UBS, Bloomberg, and State Street Global Advisors launch “Girls Take Wall Street” to inspire the next generation of female leaders in finance
March 01, 2019
“Girls Take Wall Street” participants joined Michael R. Bloomberg at his company’s headquarters in New York as part of a full day event meant to inspire the next generation of female leaders in finance. (Photo credit: Craig Warga/Bloomberg, March 1, 2019)
New York – UBS, Bloomberg, and State Street Global Advisors today launched “Girls Take Wall Street,” an initiative that brings together over 100 high school girls from KIPP NYC and Student Leadership Network’s Young Women’s Leadership Schools, to inspire the next generation of female leaders to consider careers in financial services. The day-long program is part of an effort by UBS, Bloomberg and State Street Global Advisors to join forces in their commitment to supporting and advancing women and girls in business and finance.
On Friday, March 1, the girls will start the day visiting the Bloomberg and UBS offices in New York, with activities including career panels and speed networking sessions, to learn about the variety of exciting roles that exist in the finance industry and what it takes to succeed. Mentors from the three firms will connect with the girls to share their career trajectories and answer questions about opportunities available in their fields. At the end of the day, and to commemorate the start of Women’s History Month, the girls will visit the NYSE, ring The Closing Bell® and take a photo with the State Street Global Advisors’ Fearless Girl statue. They will then be treated to an exclusive musical performance organized by iHeartRadio.
“At Bloomberg, we’ve always been committed to ensuring equal opportunities for women,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “We invest in women’s professional development in our offices around the world, and we highlight the progress other companies are making through the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. We also connect students with opportunities to learn from successful women in the finance industry. We’re glad to be a part of ‘Girls Take Wall Street,’ and I’m looking forward to meeting with the group today.”
“While the financial services industry is more diverse than ever before, there’s quite a bit of progress still to be made in transforming it to more accurately reflect today’s society,” said Tom Naratil, President UBS Americas and Co-President UBS Global Wealth Management. “We’re proud to play a part in educating and inspiring these young women as they consider pursuing careers in finance. Together with our partners, we’re excited by this unique opportunity to connect with the next generation of female leaders and help close our industry’s outdated gender gap.”
“The opportunity to work on empowering high school girls to be the next generation of leaders in finance is one that rings true for State Street Global Advisors,” said Lori Heinel, Deputy Global Chief Investment Officer for State Street Global Advisors. “As part of the day, we’re thrilled the students will have the opportunity to visit Fearless Girl at her new home at the NYSE, and get inspired about becoming fearless leaders themselves.”
All three firms have worked to address opportunities for young women in finance in a number of ways. Bloomberg Startup, the company’s global education engagement program, supports young women by providing access to mentors, internships, and workshops that expose students to diverse and influential women around the world. With more than 3,500 employee mentors in 41 cities, Startup works with programs such as Girls Who Invest and Girls Go Tech that provide young women with opportunities to explore diverse career options.
State Street Global Advisors commissioned Fearless Girl, now located in front of the New York Stock Exchange, to raise awareness of their push to increase gender diversity on corporate boards. The statue celebrates the spirit of women who are taking charge today, and serves as inspiration for the next generation of female leaders. Fearless Girl ignited a global conversation about the power of women in leadership and inspired more than 300 companies around the world to add women to their boards.
UBS’s focus on education is helping unlock the economic and social mobility that comes with the attainment of a bachelor’s degree. Through employee volunteering and philanthropy, including the UBS NextGen Leaders initiative, the company has invested over $10 million to increase college and career success for lower-income students who are first in their families to go to college.
Read the full press release here.