Leadership Perspectives: Celebrating Women's History Month

Investing in Women Pays Dividends

Catherine Clay ? Global Head of Derivatives

I began my career as a clerk on the NYSE Arca trading floor, where I was one of the few women in a sea of thousands of loud men. When I became a trader, I knew I needed to make my voice heard if I wanted to succeed, and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to out-shout my fellow traders. What I quickly realized, however, was that my voice was far different from all the men's voices, and it helped me stand out. I still needed to be loud, I still needed to know what I was doing and be good at my job, but by bringing something different to the table, I could capitalize on my unique strengths and deliver.

I’ve worked in many different roles since my time on the trading floor, but I have always worked within the financial services industry, and my experience on the floor has stuck with me. It gave me an incredible foundation to understand our markets and see opportunities for innovation, but, more importantly, it gave me an understanding of myself as a woman in finance.

This year, the theme of International Women’s Day was “Invest in Women,” which I believe should be a part of our everyday ethos. My early career taught me how to value and invest in myself, as well as to seek out the people and organizations that would invest in me — this part was key. I knew my potential and I was confident in my abilities, but you can only go so far on your own.?

In the past, women were either completely excluded from the opportunities available to men, or when they were given a seat at the table, they were not taken seriously or given the same resources to truly succeed. Thankfully, our world has improved greatly in this regard, and that benefits us all, not just women.?

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The Value of Investing in Yourself

Jill Griebenow ? Chief Financial Officer

From my days studying accounting at the University of Northern Iowa to my role as Chief Financial Officer here at Cboe, I have learned a great deal about the power of investing in yourself.?This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Invest in Women,” couldn’t be better suited to how I’ve modeled my personal and professional life.?

Investing can take on many different forms. Of course, you can invest your money, but you can also invest your intangible resources.?Investing your time, knowledge and energy in yourself or others can be just as rewarding, if not more so.?

However, it can be difficult to invest your time in yourself, especially when there are so many competing priorities. College was the first time I remember making an investment in myself and realizing the return on that investment. I spent a Saturday attending an off-campus informational session for a great internship program. As a college student, it was far from my idea of a fun Saturday, but I wanted that internship. When I was later offered the internship, I realized my sacrifice hadn’t gone unnoticed. The company appreciated my demonstrated interest, curiosity and determination enough that it set me apart from the other applicants.??

As my career progressed, I continued to make consistent, small investments in myself, such as networking and putting in the extra effort to make my work stand out. I also benefitted from others who saw my potential and invested their time and efforts coaching and mentoring me. Cboe’s previous CFO was a significant investor in my career and encouraged me to make the biggest and riskiest investment in my career – a move to London to serve as Cboe Europe’s CFO. Moving to a different country made me nervous, to say the least, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for the job. But I knew that stepping out of my comfort zone would push me to learn more about myself and reach my full potential...??

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How Cboe Invests in Women

Stephanie Foley ? Chief Human Resources Officer

Women are born leaders. Study after study finds having more women in senior positions makes companies more profitable, productive and collaborative. It’s not enough to have more women at the table. Women must be invited into the conversation and their input evenly considered. And so, investing in women and valuing their contributions isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. Investing in women drives innovation, enhances decision-making and fuels our collective success.

But today, women lead only a small fraction of Fortune 500 companies and are underrepresented in the C-suite and top management teams. McKinsey & Company’s 2023 Women in the Workplace study challenges common myths about why women are not reaching their optimal potential. Newsflash, it’s not a lack of ambition. Rather, women are held back from growth opportunities by performance bias and outdated stereotypes that unfairly place the burden on them.

Cboe has made remarkable strides in our efforts to foster an inclusive and supportive workplace for women at every level. As Chief Human Resources Officer, I am proud to champion the work Cboe is doing and shed light on the ways we invest in women, ensuring their growth, empowerment and representation across our organization.

Cultivating Women Leaders through Mentorship and Board Representation

Cultivating women leaders requires showing talented women there is a path to grow and advance to the top. To make this a reality, we developed a formal mentorship program open to all women at Cboe, amongst others. We match mentees with senior leaders, allowing all participants to develop meaningful connections, dedicate time for self-reflection and gain valuable career guidance as they navigate their professional journeys.?

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