VOL 08 | ISSUE 03 | 2021 The
5
Most Influential
WO MEN in Finance, 2021
Thriving Strong
Climbing the Finance Ladder
Founder Quality Financial Group Pty Ltd
Sue Hayter A Prominent Name in the Finance Industry
Editor’s Desk Building Stairs to Success in Finance
F
or many years, the finance industry was believed to be dominated by men. However, that isn’t the case anymore. As trends started changing, women donned several hats to prove their mettle in the finance sector. Earlier, business leaders were unsure about having a career in finance. Of course, because of the financial crisis and bankruptcy of 2008, more and more leaders kept their way from finance. But rising in such a field, businesswomen are shining in the financial leadership roles. It is because of their vision and approach towards coordination with the clients and solving their problems related to finance. Their success says it all; the dedication and passion for consistently growing the company and themselves stands as their best quality. They are committed to bringing the change and reaching out to clients with the best financial advice and solutions. Their leadership style includes communicating with the right expert and building the best solutions for the clients. Even in these challenging times of pandemic, they virtually discuss the financial topics and support the company in every possible way.
Businesswomen have many tasks in the financial industry, and building long-lasting relationships is their best way to grow. Their contribution is worth appreciating to provide authentic advice on becoming a strong and successful leader. In this ever-evolving finance industry, they have evolved along with the changing times by staying updated with the technology. Today, they are helping create employment, education, startups, and assisting the big industries and governments.
To recognize and appreciate the contribution of such businesswomen, Insights Success comes up with its upcoming edition - The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021. Through this edition, we share the business journeys, challenges, and achievements of these leaders. On the Cover of this edition is Sue Hayter, the Founder of Quality Financial Group Pty Ltd. A broker since 2004, Sue has used her experience and excellent industry record to become a leader in her field. She shares her knowledge and expertise to empower the brokers to fulfil their dreams of being self-employed and self-sufficient business owners. As an experienced mortgage broker, Sue started mentoring brokers in 2010. To support the brokers, she authored the Quality Financial Group Mentor Programme which has been assessed by the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia and the Finance Brokers Association of Australia and is recognised and approved as a mentor programme for new to industry brokers. As exciting is this edition, equally interesting is the CXO written by the industry experts and the article by the inhouse editorial team. Let’s begin the Rewarding Experience!
Sourabh More
sourabh@insightssuccess.com
CONTENTS Cover Story
08
Sue Hayter A Prominent Name in the Finance Industry
Article
16
Thriving Strong Climbing the Finance Ladder
24
20
Cecilia Repinski
Ángela Álvarez
Driving the Credible Transition of Capital Markets
Leading a New Generation of Corporate Finance
28
32
Helene Li
A Profound Leader Powering Hong Kong’s Sustainable Finance and FinTech Community
Liz Miller
Simplifying the Financial Lives of People
Editor-in-Chief Hitesh Dhamani Managing Editor Anish Miller
Executive Editor Sourabh More
Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
Art & Design Director
Associate Designer
Co-designer
David King
Priyanka Rajage
Shubham Dali
Kartik Balapurkar
Senior Sales Manager
Business Development Manager
Kshitij S
Eric Mathew
Marketing Manager
Sales Executives
John Matthew
David, Vaibhav, Krutant
Technical Head
Business Development Executives
Jacob Smile
Steve, Joe, Aidan, Irfan
Technical Specialist Aditya
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive Amol Wadekar
Research Analyst Frank Adams
Database Management Stella Andrew
Circulation Manager Robert Brown
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com August, 2021
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Featured Person
Company Name
Brief
Ángela Álvarez Founder and Executive Chairman
Aglaia Capital aglaiacapital.com
Aglaia Capital is an independent Corporate Finance boutique advisory business.
Cecilia Repinski CEO and Founder
Green Assets Wallet greenassetswallet.org
Green Assets Wallet is a global trust platform that accelerates impactful asset allocation.
Helene Li General Manager Co-Founder
FTAHK www.ftahk.org
The FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) is an independent, not-for-profit, membership based association representing Hong Kong’s FinTech community.
Liz Miller President
Sue Hayter Founder
SUMMIT PLACE FINANCIAL Summit Place Financial Advisors offers an individualized goalADVISORS oriented approach to managing wealth for a select group of LLC www.summitplace clients. financial.com/ SummitPlace Quality Financial Group & Trusted Mortgage Broker www.melbourne mortgage brokermentor.com.au
Quality Financial Group is a boutique mortgage broker company.
