"Serving is an honor and a vote of confidence. When we're given the opportunity to volunteer, it means others trust us to carry forward a mission that matters. We're not just filling a role, we're being entrusted with meaningful work, a privilege that reflects belief in our dedication and our ability to advance a purpose larger than ourselves."
I joined the FWA in 2008 by serendipity: as a recent post-grad starting my career at HSBC (an FWA corporate partner at the time), I received an email from the Women's Employee Resource Group about a sponsored membership opportunity with the FWA. It instantly reminded me of a key lesson from grad school: the power and importance of networking!
I first joined the FWA Microfinance Committee (now called Sustainable Finance): I had studied microfinance in grad school and was inspired by Muhammad Yunus' vision of empowering women as catalysts for economic and financial progress. In 2010, I moved to London for work and returned to New York in 2016. Soon after, I reconnected with the FWA and took on leadership roles that accelerated my professional growth. I chaired the newly formed BOLD Committee (under Stacy Musi's presidency), created to strengthen member engagement through monthly professional development workshops. I later served on the Board as Chair of Membership and Engagement for two years.
With more than 15 years of cross-border experience in Human Resources, Communications, and Business Management, I've held roles in banking, private banking, recruitment, and corporate venture capital where I was inspired by the energy and drive of the entrepreneurs I met. Today, as a small business owner working with customers across the U.S. and Canada, I draw on my corporate background to grow my business, and I take great pride in building relationships and in knowing that my work directly supports my customers' success. Based in Orlando, I enjoy traveling with my family (husband and 2 bilingual kids), and the outdoors.
Passionate about advancing women and fostering community, I feel very privileged to serve the FWA on the following:
- Board member on the Nominating Committee (alongside Nelun de S. Wijeyeratne and Ariel Boverman)
- Mentor on the Member2Member Mentoring Program (led by Ellen Auster, Audrey Campos and Théa Watkins)
- Relationship Manager on the President Circle Firm Committee (led by Debbie Curran) for the FWA’s corporate partner, DSM Capital
- Chair of the newly created Florida Committee alongside my Co-Chair, Kari Desai
Amid a time of sweeping change in the financial services industry and the broader economy, I recognized the value of building connections beyond my own company. My early involvement in a committee deepened my engagement with the FWA and strengthened my visibility through active event planning. Getting involved early in a committee also connected me with a small "micro-tribe" within the larger FWA community: a circle I could learn from and grow with. Attending events soon stopped feeling intimidating; familiar faces turned the FWA into a true community, something larger than myself. I am still in touch with members of this 'micro-tribe' to this day!
My professional growth has mirrored the leadership skills I developed through the FWA. In other words, they've evolved hand in hand. Two moments especially stand out in how the FWA shaped my career:
1) After spending five years in the UK, I returned to the U.S. with two young children and no job (I did not return to work after my maternity leave), and I had to rebuild my network from scratch because the work I had in the UK was heavily concentrated in the Middle East and Europe. Leveraging the FWA member directory, I reached out to professionals at companies and in roles that interested me, requesting brief coffee chats or calls. 90% of the time my outreach was met with a "yes." That experience was instrumental in re-establishing my professional connections and validated the camaraderie you can find through the FWA.
2) Later, when I was ready to return to full-time work during the pandemic, the FWA again became a vital support system: facilitating introductions, offering advice, and even recommending me internally for roles. During that job search, I also formed an accountability partnership with current FWA President Albana Theka, meeting weekly to track our goals and support each other's progress.
Through the FWA, I've experienced tremendous personal growth. Participating in mentoring programs taught me to become a better listener, a skill that has strengthened both my leadership and relationships. When I took a career pause to raise my two young children, the FWA played a pivotal role in helping me rebuild my confidence at a time of self-doubt. Taking on leadership roles within a committee and later the Board helped me discover my "superpower": the ability to channel energy into enthusiasm and engagement.
A big highlight was in 2019 when I was serving as Chair of Membership and Engagement and I engaged our members to participate in the New York Road Runners ‘Women’s Half Marathon’ (special thanks to past President Annette Stewart for participating, too!): we trained as a team, forged connections, and challenged ourselves as a collective group. A truly inspiring moment for me.
A more recent event I am grateful for is during one of my trips to NY, I was able to participate in the FWA’s Financial Literacy programs that Suzanne Matthews and Lindsay Starr have been running with passion. It was very rewarding to connect with students and share with them my experience of moving to the USA as an international student from France and having to learn about credit and the importance of building healthy credit history when you live in the USA.
These are some examples of the opportunities the FWA gave me to continuously grow, both personally and professionally.
The FWA Voices Committee, chaired by Leya Yusupov, celebrates and amplifies the voices, stories, and accomplishments of the FWA community. Follow FWA on LinkedIn for more FWA Voices stories featuring our members!
