The WFE’s Women Leaders of 2022

When I started at the WFE, I was fascinated by the unique perspective we had as an institution to many diverse business cultures and organisations around the world. Market infrastructures -- exchanges and CCPs -- are the centre of the centre: they sit at the centre of financial markets. The WFE represents about 300 market infrastructures and our members come from every corner of the globe and work in a myriad of complex functions.

From the beginning, I was intrigued by the women who worked at our member organisations. Many are brilliant, articulate, and passionate and they are changing their organisations and their markets for the better. Many work in challenging markets and have already shattered ceilings.

This is the second edition of the WFE Women Leaders list. We set up the initiative at the WFE because, given our fundamental role in bringing the industry together and in connecting public markets across the world, we are uniquely placed to shine a spotlight on the talent our industry and our members are nurturing. We also wanted to motivate a generation of young leaders: both those climbing the ladder and those promoting women in the workplace.

The women on our list are all people of substance. Most have not taken linear paths to their current success nor do they come from the same background. What they all have in common is ability, the capacity for hard work, perseverance, the fortitude to overcome challenges and the skill to bind people together for a common purpose. This in essence is leadership.

Amid the wider story that the WFE tells of our industry, we wanted to tell their individual stories. We believe these are stories which transcend financial markets and have universal resonance. We also wanted to hear our women leaders talk about the path they had walked and want to walk.

As I write an introduction to this issue and reflect on what our cohort of leaders has to teach us, we think also of Ukraine. We hope for a swift resolution and hold in our thoughts the many women leaders there.

Congratulations to the women on the 2022 list. We hope many more will come forward next year.