Cover Story
Sue Hayter Founder
Quality Financial Group Pty Ltd
Sue Hayter A Prominent Name in the Finance Industry
‘‘
Believe in yourself. It does not matter who you are or where you come from - work hard you can make it.
‘‘
Quality Financial Group Mentor Programme which has been assessed by the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia and the Finance Brokers Association of Australia and is recognised and approved as a mentor programme for new to industry brokers. Specialist in Mentoring Immigrants Emigrating from South Africa to New Zealand and then to Melbourne, Australia was both exciting and terrifying for Sue. She didn’t know a single soul when she arrived in Melbourne in 2001. Today when she reflects back over the years, she is immensely proud of her achievements. Sue specialises in mentoring immigrants to Australia because she understands how difficult it is to become established in a new business and build a new network in order to become successful. Operating a new business can be a lonely experience for a new mortgage broker and to overcome this Sue created a feeling of a sense of belonging to a community within her mentoring business. She has helped many immigrants from a diverse range of countries such as Sri Lanka, Philippines, Nepal, China, Vietnam and India to name a few. All the brokers started as new to industry under her mentorship. She has proudly watched how they have benefited from her experience, guidance and built a solid foundation with which to gain a feeling of security and financial freedom.
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orking as a mortgage broker mentor in the male dominated Australian mortgage broking financial services industry which has less than 25% women has certainly been an interesting and rewarding experience for Sue Hayter. Sue Hayter is the Founder of Quality Financial Group Pty Ltd., a boutique sub-aggregation mortgage broking business. It includes Trusted Mortgage Broker and Melbourne Mortgage Broker Mentor, all of which are solely owned and operated by her. She offers an holistic full service mentoring model for new mortgage brokers who choose to operate under their own business name. A broker since 2004, Sue has used her experience and excellent industry record to become a leader in her field. She shares her knowledge and expertise to empower the brokers to fulfil their dreams of being self-employed and self-sufficient business owners. As an experienced mortgage broker, Sue started mentoring brokers in 2010. To support the brokers, she authored the
Glorious Recognitions Sue was very proud to be recognised as the Australian Women in Finance Mentor of the Year 2020 and also The Better Business Mentor of the Year 2019. Her other achievements over the years include recognition as a finalist for Innovator of the Year, Industry Thought Leader of the Year and Training & Education Program of the Year. Driven by Values Sue’s key leadership and mentoring values are based on a foundation of honesty, integrity and trust. This is supported by habits of excellence which are nurtured by a mutual respect for each other and translated into her business processes. The mentee completes an application form so that she can establish whether the mentee is aligned with her values. Therefore, from the outset, Sue attracts the people with the same values to work alongside her. Maintaining Operational Excellence Sue recognises that the Australian finance industry is highly regulated. Mortgage brokers need to be 100% compliant
and adhere to responsible lending rules and regulations in order to provide credit assistance which is in the best interests of the customer and does not disadvantage the customer in any way. In order to achieve this, Sue strives to maintain operational excellence whereby the mentees are supported by her mentoring programme. Sue designed and built the “QFG Online Resource Centre” which is an online platform that is updated daily by her. The broker has 24/7 access to the platform which houses 100’s of educational tools, templates and marketing examples to help them stand out from the crowd. Sue uses the platform for training and support. These tools instil a sense of self belief and confidence, allowing the brokers to grow their business and achieve sales and revenue. Embracing Technology A leader in the mentoring space, Sue advises the use of innovative technology such as cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools. This enables mentoring, coaching and training regardless of location. The brokers are able to learn and work efficiently whilst remaining compliant and ensuring the security of the customer data. Mortgage broker mentees often have minimal experience how to operate successfully within the complexity of the many different lenders and loan scenarios. They can make many mistakes costing lenders millions of dollars. Sometimes brokers could disadvantage customers with their mistakes. To overcome this hurdle, Sue developed the unique, innovative “Business in a Box” system, which is continually updated by her in line with the changing finance environment. The system delivers powerful results by helping the brokers organise and submit loans. It forces the brokers to follow the best business process which meets the industry standards, and it suits mentees who don’t have the skill sets to map out the necessary processes. It is mandatory to follow her step-by-step home loan process road map, compliance guide and audit checklist which results in a delightful customer journey. Pandemic Survival Plan to Thrive “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – Albert Einstein. During the Melbourne lockdown which lasted more than 7
months, Sue adapted to mentoring and working 100% electronically with the brokers. She asserts, “We all worked from home as an online community. We have all adapted and evolved our businesses and most of us still prefer to work from home to this day.” Sue has helped and inspired the brokers thrive during COVID-19. She successfully educated the brokers about emarketing with zero cost and has assisted them to evolve as mortgage brokers which has resulted in maintaining operational excellence. The brokers have also achieved positive results by assisting the customers with a stress-free home loan application journey which produced great outcomes. Whichever way Sue looks at it, there’s no denying that COVID-19 has had a massive positive impact on the way she has conducted her mortgage broker mentoring business. And this excites her as it has allowed her to explore creative ideas in the mortgage broker mentoring space. Here are a few things Sue implemented: • She recorded face to face individual zoom training sessions for every broker so that they could refer to their own individual training/education video at any time. • Group meetings: Her team looked forward to weekly zoom sessions and the brokers loved them, as working
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Mentally strong women are totally comfortable with their efforts, and don’t hold back to talk about their achievements. Be comfortable in your own skin.
