Cost:

FWA Members: $30  |  Non-Members: $45

 

Registration closes at 11:59 pm EST on Jan 26, 2026.

 

 

Description: 

 

Kick off the new year with insights that count. Join the Financial Women’s Association and SMBC for a dynamic, forward-looking conversation on the forces set to shape the economy and move markets in 2026.

 

Our all-star panel includes Michelle Petropoulos, Managing Director of Equity Capital Markets at SMBC; Tom Lee, founder of FundStrat; Rebecca Patterson, former Chief Investment Strategist at Bridgewater; and moderator Patti Domm, Emmy Award-winning financial journalist. They will break down the AI boom, the Federal Reserve’s next moves, and the policy currents coming out of Washington.

Disruptive trends create opportunity—but they also carry risk.

 

Discover where the next wave of opportunities may emerge and what challenges could be on the horizon. Hear directly from the experts on how AI, the Fed, and federal policy could influence the year ahead.

 

 

Bios:

 

Michelle Petropoulos is Managing Director and Head of US Equity Capital Markets at SMBC Nikko, where she leads strategic initiatives to help clients access global equity markets. With deep expertise in capital markets and corporate finance, Michelle advises on equity offerings, market trends, and innovative financing solutions that drive growth and shareholder value. Her work spans a broad range of industries, providing clients with tailored strategies to navigate complex and evolving market conditions.

 

Prior to joining SMBC, Michelle built a distinguished career in investment banking, focusing on equity capital markets and advisory services. She has extensive experience structuring IPOs, follow-on offerings, and equity-linked transactions, and is recognized for her ability to deliver results in dynamic market environments. Michelle is passionate about fostering strong client relationships and leveraging market insights to identify opportunities and mitigate risk.

 

 

Thomas Lee is a Managing Partner and the Head of Research at Fundstrat and chairman of BMNR.  He is an accomplished Wall Street strategist with over 25 years of experience in equity research, and has been top-ranked by Institutional Investor every year since 1998. Prior to co-founding Fundstrat, he served as J.P. Morgan’s Chief Equity Strategist from 2007 to 2014, and previously as Managing Director at Salomon Smith Barney. His areas of expertise include Market Strategy, Small/Mid-Cap Strategy and Telecom Services. Mr. Lee received his BSE from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in Finance and Accounting. He is a CFA charterholder and is an active member of NYSSA and the NY Economic Club                

 

 

Rebecca Patterson is a globally recognized investor and macro-economic researcher with nearly 30 years of experience across the US, Europe and Asia, studying how politics and policy intersect with economic trends to drive financial markets.

 

Rebecca is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an independent director at Vanguard. She also advises companies and organizations on macro-economic and financial-market issues.  

 

Previously, Rebecca was Chief Investment Strategist for Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. From 2012 through 2019, Rebecca was Chief Investment Officer of Bessemer Trust, a multi-family office where she managed $85 billion in client assets. Before joining Bessemer, Rebecca spent more than 15 years at JPMorgan, where she held a number of senior research, trading and advisory roles in Europe, Asia and the US.

 

Rebecca has supported the Federal Reserve throughout her career, including serving on the New York Federal Reserve’s Investor Advisory and Foreign Exchange committees. She is on the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission, a member of the Economic Club of New York and serves on the University of Florida’s Investment Corporation Advisory Board. She chairs the Council for Economic Education and is Vice Chair of the board of the Bretton Woods Committee. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

 

Rebecca holds an M.B.A. from New York University, an M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida. She was included in American Banker’s list of Most Powerful Women in Finance for six consecutive years and was named to Forbes’ 50 over 50 in 2022. Rebecca is a frequently requested business television guest, and her research is regularly published in the New York Times and Financial Times.

 

 

Patti Domm (moderator) is an Emmy Award winning financial journalist with extensive experience covering the financial markets, energy, Wall Street, and the global economy. Her work appears regularly in Barron’s, and she is a columnist for the Khaleej Times in Dubai. Patti previously served as markets editor at CNBC, where she was awarded an Emmy for her coverage of the financial crisis with NBC Nightly News. Her CNBC.com column was recognized by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW). With decades of experience reporting and presenting business and financial news to global audiences, Patti has held senior editorial roles throughout her career. Before joining CNBC, she was Equities Editor for the Americas at Reuters, where she also served as Wall Street editor and earlier as a reporter covering mergers and other major financial developments. She is currently principal of Patti Domm Associates. Patti is an active member of the Financial Women’s Association (FWA), serving on the board and as co-chair of the programming committee. She also co-chaired the 2024 International Business Conference to Greece. Over more than twenty years of service to the FWA, she has organized numerous high-profile events and contributed in multiple leadership roles since 2000.