Women's History Month - 2017 FWA Image Maker Award, Candace “Candy” Straight

March 14, 2024

Paving the Way for Women in Finance


Throughout Women's History Month, we're highlighting a variety of women from FWA's history - awardees, past presidents, and more who forged a path for women in the financial community. In their honor, please make your own contribution toward paving the way forward for all women in finance this month!


This week, we're highlighting Candace “Candy” Straight, who won the FWA Image Maker Award in 2017. Straight worked in private equity before retiring in 1998. She served on several boards including the board of the Public Employees Retirement system in New Jersey and Rutgers Board of Governors. She was also an independent film producer and a champion for women’s political equality.

Although Candace “Candy” Straight was offered a secretarial position upon graduating from Wilson College, she was determined to be a Wall Street executive. She began her career as an entry-level analyst at Bankers Trust and rose to vice president. Later positions included principal at John Head and Partners, a merchant bank that specialized in the insurance industry, advisory director at Securitas Capital, a venture capital firm, and director at Neuberger Berman. She also worked at Merck & Co. and other Fortune 500 firms.


Straight served on several boards including Rutgers Board of Governors, Wilson College’s Board of Trustees, the board of the Public Employees Retirement System in New Jersey and the board of Rebelle Media. She was an independent film producer, and also worked tirelessly to elect women in government. She supported the Center for American Women and Politics and helped found Women for a Stronger New Jersey.


Candy Straight paved the way forward for the next generation of women in finance, and now it’s your turn to do the same.


We're calling on YOU to stand among 100 donors who will make an impact during Women's History Month! Will you be the next to support our mission of advancing all women with a donation of $25, $50 or $100 dollars?


No donation is too small - it's a chance to put your brick in the road to success for future women in financial services.

Seventy Years Forward: How the Financial Women’s Association Built a Community That Changes Lives

January 28, 2026
by Robert Brown January is National Mentoring Month. In 2026, it also marks a defining moment for the Financial Women’s Association as we celebrate 70 years of advancing women in finance. This milestone matters now. As organizations across industries rethink development, mentorship, and long-term investment in people, FWA stands firm in what has always worked: human connection, shared knowledge, and women lifting one another forward.  For seven decades, FWA has done more than convene women in finance. It has built a community rooted in mentorship, access, and action. Progress here has never been accidental. It has always been intentional. It happens because women, and male allies choose to show up for one another. As current FWA President Albana Theka reminds us, “Mentorship isn’t about who’s ahead of you. It’s about who sees you, and who helps you see yourself.” That belief has shaped FWA from the beginning and continues to guide where we are headed next.

How Mentorship Helped Shape Simran Hassan’s Future in Finance

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With Gratitude for the Global Perspectives That Strengthen Our FWA Community

November 24, 2025
Recently, our members had the honor of meeting Army General François Lecointre, Grand Chancellor of the Order of the Legion of Honour. An institution Napoleon Bonaparte founded in 1802. General Lecointre brought the Order’s legacy to life, sharing its mission and new efforts to digitize centuries of archives. Did you know? The Legion of Honour also established an all-girls boarding school for descendants of honorees — a lasting investment in education and equality. The event also reunited members of our Paris International Business Conference delegation, a reminder that our global exchanges continue well beyond the trip through shared learning, cultural understanding, and lifelong connections. Thank you to Banque Transatlantique for hosting and to General Lecointre for sharing his insights and time.

Rising Star: How Mentorship Helped Adelisa Music Find Her Wings

November 20, 2025
FWA–Baruch College Mentoring Program Spotlight Adelisa Music is a rising star with a bright future in finance. A college student at Baruch, she’s built her success through focus, resilience, and a willingness to keep learning. Along the way, the Financial Women’s Association’s Mentoring Program at Baruch College added another dimension to her journey, giving her the guidance and confidence to take her ambitions even further. “My experience with the FWA Baruch College Mentoring Program was more than transformative,” Adelisa says. “It served as a guide and support throughout college, introducing me to people and opportunities that opened doors I didn’t know existed and helped me learn more about my strengths and weaknesses.”
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