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from home and being in lockdown was a very lonely experience. She believes that it’s important to keep a sense of humour and thus, she had “coffee catch-up” mentoring sessions on zoom, where everyone had to show their favourite coffee/tea mug. The shared experience was enjoyed by everyone. She educated the brokers to embrace digital technology and therefore proactively plan ahead to prepare for a range of positive outcomes going forward into the new normal. Digitally powered relationships – She educated the brokers to integrate digital tools within their business processes, including electronic interviews, e-signatures and digital documentation in order to drive more efficient customer service and enable remote working. As the highest levels of customer service and efficiency come from being digitally connected, the brokers replaced physical face-to-face interview client meetings
with electronic face to face meetings which proved to be very convenient for the customers. • Positive results have been achieved because digital communication is key and this has enabled scalability of their businesses. It also drives efficiency and helps mortgage brokers continue to facilitate a better customer experience and provide a faster service. Sue loves her role of mentoring mortgage brokers as it has enabled her to be innovative and encourage them to be resilient and have the ability to continue to be adaptable. By sharing her knowledge, expertise and experience, she has been able to empower the mentees to fulfil their dreams of being self-employed and self-sufficient business owners. Working from home has become the new “business as usual”. Many women have enjoyed the flexibility of the “new normal” and in Sue’s opinion we will see more women joining the finance industry in the future.
Providing Mental Health Support How can a broker mentally survive the changing and challenging times of our financial environment without substantial mindset support to prevent depression and suicide? To support and maintain a positive mindset with the brokers, Sue uses techniques such as emotional intelligence and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She has been a coach/practitioner since 2010 helping support the brokers to: • Maintain a positive outlook within themselves with regards to their lifestyle, family and business. • Define their purpose/clear vision • Successfully obtaining and establishing goals • Overcome negative thoughts and decisions • Establish good habits and behaviours Sue believes that many brokers need help to believe in themselves to remain mentally strong so they can help themselves, their family and customers while maintaining a healthy business and achieve a life they love. She also recognises that mentally strong women remain focused, striding confidently forward on their own path and therefore grow stronger. Enlightening Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs Sue gives five pieces of advice to up-and-coming women entrepreneurs who aspire to enter into finance industry. “Always have a positive attitude and transform any negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Your positive thoughts will lead to positive feelings and will feed your soul.” “Recognise that you are the source of everything you manifest and recognise that you have the strength and will to activate your inner potential.” “Have the courage to speak up if you see that something is wrong. Always remain professional and dignified and this will gain you respect.” “Confidence to achieve is a valuable key ingredient to have in your life. Self-confident people are admired by others and inspire confidence in others. You too can inspire your partner, children and business colleagues.” “To cope with the stresses of today’s world, start by taking care of yourself. I love to walk and run to keep my body and mind fit and healthy and I share videos and posts to inspire others to do the same.”
& & 20 The
Most
SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESSWOMEN to Watch, 2020
kimberly Khoury
Paving her Way in Sustainability Development
Climbing the Finance Ladder
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Thriving Strong
E
very industry, every company, every leader, and every individual faces challenges. Whether it is personal or professional, we all have our own big or small challenges in life. We grow only by facing those challenges, and when we look back on how we overcame them, we realize that we’ve become a different person now from what we were. We become flexible and adaptive people with any situation as we become well-aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Having been born with such capabilities, women in business are more determined to adapt to every challenge in any professional career field. Speaking of one such versatile field is finance, where business functions in banking, investments, mergers, and acquisitions, etc. The Talent Inside If we think, women are used to working with the financial matters because they are the ones who look after our household's working. Their decisions about finance and managing the daily activities in the house is spot on. The same applies in the professional arena. Their way of doing business involves transparency, trust, integrity, diversity, and the essence of bringing an impact in the world. They lead with passion, commitment, and honesty, building an ecosystem of trusted people around them. For businesswomen, ethics is the key to success in the finance industry. Further, it is pretty easy to work with them as they always bring new opportunities with their creative ideas and approach. Learning from the industry experts to take the company to greater heights is also their highlighting factor.
