Spotlight on FWA President Annette Stewart

January 30, 2025

Strategic planning and vision to advance women in financial services


FWA President Annette Stewart’s accomplishments are impressive, to say the least. Not only is she a first-generation college graduate, but she’s also a lawyer and holds an MBA degree. She has nearly 18 years of experience on Wall Street, and still managed to strike the ideal work-life balance. In her most recent role, a senior director focusing on U.S. Business Acceleration and Integration at RBC, she worked remotely from her home in Memphis, TN and traveled to New York City for monthly meetings.


Sherree DeCovny, co-chair of the FWA’s Marketing & Strategic Communications Committee, talked with Annette about her career, her leadership journey at the FWA and how the organization has contributed to her success.

Sherree: Please tell us about your background and career journey.


Annette:  I grew up in San Antonio, TX. My first mentor was my grandmother, who left school after the third grade. She was the one who pushed me to strive for excellence in my education and career, and I owe my success to her.


I’m so proud to be the first in my family to attend college. I graduated from Texas State University with a BA in Sociology and Business Administration. I won a scholarship to attend University of Iowa College of Law and was awarded a JD degree and went on to complete an MBA program at University of Michigan.


Atticus Finch, the main character in To Kill a Mockingbird, was a role model for me. My goal in law school was to become a district attorney so I could help people. But after working a summer job in a DA’s office, I discovered that path wasn’t for me. I spent my last semester in law school in London, and that’s when I started thinking about applying my knowledge of case law, the Constitution and contract negotiation to the world of business.


After graduating from University of Iowa, I moved to Chicago and was hired by Citadel Investment Group to review derivatives documentation and serve as a go-between for the lawyers and traders. I like to think that there’s a reason and purpose to everything. I wouldn’t have gotten the job at Citadel without the law degree, and that job launched my career in financial services.


In 2007, Goldman Sachs recruited me, and I moved to New York. After leaving the bank in 2009, I held roles at Markit, Barclays Capital, PwC, Credit Suisse and HSBC. Most recently, I was a senior director at RBC, focusing on U.S. Business Acceleration and Integration where I was responsible for strategy and solutions that solve highly complex business problems. The areas that came under my remit include regulatory directives in global cybersecurity, transformation and onboarding as well as capital markets technology infrastructure.


Sherree: What was your leadership journey at the FWA?


Annette: I joined the FWA when I worked for Goldman Sachs. Some FWA members took me under their wing, and I started to get more involved in the organization. For example, I served as a mentor for the Murry Bergtraum High School program, which I enjoyed because many students had a similar background to mine.


My first FWA leadership position was co-chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee and then chair of the Membership Committee. I also chaired the Men’s Alliance, which was important to me because men have sponsored me in my career. Eventually, I served as secretary, president-elect and now president.


Sherree: How did you benefit from your FWA experience, both personally and in your career?


Annette:  The key benefit for me has been the networking and connections. I’ve not only had the opportunity to learn from other members’ experiences, but their honest feedback has helped me navigate and advance my career.


In addition, the leadership skills I’ve acquired by participating in various committees, the Leadership Council and the board have been invaluable in my day-to-day work. These skills have given me the confidence to work with people who have different personalities and perspectives. I’ve learned to listen to people, inspire and motivate them, and work as a team.


Sherree: The workplace has changed a lot over the last few years. How has the FWA changed with it?


Annette:  I’m living proof of how the workplace has changed over the last few years. I currently live and work remotely in Memphis, TN. I come to New York City about once a month for work and FWA events.


Like other organizations, the FWA changed out of necessity when Covid struck. We operated virtually throughout the pandemic, but now in the post-Covid environment, our members expect and demand a hybrid offering.


Yet, our core mission remains the same: to advance women in financial services. A top priority is to retain and increase our individual and corporate membership. As such, we need to communicate the value of the FWA and the network. Whether you work full-time/in-person, hybrid or fully remote, you need to take the time to see people, shake a hand or give a hug. I call it “watering the garden” because you never know when you’ll need career support. Our high-quality educational programming enables our individual members to keep abreast of industry trends and our corporate members to showcase their expertise. Finally, our mentoring programs are critical for developing and retaining talent.


My presidency ends on June 30, 2025. I’m looking to close out my term with a great International Business Conference in France on March 9-14. I’m also setting a path for the next Technology Summit in the fall.


Sherree: What advice do you have for our current and prospective members?


