When did you begin working with ISITC and what position do you hold?
I started working with ISITC in 2000 as part of the marketing committee, which aims to promote the ISITC mission and help organize the quarterly conferences. I discovered ISITC through my colleague, Kevin McNamara at DTCC (then known as Thomson Financial/Omgeo) who came to me very early and encouraged me to get involved with the organization. In 2003, I was elected to the board as executive sponsor of marketing and served until 2016. I also acted as secretary from 2010 until 2015. Currently, I am a member of the marketing committee. Similar to how Kevin introduced me to ISITC, I try to identify others that would benefit from joining ISITC and bring new perspectives to the organization.
What has been your favorite part about joining the ISITC team? What upcoming projects are you most excited about?
One of my most memorable projects was kicking off the membership buddy system. When new members attend ISITC events, the depth of conversations and rich discussions that unfold can be exciting and overwhelming. Based on my experience as a new member, I helped design a program where existing ISITC members partner with first-time attendees, becoming “buddies” to help ease them into the process. ISITC is all about fostering relationships with people and networking, and this system provides a great entry point into the working group conversations that take place at our events.
One upcoming project I’m particularly looking forward to is our upcoming focus on T+1. When the move to T+3 emerged years ago, this became a big priority for ISITC. I have no doubts the same will happen for T+1, especially at our upcoming Fall Forum September 13-15, 2021.
Most importantly, I am looking forward to connecting with colleagues and friends face-to-face again, and the return to in-person events and connections. virtual events have been great to keep us engaged as a group, and going forward, we’ll have the opportunity to incorporate the benefits of virtual or hybrid events to broaden ISITC’s outreach.
What are some of the most impactful lessons you’ve gained from ISITC so far?
Personally, the biggest lesson I learned over my two decades at ISITC is appreciating the deep and passionate knowledge that our members have. We have built a community of people that really care about their profession, education and fostering meaningful connections. That’s what makes ISITC so special. It’s heightened when we are together in person and able to solve industry problems collaboratively.
What are your favorite activities/hobbies outside of work?
I have an eight year old daughter, Sydney. We are a big hockey family and are looking forward to the new season. I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot of time in cold hockey rinks. I also love the beach and spending time in my garden. A garden full of giant blue hydrangeas fills me with joy.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone starting out in the industry?
My biggest advice would be to explore what you are passionate about and seek people and groups to help cultivate that passion and knowledge. When I first started at ISITC, I just began working in the financial industry, and learned so much from my peers and colleagues. There is such a wealth of knowledge in the entire organization, but also in the working groups where you gain access to each group’s subspecialty of knowledge.
It’s also valuable to find a mentor within those groups to help navigate them. They can connect you with others who offer a wealth of knowledge in a topic you’re interested in, or simply help navigate your future career path.