Ready for Future Adoption of new technologies to speed the traditional corporate finance is needed in today’s competitive world. That's where FinTech comes into the picture. Having access to finance for everyone and in every part of the world that provides opportunities for everyone is the goal of FinTech. Businesswomen are well aware of the FinTech ecosystem and understand its value in the business. Fintech allows businesswomen to understand the complex financial world better and make decisions that match the business purposes. Businesswomen have found a sustainable way in the competitive field of finance. They drive Corporate Finance, Mergers, and Acquisitions into creating their way of financial infrastructure. Their style of leadership is mostly inclined towards interaction; interaction with the board members and committee about the future of financial growth for the team and the company. Creating a unified ecosystem by bringing together different parts of the community is something they always nurture. Conquering the Industry Businesswomen have always worked hard to get where they are today. Ultimately, the innovative business leader is always the one who ensures the growth of the team members and the company. And, businesswomen are often seen with this quality. They are involved in working in millions of dollars transactions daily, but operate it successfully with their qualities. They know the problem when they sense one. Sometimes they might be at their low, but their will to bounce back is stronger than anything. To support and maintain a positive approach in the business, they establish a positive outlook in their behaviors, which reflects achieving the goals. Businesswomen in finance are stronger and have become a source of everything. Their self-confidence in being the best inspires many other business leaders to follow them. With this, next-generation women leaders are accelerating the financial industry with great momentum. Finally, it is because of their hard work and persistence they are recognized throughout the industry and not just in finance.
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August 2021 | 17
Ángela Álvarez
Founder and Executive Chairman Aglaia Capital
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The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021
Ángela Álvarez Leading a New Generation of Corporate Finance
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here is plenty of evidence that supports the link between having more women in business leadership positions and higher profitability. Yet, we see the outnumbering of women in the corporate finance industry. However, the progress on gender balance in the workforce in the financial services industry is being carried out. The mindsets are shifting slowly but surely due to the hard work and commitment of women leaders.
path and have converted into means for advancing my growth process. Aglaia Capital was born with a determined convincement of contributing to changing the industries where I have developed my professional career, Investment Banking, Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Restructuring, and Alternative Finance industries. On the one hand, exploring and developing with Blockchain a platform for
Women are bringing a much-needed change to the sector of corporate finance. They are creating a stronghold for themselves. One such woman is Ángela Álvarez, the Founder and Executive Chairman of Aglaia Capital, who has been evolving with her own view corporate finance and the finance industry, establishing her independent corporate finance advisory firm, combining the traditional world with a new digital world, founding also a Fintech using blockchain based on her own vision on her industry, leading a new generation of corporate finance, where finance, digital and values such as sustainability, diversity, and impact for a better world, are co-existing. In our endeavor to find 'The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021,' we crossed our paths with Ángela. In the following interview, we got a detailed insight into her journey so far. Below are the highlights of the interview: Take our readers through your journey and the challenges you came across founding Aglaia Capital & being a Finance Professional. Serendipity has been a constant in my professional and vital path. Every challenge I have faced has brought a new beginning or something more aligned with my interests. I usually focus my attention and energy on the new instead of looking back; so many challenges have appeared along this
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What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of leadership do you personally prefer at Aglaia Capital? My idea of impactful leadership is leading by example, also inspire others to make an impact. I like talent, passion, commitment, and transparency and honesty, as a way to create trust. I like cooperative business models where the parties are related on the basis of a trustful ecosystem. Taking into consideration the current pandemic and its impact on global economies, how are you driving the company to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your associates and employees at the same time? We are used to working, also earlier, remotely from everywhere, using tools that make it easy to work within the team or with partners or external teams. The impact on the economy brought us also new opportunities on the traditional Corporate Finance, but also on the digital assets space, where it has speeded further the transformation and adoption of the Blockchain and digital assets. What opportunities do you and your company offer for Financial growth with Investment solutions to Individuals and Corporates? On the traditional Corporate Finance business, where we are focus on Hotels, Real Estate, and Alternative Financing for all sectors, with a focus mainly in Europe and selectively in other geographies. We have an affiliated company in London, UK. We usually work with niche investors, family offices, and funds that are not the most common in the market, and we offer off-market selected opportunities, as well as alternative finance solutions for corporates and for developers, Real Estate, and hotels. We are also a Fintech, offering Aglaia Capital DeFi Platform for Tokenisations developed with blockchain technology mainly focused on the digitalization of securities, security tokens and connected to a secondary market of digital assets, which we are about to launch. We advise on "Token generating events" from the strategy process, implementation, development, and set up of investment vehicles constituted for this purpose, as well as providing our own platform to carry out the private and public sale of the digital asset through the platform Aglaia
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Follow your vision and passion, and let them work their magic.
