A chance to make the future brighter

I’m thrilled to be a part of the Aspen Institute Finance Leaders Fellowship class of 2018.

The Finance Leaders Fellowship seeks to develop the next generation of responsible, community-spirited leaders in the global finance industry. The new, two-year program is modelled on the Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship. Using the Aspen Institute method of text-based dialogue, and building upon the institute’s commitment to values-based, action-oriented leadership, the program will spur selected finance fellows to consider the values and perspectives necessary for effective, enlightened leadership in finance – and society at large.

My class is made up of finance leaders from across the globe in various sectors, including fintech, banking, asset management, debt and equity investing, commercial real estate, operational finance, pensions, endowments and regulation.

It’s a big thrill for me to be among these finance leaders trying to chart a more just, fair and prosperous future for the finance industry.

“We welcome our new fellows on this journey to becoming significant leaders in society through their roles in the finance industry,” Finance Leaders Fellowship managing director Jennifer Simpson said. “We hope to inspire them to leverage their platforms, their passions, and our growing community of fellows, to create a positive, lasting impact.”

The fellowship was co-founded in 2016 by Henry Crown Fellow Ranji Nagaswami, chief executive of Hirtle Callaghan, and Christopher Varelas, founding partner of Riverwood Capital, with founding sponsorship from the CFA Institute and other individual donors.

Our class will gather at four seminars over the course of two years to explore our own leadership, core values, desired legacies and vision for the global finance industry. Each of us will also commit to taking action by launching a leadership venture that will have a positive impact on the finance sector and society.

We also have the privilege of joining more than 2700 other entrepreneurial leaders from more than 50 countries as members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).

Others in the 2018 class of the Finance Leaders Fellowship are:

Andrew Marsh, President and chief executive, Richardson GMP, Toronto, Canada

Benjamin Gigot, Senior vice-president and head of research, Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, Montreal, Canada

Clay Grubb, Chief executive, Grubb Properties, Charlotte, North Carolina

Ellis Carr, President and chief executive, Capital Impact Partners, Arlington, Virginia

En Lee, Partner, head Asia-Pacific, LGT Impact, Singapore

Farah Foustok, Chief executive, Lazard Gulf, Dubai, UAE

Ibukunoluwa Oyedeji, Country head of securities, wealth and asset management, Nigeria, Ecobank, Lagos, Nigeria

Jen Easterly, Managing director, global head of the Cybersecurity Fusion Center, Morgan Stanley, New York, NY

Kofi Bruce, Vice-president, corporate controller, General Mills, Golden Valley, Minnesota

Michael Lindauer, Managing director, global co-head of private equity, Allianz Capital Partners, Munich, Germany

Neeti Bhalla Johnson, Executive vice-president and chief investment officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group; president and chief investment officer, Liberty Mutual Investments, Boston, Massachusetts

Paul Riseborough, Chief commercial officer, Metro Bank, London, UK

Rakhi Kumar, Senior managing director and head of ESG investments and asset stewardship, State Street Global Advisors, Boston, Massachusetts

Rob Krolik, Chief financial officer, board member and adviser, RK Consulting, Palo Alto, California

Rodrigo Gomez Alarcon, Managing partner, Capital Indigo, Mexico

Serena Tan, Executive director, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Siobhan MacDermott, Global cybersecurity public policy executive, Bank of America, Washington, DC

Solita Marcelli, Managing director and global head of fixed income, currencies and commodities, JP Morgan Global Wealth Management, New York, NY

Sunny Sun, Chief growth officer, Yum China Holding Company, Shanghai, China

Thomas Liu, Chief operating officer, Vision Credit, Shanghai, China

Zion Baker, Chief financial officer, Head of finance division, Mercantile Discount Bank, Ramat Hasharon, Israel

For more information on the fellowships, click here.