Winner of our Individual Achievement Award, Elodie Cany, Global Head of Regulatory Technology Strategy, Tradeweb
How are you seeing diversity impact the industry?
Companies that prioritise hiring individuals from different social, economic and ethnic backgrounds ensure that they’re hearing many diverse perspectives. This, in turn, fosters a culture where new ideas are constantly being generated. Particularly in our industry, where technology plays such a huge role, it’s important to be able to adapt to new developments quickly, otherwise you risk falling behind the competition. At Tradeweb, our ethos has always been collaborative innovation, and we wouldn’t be able to continue to raise the bar for electronic trading if it wasn’t for the different skillsets and experiences that come from our diverse pool of talents and viewpoints.
What still needs to change for the better?
I believe we can always do better. While the days of being the only female tech expert in meetings, or just seeing men occupy senior tech roles are mostly behind us, it doesn’t mean we can afford to be complacent when it comes to supporting and championing women in our industry. When I first started my career, a woman colleague told me to leave my personality outside the office doors. When you’re purposefully trying to be quiet and avoid asking questions, you’re denying yourself the opportunity to make mistakes, learn, and develop from an early stage. I believe we’ve made significant strides in empowering people to feel they can speak up and share their ideas, rather than conceal who they truly are and what they are really capable of. Being curious and challenging the status quo is how we innovate in our industry; finding new ways to solve clients’ challenges through innovative technology. I believe we should continue to build a culture of inclusiveness, where we appreciate every employee’s perspective, because each one of us brings something unique to the table.
What does this award mean for you?
It’s such an honour to be recognised amongst my peers in the industry, so I’d like to thank again Markets Media for this amazing accolade. To be acknowledged for the work that I’ve done at Tradeweb in advancing regtech initiatives and workflows is an achievement I’m incredibly proud of, but one that wouldn’t be possible without my colleagues, mentors and senior leaders at Tradeweb. I’m incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to join this team eight years ago, and I look forward to adding more value to Tradeweb and our clients in the future.
What would you like to do to support positive change in the industry?
I try to dedicate as much time as I can towards mentoring young women, as having a solid support system in place is crucial for not only our professional, but personal growth as well. At Tradeweb, we have our own Global Women’s Network and our Global Mentoring Program that enables employees to connect with other professionals. As a founding member of our Women’s Network, these programmes are crucial in ensuring all women at Tradeweb have the appropriate support and access to all available opportunities, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing advice, support and the motivation needed to help young women tackle the challenges that lie ahead in their careers.
It’s also important to never stop educating yourself and to be vocal on issues that could be impacting individuals in your team. Being aware of issues such as unconscious bias is imperative in order to actively help promote a diverse and equitable workplace. I’m committed to continuing to identify and challenge issues such as this, in order to promote positive change both on an organisational level, and across the entire industry.
At what point would we not need to have a Women in Finance Awards?
I wish we could experience a day when we’ll see awards programmes where everyone is equally recognised, regardless of gender, race or background, and the winners are a reflection of the diversity within our industry, rather than just what’s been historically classified as ‘the majority’. I came across an installation by female artist Banu Cennetoğlu called ‘right?’, which resembles the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in bouquets of gold balloons. As the balloons deflate throughout the show, it leaves you questioning whether any rights can remain without the labour of protecting, extending and upholding them. The same can be said for diversity in our industry. I don’t believe we’ll ever reach a point where it isn’t important to continue to promote diversity and inclusivity, and therefore Women in Finance awards continue to hold an important role in our industry. My goal is to push the conversation further so that the importance of diversity and inclusion is constantly top-of-mind.
©Markets Media Europe 2024