Annette:  I’ve been fortunate meet so many senior women, attend great events and build my leadership skills through the FWA. I’m thankful for the community and opportunities and friendships that the FWA has provided me.


I would encourage members to take advantage of the FWA’s powerful network to build friendships, relationships, knowledge and skills that can lead to new career opportunities and advancement. Get involved in a committee. Use the FWA to make a difference in someone’s life by being a mentor and helping others. Make the FWA be what you want it to be. I would also call on our Leadership Council to step up because they’re our future board members.

Preparing for What's Next: Cailyn Kitchens and the Power of Mentorship

August 13, 2026
by Robert Brown "I believe that mentorship is incredibly valuable, especially during college as you are navigating a lot of changes and first-time experiences." For Cailyn Kitchens, a junior at Baruch College, those words aren't simply a reflection on her college experience. They've become the foundation of how she's prepared for her future. Following her junior-year internship at Scotiabank, Cailyn credits the Financial Women's Association's Baruch College Mentoring Program and her mentor, Laleh Bashirrad, Managing Director at BNP Paribas, with helping her approach one of the most pivotal chapters of her college journey with greater confidence, curiosity, and perspective.

Wall Street Exchange Interns Get an Inside Look at Strategic Communications

August 6, 2026
On July 7, 2026, interns in the FWA’s Wall Street Exchange (WSE) Program came together virtually for the fourth session of the summer, titled “Strategic Communications,” sponsored by Joele Frank. Jordan Resnick, HR Specialist, and Heather Wallach, Talent Acquisition Manager, introduced interns to Joele Frank and the world of strategic communications, a field many interns had never considered as part of the financial services landscape. Jordan and Heather explained that Joele Frank advises companies through their most consequential moments, from mergers and acquisitions to shareholder activism, restructuring, leadership transitions, and crisis response, ranking as the #1 U.S. M&A PR advisor and #1 shareholder activism defense advisor in the industry. To bring the firm’s work to life, Jordan and Heather walked interns through several high-profile engagements, including Joele Frank’s support of Warner Bros. Discovery, a current client, as an example of how the firm helps companies navigate high-stakes, high-visibility situations in real time. The discussion underscored that effective strategic communications require not just managing a narrative, but protecting a company’s credibility with every audience watching, from investors and employees to the media and the public. Jordan and Heather also broke down the many disciplines that fall under the strategic communications umbrella, including investor relations, corporate and media relations, governance and corporate stewardship, design, and digital strategy. They emphasized that the firm hires like a law firm, bringing on Account Associates directly out of undergrad, and encouraged interns interested in the field to build strong writing skills, stay current on financial news through outlets like The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, and consider Joele Frank’s summer internship or full-time Account Associate programs as a path into the industry. Interns had the opportunity to ask questions throughout the presentation before breaking into small groups to discuss their key takeaways from the session and reflect on what they had learned so far this summer. Many interns shared that the session reshaped their understanding of what a career in PR actually looks like, moving past common misconceptions to reveal a discipline built on strategy, judgment, and relationships. Several groups also highlighted the session’s emphasis on soft skills, noting how much communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence matter in a field so often mistaken for being purely about writing press releases. At the conclusion of the session, the WSE spun the wheel to award a CFA Society Student Membership, sponsored by the CFA Society, to Sarah Convery. Congrats, Sarah! A huge thank you to Jordan Resnick, Heather Wallach, and the entire Joele Frank team for giving interns a behind-the-scenes look at the strategic communications industry. The WSE Co-Chairs and Committee extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to the President’s Circle Firms, the Partnership Circle Firms, and the Friends of FWA for their unwavering support and generosity to the interns and the Wall Street Exchange Program. 