“
making more efficient and scalable the business of providing funding and making investments. On the other hand, trying to imprint a way of doing business where ethics and balance among the parties will be present through a transparent and trustful way of proceeding, as well as the values that also constitutes our essence, such as innovation, sustainability, integrity, diversity, and impact to make a better world.
Capital DeFi Platform with connection to a secondary market of Digital Assets that will provide funding for owners of assets wanting to sell and also provide investment opportunities coming from the new economy. On digital assets, as well, we are in the process of launching a security token that allows you to invest with an underlying asset, get an annual result, and reducing your carbon footprint, participating in venture capital aiming at sustainable investments, also aligned with one of our core values. What makes your organization's Strategy and Financial advice a preferred choice of your clients over the competition? In traditional Corporate Finance, we usually are focused on a niche base, with investors that are not on the market and with investment opportunities that are off-market. Our advice is personalized, independent, and we usually analyze the opportunities with a lens of investors and know well the ecosystem of investors and financing providers and what they are interested in. Related to digital assets and Blockchain, we are insiders also in the Financial Industry, which makes a difference for the understanding and assisting in maximize the value On Digital assets, we are also a Fintech company, with our own blockchain development, Aglaia Capital DeFi Platform, which allows us to get funding and invest easily while participating in the new financial infrastructure. According to you, what essential traits should entrepreneurs possess to thrive in the present-day cutthroat business ecosystem?
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Resilience, Courage, Determination, Creativity, and Paradoxical Thinking and Flexibility, as these traits allow to understand this complex world better and making better decisions which match with the business purposes. I also think that have a sustainable and diversity lens will be vital for entrepreneurs in the short term, being a competitive advantage, and also will act as selection criteria driven from consumers. In what ways have you or the company contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring in solving the most complex financial problems for the clients?
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I founded Aglaia Capital to combine traditional Corporate Finance and Fintech Blockchain, mainly focused on Transactional Services, and to contribute in transforming my industry where I have developed my professional career, Corporate Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Alternative Financing, Restructuring, and contributing in creating the new financial infrastructure. The Aglaia Capital DeFi Platform deployed in a Permissioned Blockchain and connected with a Secondary Market of Digital assets provide access to assets owners to funding, and to investors in an easier and more efficient way by using Blockchain.
August 2021 | 23
Cecilia Repinski Founder and CEO
Green Assets Wallet
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The 05 Most Influen al Women in Finance, 2021
Cecilia Repinski
Driving the Credible Transition of Capital Markets
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ith changing trends in the capital market, impact investing has started gaining momentum in the past few years, as it drives social and environmental progress through investments. What else could be a better way to give back to society while also generating financial returns? After realizing the importance of sustainable finance, investors are actively contributing to help build a better world for all. However, the question of credibility in transactions still gets raised. Scaling up impact investments requires entirely new levels of transparency and ways to determine the credibility of issuers of green assets. This is exactly what Cecilia Repinski, an ingenious entrepreneur, brings to the table.
Through her company, Green Assets Wallet (GAW), Cecilia is facilitating high-impact asset allocation, providing the needed solutions to issuers and investors to thrive and scale in the sustainable bond market with realworld measurable impact.
