A Message from FWA President Albana Theka
Every Friday morning, I get on the phone with my friend Marie Helene. We met through FWA more than six years ago, when we were both in career transitions. We started a weekly power hour: who to reach out to, what to say next. We kept each other honest and kept each other going. It worked, we both landed new jobs, and the call never stopped.
Last year, as the newly minted President of the FWA, I lost my job one week before our annual retreat. At the meeting, after talking about our mission, I shared what had happened. I am grateful to every woman who came up afterward, kind and ready to help. Since then, the encouragement has been plentiful and the introductions, sadly, few.
At our 70th Anniversary Gala, Stephanie Ruhle shared a question she had once heard: when women reach the top, are we thinking strategically about each other? That night I had a conversation with a guest who told me about his mother, who struggled in her career in financial services and never knew an organization like FWA existed. He heard my story and, without being asked, began making warm introductions. When I told Marie Helene, I heard myself say it: “It took a man to open the door for me,” and I am grateful he did.
We sometimes talk about this at the FWA. Our industry has long rewarded sharp elbows, and too often we see other women as competition. In scarcity, we hold our networks close, out of caution, habit, or because we are stretched thin. And the women who need help most are often afraid to ask.
This has been a vital part of our mission and our work: advancing women in financial services, one introduction at a time. A name or idea shared, a job posting forwarded, a simple “you should talk to her/him” can change the direction of a career. When you can’t help, “I don’t have the right contact, but I am here to listen” is a gift too.
With AI reshaping our industry, many talented women are in transition, some publicly, many quietly. Wherever we can, let’s all be the one who opens the door. Let’s look out for one another, ask “How can I help?” and follow through. Encouragement keeps us going. Introductions get us there. Let’s give both.
Albana Theka
FWA President 2025-2027
