As part of Best Execution’s Diversity on the Desk series, we spoke to Melissa Ellis, electronic sales and product, Virtu Financial, about gratitude for those who have gone before, the importance of growing a female leadership presence in fintech, and the different ways in which Virtu supports diversity in the workplace.
I am grateful to all the women who have paved the way for greater equality. It is inspiring to know the challenges these women faced for me to be where I am today. As a mother to a 15-year-old girl, I am committed to creating a space for people like my daughter to excel, the same way these women have done for me.
A lot of progress has been made for women in financial services since I started, but there is still work to be done. Women make up about 30% of the workforce in fintech. That number is even lower for women in leadership roles. My hope is to see these percentages increase as well as grow the representation of women in the industry. There are different ways that we can approach this objective. Some roles in this industry require technical skills, most of which could be learned in the classroom. We can lend a hand here by exposing young females to opportunities in education.
Encouraging young women to participate in STEM subjects will increase the number of female candidates in the recruitment pool. It is important that we spotlight young women who show an interest in STEM while guiding them throughout their education and their career. After that, it is up to us to bring young women into the workforce through fair and unbiased recruitment processes and support their careers with training and mentoring programs.
Virtu has always been a champion of women in the workplace. We pride ourselves on a people-first culture that encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the last few years, we have formalized our commitment to these initiatives in several different ways, including the creation of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, our Women’s Leadership Committee and the role of Chief People Officer – both of which are co-led by female chairs. These committees offer a space for Virtu employees to discuss unique challenges as well as foster growth within the firm. Through these committee initiatives, Virtu employees are encouraged to develop their unique skills and maximize their impact across the firm.
One of my favourite programs at Virtu is our Women’s Winternship, a one-week program designed to introduce female college students to a career path in financial services. This early talent identification program helps us build a strong and diverse female pipeline for the firm. I love meeting and working with the young women who participate in the program. These candidates are all extremely talented and excited about financial services which makes me hopeful for the future of the industry.