challenging, but being in the next phase and with a great team on board, things are moving faster than ever. Injecting Efficiency and Transparency GAW is the world’s first platform for validating and reporting financial impact. It is designed to inject efficiency and transparency into the green debt market. Its goal is to equip investors with the necessary means to make impactful asset allocations while enabling impactful project owners to access capital so that these two parties can realize a credible and sustainable capital transition. Cecilia also mentions that GAW’s community of users appreciates that it is a purpose-driven and independent company. This creates an important foundation of trust. The actors it works with feel that Green Assets Wallet is there to support them and help them drive the transition towards sustainability in a way that will make a difference. Driving Transition to Support Sustainable Life on Earth
Cecilia is driven by her vision of building prosperous and sustainable societies, and GAW is making this possible. In our endeavor to find “The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021”, we caught up with Cecilia to unveil her journey as a leader and how GAW is unleashing global capital at scale. From an Innovation Project to a Purpose-Driven Company Green Assets Wallet first came about as an innovation project supported by public grants. The project grew very fast and naturally, reflecting the need in the finance industry for practical solutions to ramp up impactful asset allocation. As market demand for innovation in green finance grew, it decided to spin off as a private company in December 2019. Its greatest challenge came when GAW transitioned from a project to a self-sustained purpose-driven company to serve capital markets better. That transition period was www.insightssuccess.com
At GAW, Cecilia aims at serving the sustainability champions, driving the transition to support sustainable life on Earth, including those needing capital to implement better solutions and those wanting to steer their capital towards such activities. Cecilia believes in empowering everyone around her. Her idea of impactful self-leadership is to be very clear about the future they all strive to realize with Green Assets Wallet. Everyone in the team should feel empowered to take the necessary steps to reach this outcome, while at the same time feel supported to make their own decisions. Going Forth and Rising When the pandemic arrived, it had a drastic impact on individuals as well as businesses. GAW also witnessed many changes in its operations. August 2021 | 25
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Green Assets Wallet is a global trust platform that accelerates impactful asset allocation.
GAW serves a global market. Before the pandemic, everyone in the organization participated in meetings and conferences worldwide to connect with a community of impact investors, green bond issuers, policymakers, and others. This changed during the pandemic. As travel ceased, anyone benefitting from Green Assets Wallet’s solutions was engaged via video meetings.
Towards Sustainability
Cecilia expresses that even after the pandemic, this may not change to the way it was before. The world has learned to connect and create meaningful relationships, even if they don’t happen in person. GAW will foster these processes in the future to exemplify how a global business can have a zero-carbon footprint. However, meetings in person may still be necessary and often the only way to network and create the necessary exchange to create new solutions.
Talking about the future of GAW, Cecilia states that they have just started, and many more milestones are yet to be achieved.
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Green Assets Wallet is hoping to transform how impact investments are made, enabling any trusted actor, regardless of size, location, or business orientation, to either invest and/or access finance to deliver impactful outcomes that otherwise would not have happened.
Enlightening Upcoming Entrepreneurs In her advice to the up-and-coming women entrepreneurs aspiring to enter the Financial Industry, Cecilia says, “Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself. And remember to have fun.”
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The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021
Helene Li
A Profound Leader Powering Hong Kong’s Sustainable Finance and FinTech Community
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ustainable finance is the need of the hour, and ensuring sustainable finance is the key parameter to success in the finance sector. With that being said, being organized and having strategic planning and thought process is key to ensuring sustainable finance and stability. “The future of finance will be shaped around sustainable development,” expresses Helene Li, the General Manager at FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) and CoFounder of GoImpact. Helene Li is a management consultant turned banker, turned impact entrepreneur. She has held various leadership roles at global financial institutions such as J.P. Morgan, Lombard Odier, BNP Paribas, and consulting giants like Boston Consulting Group and Willis Towers Watson. Throughout this exciting journey, she witnessed the highs and lows of the global financial crisis and the significant systematic gaps that they need to bridge – sustainable developments, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). Currently, Helene is at the intersection where capital and technology can be harnessed to deliver this important agenda. Pushing for Sustainable Finance and Connecting the Dots Helene is a firm believer in applying market-based solutions
to fast-track social and environmental impact and a passionate advocate for Sustainable Finance and Impact Investment. She is a leading voice on Sustainable Finance, DigitalTransformation and FinTech, a TEDx Speaker, and a sought-after speaker and moderator at conferences and industry summits. Having worked in the ultra-high-net-worth space for most of her career, Helene is committed to leveraging the financial power and heart of the 1% to accelerate the impact in helping the 99%. It is in this spirit that she co-founded GoImpact as an action-driven ecosystem to connect stakeholders in accelerating the Impact momentum. She has been spearheading and curating industry-recognized and highly rated Next Generation Family Business programs, and a regular contributor to Impact and Entrepreneurship research throughout her banking and consulting career. Motivating Team to a Common Agenda of Sustainability Helene believes a leader should lead and motivate the team to a common agenda of sustainability. The style that best suits her leadership is interactive while focusing on individual needs and the deliverables as a team. The FinTech Association’s Three Pillars The FinTech Association of Hong Kong is led by a
“The FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) is notfor-profit and has an independent structure, based on pillars of transparency, accountability and governance.” 28 | August 2021
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Helene Li
General Manager at FTAHK Co-Founder of GoImpact
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“Bridging the great divide between the talk and action, accelerating the Sustainable Development agenda from intention to implementation – GoImpact means Impact made easy and actionable.” volunteer group of board members and committee co-chairs who care about the future of FinTech. It is set up on three pillars:
holistic approach to ESG portfolio management. Its community-driven initiatives give it a unique position to speak on behalf of the FinTech community.
