Reporting by Leah
The Financial Women’s Association (FWA) held its 2010 Annual Dinner and 26th Women of the Year Awards at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, on April 26, 2010.
Over 700 women and men attended this year’s Awards Dinner. The evening began with cocktails followed by a formal sit down dinner and introduction of the distinguished dais guests.
Trish Regan, Anchor and Reporter, CNBC, emceed the Dinner for the third year in a row as an impressive group of honorees spoke during the Dinner. This year FWA honored Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, The American National Red Cross, with The FWA 2010 Public/Nonprofit Sector Woman of the Year, and Karen B. Peetz, Chief Executive Officer, Financial Markets and Treasury Services, BNY Mellon, with the FWA 2010 Private Sector Woman of the Year. The FWA Volunteer of the Year Award went to Mentoring Program Co-Chairs Francoise Jeanpierre, Columbia University Medical Center, and Wendy Leibowitz, Leibowitz Marketing Services Inc.
The Financial Women’s Association Women of the Year Awards recognizes outstanding women in both the public and private sector who exemplify the finest qualities of professionalism, achievement and community service. The FWA’s Annual Dinner, the Association’s largest fundraiser, brings together more than 700 professionals and FWA members from the financial world keen to applaud the achievements of these distinguished women. Honorees’ speeches marked the highlight of the festive evening, followed by brief presentations of exceptional students who are involved in the FWA’s financial education mentoring programs.
The FWA was founded in 1956 to advance professionalism in the field of finance, and more specifically the role of women and the development of future women leaders. The FWA Women of the Year awards are a celebration of the advancement of high achieving women professionals, and an enormous inspiration to our members,” said FWA President Stephanie Hauge. “Ms. McGovern and Ms. Peetz’s professional stature, their innovative philosophies on management, and the success of their organizations speak to the high benchmarks we set for the FWA.”
Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, has used her financial background to take a key leadership role at the nation’s leading emergency response and blood services organization. A former executive at AT&T and Fidelity Investments, as well as a former faculty member at the Harvard Business School, she has invigorated the Red Cross by dramatically reducing its deficit and streamlining many of its operations. She has also overseen the response to several catastrophic disasters, including the recent earthquake in Haiti, where she personally traveled to Port-au-Prince to oversee recovery efforts.
Karen Peetz, the CEO of Financial Markets and Treasury Services at BNY Mellon, has also led her division to a top global market position, establishing it as one of BNY Mellon’s most visible and best performing franchises. An active philanthropist, she sits on boards for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Penn State’s Presidential Leadership Academy, the Campaign for Penn State Students, and the United Way of New York City, and she is the chairperson for the BNY Mellon’s Women’s Initiatives Network.
All proceeds from the Dinner benefit the FWA Educational Fund, which supports scholarship, mentoring, and financial literacy programs for women in New York City as well as programs for the general business community.
The FWA was founded in 1956 by eight women on Wall Street looking to further their knowledge and professional network. The FWA is the premier professional association for high achieving women in every sector of the financial world, with approximately 900 members primarily in the tri-state area. The FWA is dedicated to developing future leaders, enhancing the role of women in finance, and investing in the community. Each year, the FWA’s Annual Dinner raises money for its Educational Fund, which has funded 20-plus years of mentoring and scholarship programs, financial literacy for teens and economically-disadvantaged adults and other programming for the business community.
For more information on the FWA and sponsorship information please visit their website at http://www.fwa.org.
