investor Relations for EJF Capital in the Washington, DC metro area. As part of my client management role, I have formalized internal due diligence processes and managed all aspects of investor’s due diligence. This led me to overseeing the development of firm policies, procedures, and processes alongside senior management. Most recently much of my focus was on incorporating firm ESG and DEI initiatives and I served as a founding co-Chair for the firm’s ESG Committee.
As a female leader, I have increasingly felt a duty to advocate for better policies around DEI considerations in the workplace and have found myself working closely with my own firm’s human resource department on how to establish better practices. DEI should not only be taken into consideration during the hiring process but should also be embedded in the overall employee experience. It should be part of a firm’s culture and help foster inclusive growth throughout the organization.
Both in the workplace, and in my own personal relationships, I have worked to be an advocate for those that have received a lack of support from their employers throughout various events in their life, whether that be around navigating and normalizing the stigma around mental health support, starting the journey of building a family and the varying paths that can take, or balancing a return to work after leave.
I was born, raised, and have worked in the United States until 2022 when my family and I took an opportunity to move to the Netherlands for my husbands’ job. While some of my experiences may be unique to the U.S., I believe that the global acceptance of DEI considerations, particularly within the financial services industry, still has a long way to go. I have joined the Diversity Project as an Ambassador to offer my own perspectives and in support of a global shift in how DEI considerations are viewed.