Advocate – Creating the unified voice for the Hong Kong FinTech ecosystem
Being Influenced by Innovative Leaders Helene is influenced by the innovation of Steve Jobs, the vision and leadership of Lee Kuan Yew and the commitment and drive of Helen Clark. The book "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" is thought-provoking for her.
Collaborate – Bringing together the diverse parts of the community Educate – Learning from existing leaders and nurture the next generation of talent Today, The FinTech Association of Hong Kong is at the forefront of advancing capital and technology in driving the sustainability agenda, contributing to the collective efforts needed to write the next chapter of finance and sustainability. Elevating Hong Kong’s Status as a FinTech Hub The FTAHK is very much a community-building, ecosystem-focused organization. It is the super-connector for the finance as well as the technology sector. It aims to unite the Hong Kong FinTech industry and ecosystem in order to elevate Hong Kong's status as a FinTech hub. It works on creating awareness, employment, education, promotion, and advocacy around FinTech. Members range from start-ups to the world’s leading global corporations come together through 14 committees on various verticals of FinTech including Blockchain, AI, WealthTech, Payments, Digital Banking and Financial Inclusion.
Being Flexible and Adaptable in Times of Crisis Talking about the impact of the pandemic on businesses and individuals, Helene mentions that the pandemic has reshaped the workplace completely, including the operation process and leadership mindset, which has really been challenged upside down. She believes that flexibility and the adaptability to learn are keys to the future of work. Recognizing Importance of Grit, Resilience, and Adaptability According to Helene, entrepreneurs should have the qualities of grit, resilience, and adaptability to thrive in the present-day cutthroat business ecosystem. She advises aspiring entrepreneurs in the financial industry to work hard, but she also suggests they work smart and stay focused.
Being Super Connector for Finance and Technology Sector The finance sector is keen to respond to the needs of capital owners. This is something that GoImpact as a platform is working to educate, advocate, and accelerate by connecting the dots that drive next step actions. GoImpact addresses the crucial pain points in adopting sustainable finance. The two key aspects of its offering are: executive and investor education around ESG and Sustainable Finance, as well as a
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Liz Miller CFP®, CFA, President
Summit Place Financial Advisors, LLC 32 | August 2021
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The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021
Liz Miller H
aving an enriching experience of 30+ years in the finance industry, Liz Miller, CFP®, CFA, is the epitome of visionary leadership. Liz serves as the President at Summit Place Financial Advisors, LLC. Before launching Summit Place, Liz held increasingly senior roles at different financial service organizations. Her team at Summit Place offers a personalized goaloriented approach to help people achieve their financial objectives. Combining her experience and expertise, Liz has significantly contributed to simplifying the financial lives of people. In an interview with Insights Success, Liz sheds light on her professional journey and how Summit Place is helping people enjoy coordinated financial well-being at the most personal level. Below are the highlights of the interview: Take our readers through your journey as a business leader until your current position at Summit Place Financial Advisors, LLC. After years of managing institutional and individual client investment portfolios, I resigned my partnership at an investment management firm the morning Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy in 2008. I launched Summit Place in the middle of the financial crisis, unsure if I would have a business to run by the end of the year. But after hearing more and more non- investment questions from my clients over the years, I had a vision to uniquely advise multigenerational families on their investments and legacy goals while coordinating the best advice among their other professionals.