Wall Street Exchange Interns Learn Foundations for Professional Excellence

July 30, 2026
On June 23, 2026, the FWA's Wall Street Exchange (WSE) Program 2026 cohort gathered virtually for the third weekly session of the program. The session was sponsored by Knopman Marks, a boutique NYC-based firm known for its high-performance training for securities licensing exams. Brian Marks, Co-Founder and President of Knopman Marks & Highwire, led a practical, high-energy conversation titled "Foundations for Professional Excellence." The first topic that Brian discussed was the habits that drive a successful early career and why those habits matter well beyond an internship. The skills interns build now are the same ones that separate a good intern from a great one; and that later separate a good professional from a high performer. He described high performance, not as a matter of raw talent, but rather as a set of behaviors one can practice. The habits put in place early are the ones that compound. The interns who start practicing them now are the ones who carry them from an internship with limited responsibilities into executive-level responsibility later. The interns then reviewed a series of four credibility builders and four credibility killers, proactive behaviors that shape how senior professionals come to trust a young professional. Owning your mistakes and learning from them is a key credibility builder and surprising your manager with bad news at the last minute is a major credibility killer. The interns then rated themselves on a Strategic Action Matrix, a four-box framework charting how strategy: “Are you focused on the right things?” interacts with execution: “Are you doing the work to get there?”. He asked interns to consider one or two new habits they could put to work immediately. Brian impressed upon the interns that professional excellence is thinking strategically and executing well, while stepping outside their comfort zone, stretching past their limits and building resilience when the plan changes. Brian then introduced the five strategies in The Intern Success Playbook, emphasizing that interns are building their personal brand every day through what others observe. Whether it's staying focused instead of constantly checking a mobile phone or taking the initiative to connect with colleagues, everyday actions shape how others perceive them. His five strategies focused on working and communicating smarter, building authentic relationships, and paying close attention to perception and details. The interactive format kept energy high. Interns enjoyed the live Q&A, the quiz, and the chance to ask questions. A screen full of Zoom hearts spoke to the value they found in his advice. A huge thank you to Knopman Marks and Brian Marks for investing their time and expertise in the WSE 2026 cohort. The session concluded with the WSE Committee awarding intern Sarah Convery a CFA Student Annual Membership, sponsored by the CFA Society. The WSE Co-Chairs, Gerri Bostick and Laura Smith Dunaief, and the WSE Committee extend their sincere appreciation to Brian Marks and Knopman Marks for their support in making this virtual session a success. We also thank the FWA President Albana Theka, FWA leadership, volunteers, sponsoring firms, and participating employers for their continued commitment to providing this valuable experience to the next generation of financial professionals. 

Wall Street Exchange Interns Learn Networking Best Practices

July 23, 2026
Interns participating in the 2026 Wall Street Exchange (WSE) Program gathered virtually for the program’s second session, an interactive panel discussing “Networking Best Practices.” Sponsored by S&P Global, Northwestern Mutual, and Wells Fargo, the session brought together three financial services professionals to share how they have built and sustained meaningful relationships throughout their careers. The discussion was moderated by Dan Yu, Co-Founder of FutureProof You and Director of Partnerships at the talent development nonprofit Ascend Leadership . After a long career on Wall Street, Dan pivoted to recruiting and career coaching, work that has since taken him from coaching college students to C-level executives. He set an energetic, conversational tone for the panel, joined by Jena Angeliadis, Executive Director and Senior Lead Product Manager at Wells Fargo; Antonietta Gaudio, Recruiting Operations Manager at Northwestern Mutual; and Christina Siekierski, Senior Product Manager at S&P Global.  Jena traced her own path across American Express, JPMorgan Chase, and now Wells Fargo, encouraging interns to think of networking less as a transaction and more as an ongoing practice built on curiosity and follow-through. She pointed to her own career transitions, including launching the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card, as proof that relationships built early in a career often resurface in unexpected and valuable ways later on. Drawing on nearly 14 years in talent acquisition, Antonietta spoke about her “white glove” approach to building trust, urging interns to lead every interaction with empathy and authenticity rather than a polished pitch. She reminded the group that confidence in networking is built from within, and that the goal of any conversation should be genuine connection, not simply a foot in the door. Christina offered a product manager’s view of networking, describing how cross-functional relationships across product, commercial, and client teams at S&P Global have been just as important to her growth as relationships built outside the office. She encouraged interns to treat every colleague, not just senior leaders, as a connection worth investing in. To help interns put the panel’s advice into action, Dan closed the session with five “homework” assignments to complete in the weeks ahead: Update your LinkedIn profile Build a Linktree or dotcard Join or start a virtual networking group Reply to your three oldest unanswered text messages, using voice text Call someone you haven’t spoken with in a year A huge thank you to Dan Yu, Jena Angeliadis, Antonietta Gaudio, and Christina Siekierski, and to S&P Global, Northwestern Mutual, and Wells Fargo, for helping interns build the confidence and tools to network with purpose. At the conclusion of the session, the WSE Committee awarded a CFA Society New York student membership to Angela Lin. The WSE Co-Chairs and Committee extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to the President’s Circle Firms, the Partnership Circle Firms, and the Friends of FWA for their unwavering support and generosity to the interns and the Wall Street Exchange Program.
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