2024 Wall Street Exchange Provides Networking Guidance

June 28, 2024

The FWA’s Wall Street Exchange Program launched on June 11. The 2024 program includes 57 participants interning at 18 firms and representing 38 different schools.

 

Wall Street Exchange (WSE) augments the summer internship experience of rising college seniors with weekly career development events that help them develop professional and career management skills. During the opening session, interns participated in series of networking breakout sessions designed to facilitate introductions and help them build bonds that will continue throughout the summer program – and their careers.

What does it take to build a strong network? During the second WSE session on June 18, interns learned how to break the ice and build rapport, effective uses of online networking tools, and the importance of authenticity.

 

Dan Yu of FastBook Advisors moderated a high-energy panel discussion and shared his own insights, drawing on his experience coaching early careerists to seasoned executives on career path strategy and career management.

 

Panelists Aidi Zheng of BMO Capital Markets, Paige Derlinga of Citizens Financial Group, and Amber Doreen of J.P. Morgan generously shared their own career experiences and guidance for making the most of networking opportunities during the lively session.

Thank you to the 2024 Wall Street Exchange sponsors that make this program possible: Citizens Bank, BMO Capital Markets, J.P. Morgan, Oliver Wyman, Amazon Web Services, New York Life, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Thanks, as well, to the WSE Co-chairs and Committee members, our President’s Circle firms, and to FWA leadership and the FWA office team for their support.

 

Click here to learn more about the Wall Street Exchange program. For questions about the program, please contact Kelsie Piersaint, the FWA’s Next-Gen Educational Programs Manager.

FWA Welcomes Board Members for 2025-26

June 12, 2025
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming the new and returning Financial Women’s Association Board Members for the 2025-2026 term. We look forward to working with you to support and serve our community. Thank you for your leadership and service!

Introducing FWA's 2025 Summer Interns

June 5, 2025
The FWA is pleased to welcome Riya Shah and Joanna Jordan from the Jaggar Community Fellows Program at Adelphi University . This competitive program offers paid nonprofit internships, benefiting both organizations and students. Riya joins us as our Database Management & Data Analysis intern, and Joanna is our Marketing and Communications intern.

Kathryn Mayer Shares Highlights from Our 'Elevate Your Network' Event

May 29, 2025
Highlights from Kathryn Mayer: I’m honored to have been the featured speaker at the Financial Women’s Association (FWA) event, Elevate Your Network, Empower Your Career . A huge thank you to the FWA Membership & Engagement Committee, Erin K. Preston, Samantha DiMercurio, and Marsh McLennan for making this happen. Networking is evolving as many of us are returning to the office again, and FWA members are eager to rebuild their skills. Despite the rainy evening, the energy, engagement, and willingness to be vulnerable made this workshop unforgettable. I opened with this powerful insight: "Research shows that new ideas and career opportunities are most likely to come from weak ties – relationships outside our closest circles."* To illustrate this, I shared my own experience—how a simple question to my book editor led me to a life-changing conversation with keynote speaker and bestselling author Victoria Labalme who is a weak tie. Her advice? Just start calling yourself a keynote speaker. That shift in mindset transformed my approach, leading to new opportunities within weeks. Then, I challenged attendees with an interactive exercise. Each participant partnered with someone they didn’t know, spending five minutes brainstorming a person they wanted to meet or a request they could make to connect with a weak tie. The energy in the room was electric as women realized the untapped potential in their networks. Next, we explored key principles of strategic networking: defining its purpose, differentiating mentor-sponsor relationships, and identifying the 10–15 critical connections that drive success. Attendees then paired with new partners to reflect on how they define themselves—not just professionally, but through their education, family roles, hobbies, volunteer work, and social circles. Many discovered surprising commonalities, from boxing to shared alma maters, reinforcing the power of authentic connections. By the end, everyone walked away having met at least two to three new people and with actionable strategies to enhance their network. If you want to dive deeper, I cover strategic networking in my newly released book, The Productive Perfectionist. I also write a monthly blog on leadership development, so stay ahead of the curve and subscribe! Plus, if you're looking for coaching or training, visit kcmayer.com to connect and to buy my new book! *Gianpiero Petriglieri, “How to Make Better Friends at Work,” MIT Sloan Management Review, volume 65, no.3 (Spring 2024), page 44

Spotlight on Ariel Boverman, Nominating Committee Chair

May 22, 2025
Building and retaining leadership and a pipeline for the future Ariel Boverman is a human resources (HR) professional who has used her expertise to guide executives though organizational change at top firms including Marsh and McLennan, PwC, EY and Wells Fargo Advisors. She represents the Nominating Committee on the FWA’s board, and previously, she served on the board of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). In her free time, Ariel loves engaging with diverse people and cultures and being a tourist in her own city. Sherree DeCovny, co-chair of the FWA’s Marketing & Strategic Communications Committee, spoke with Ariel about her background and her role in helping the FWA ensure sustainability through strong leadership. 
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