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One source of our successful growth has been my vision that the niche market of clients with $5-$25M in assets had out-grown the financial industry’s cookie-cutter approach to clients and was looking for coordinated, holistic wealth expertise. Leading a start-up financial services firm, it is tempting to take on every client that is looking for an advisor, but I kept to my vision and held the team focused on our target clients where we knew we could offer enormous value. Internally, we regularly discuss what that client looks like and what they seek in financial services. Also, from the firm’s beginning, I had a vision to include every generation of a family, as I recognize that strong relationships with younger generations help assure family continuity, stewardship, and general accord. Long before the industry mentioned “millennials,” we were offering them dedicated service and advice as passionately as we do for their parents. This has been a second source of growth, as we consistently see maturing parents looking for a firm that will include, respect, and “educate” their adult children. What makes your organization a preferred choice for your clients over the competition? We know that genuine relationships grow over time, and when carefully built, they can last generations. This is the core of our approach to clients. Unlike many firms that assign hundreds of clients to advisors and put growth as their first annual business goal, Summit Place puts exceptional client experience as our top goal. We are committed to maintaining a team that has the time each day to think about our clients, what is happening in their lives and their potential needs. We want to anticipate how we can help before our clients reach out to us.
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Summit Place also stands out in the crowded financial services industry by targeting a growing and ignored market niche: those with $5-$25 million in wealth whose financial complexity demands more than mass-market solutions. There are now so many more rules and laws around taxes and estate planning that many families with wealth have become overwhelmed trying to understand and coordinate all the facets of their financial lives. Summit Place offers coordinated financial services based on a full view of our client’s circumstances. We help clients consider how all parts of their financial life work together and we communicate with all appropriate professionals, sharing expertise and building vetted solutions to present to our clients. What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of leadership do you personally prefer at Summit Place Financial Advisors, LLC? I believe impactful leadership is a style that leads each member of my team to a greater level of success and satisfaction. It focuses on the end goals of the firm while executing with an eye toward the development of employees. I lead with individual goals for employees that encompass both task-oriented goals at the firm as well as professional development toward the employee’s stated desires.
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We recognize that the best way to build your unique wealth strategy is to fully appreciate your circumstances, concerns, and aspirations. That is why we begin with you and your goals, never with products.
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I lead with a blend of an authoritative strategic vision married to participatory engagement and support. I value collaboration and positive thinking and believe each of my employees is capable of more than they yet realize. I am committed to helping them get there for their personal good that ultimately supports and serves the firm. What is your thought on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to innovative thinking to solve complex problems? In the past few years, we launched “MySummitPlace.com” linking to a third-party provider for a more interactive experience that appeals to all generations of our clients. Our site provides secure document organization and storage of financial statements, meeting presentations, and important documents. These can be shared with us or kept private; they can also be shared with other allied professionals on a document-by-document basis. The site also aggregates all our clients’ financial assets and liabilities for a full view in a single sign on. Clients can also generate reports for their
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own financial management needs at their site. Our younger clients embrace the aggregation of credit card accounts and budgeting within their site. They also enjoy having mobile access on their tablets and phones. This implementation has enhanced client management from our end as well. It used to be a complex and manual process to gain a full view of our clients’ financial assets. Today, we can view our client’s full financial picture and integrate the information into other tools to deliver truly personalized solutions. This is critical for our complex clientele that rely on us for our unique perspective and expertise to their full wealth situation. Now, we are able to manage investments to their investment policy with real-time reviews of their other assets.
most important, in my opinion, is the understanding that lasting relationships grow over time. I’ve always felt committed to building authentic connections with clients and prospects who provide growth to the firm and my employees who contribute to it. Secondly, these days it is important to embrace media outlets to build credibility and a strong public image. I bring attention to my expertise and Summit Place through radio and television spots and articles. Finally, I believe you must be strategic to be a successful financial leader. Not only do you need a strategy in place for your firm today, but where it will be in 5 years and what business moves you will need to make to support your clients to stay ahead of an evolving industry.
In what ways have you or the company contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring in Investment plans for solving the most complex financial problems? I care deeply about giving back. Based on our work, we have been honored for more than five years as the top financial services firm in Summit, NJ based on our outstanding service to clients and the community. Additionally, I serve on the board of directors of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc, helping to bring qualified and ethical financial planning to the broader public. A few years ago, I established a mentoring program for young women entering the financial services industry. BE ME- Believe Envision Mentor Empower - invites women from local universities in their Junior year through professionals up to 5 years out. We meet virtually monthly to discuss career topics and share support for each other. I believe that developing and supporting a more diverse community of financial professionals is the single biggest change our industry can make to solve our future challenges. I am also an alumni interviewer for my alma mater sharing my experiences with students interested in Penn and Wharton, and I am a member of the Women’s President’s Organization supporting other female professionals. What would be your advice to the up-and-coming women entrepreneurs aspiring to enter the finance industry? I believe that it takes many different characteristics to be successful in the financial industry. The thing that may be
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