Treasury Today Group’s Women in Treasury US Forum 2023, sponsored by BNY Mellon and J.P. Morgan, opened at noon with a welcome reception taking place in the open-air terrace that offers a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline. Meg Coates, Joint Publisher & Head of Operations greeted the guests with a speech reflecting on how far the women in treasury community has come since its creation 11 years ago.

Following this, guests were invited downstairs to the loft for an insightful ‘fireside chat’ with our special guest speaker Andrea Amozurrutia Casillas, Finance and Sustainability Director, Grupo Herdez and Sophie Jackson, Joint Publisher & Head of Strategic Content, Treasury Today Group discussing the position of women in Mexico and the intersection of finance and sustainability.

After the starters, we celebrated our 2023 Women of the Year in the Americas award winners. Our Overall Winner – Sheila Quintus, Vice President and Corporate Treasurer at Medtronic and our Highly Commended Winner – Andrea Amozurrutia accepted their awards and shared a few words on what winning meant for them.

Next, the main course was served, offering an opportunity for guests to network with others at their tables. Then our inspirational and thought-provoking panel discussion took place with four industry experts:

• Sheila Quintus – Vice President and Corporate Treasurer, Medtronic

• Jayna Bundy – General Manager of Procurement, Microsoft

• Laide Majiyagbe – Global Head of Financing and Liquidity, BNY Mellon

• Jennifer Acosta – Managing Director, Global Head of Media and Telecom and North America Enterprise Technology, J.P. Morgan

Moderated by Sophie, the panel discussed some of the challenges surrounding gender equity and career progression in the industry. As the panellists shared their unique experiences and journeys, some key topics considered included issues around intersectional identity and racism and navigating a male dominated workplace, alongside advice to support your peers wherever possible.

Throughout the panel discussion the audience were polled and given several opportunities to join the conversation. The lively Q&A session gave guests a further chance to share their own experiences and present questions to the panel. The main topic that emerged from these questions was how to balance responsibilities and juggle the demands of a career with family life, with the panel advising the audience to give yourself grace and pick your top prioritises.

The afternoon finished off with a sharing dessert platter and coffees, and networking continuing late into the afternoon. Guests also had the opportunity to discuss and collect their own copy of the Women in Treasury Global Equity Study 2023, proudly sponsored by Standard Chartered.

The day’s event was supported by BNP Paribas, Citi, Cnote, Goldman Sachs, IFC, Invesco, Seelaus and Wells Fargo, as well as our sponsors BNY Mellon and J.P. Morgan.

We look forward to sharing post-event coverage, with a podcast, video interview and article and would like to thank everyone for taking part and supporting our Women in Treasury community.