Babes On Bay Street

Women in Capital Markets

In their own words:  “Women in Capital Markets” (WCM) is a non-profit organization that promotes, the entry, advancement, and development of women in the Capital Markets industry”.  They offer their 700+ members access to opportunities which are intended to benefit “newcomers and seasoned professionals”.  These include networking events, mentoring and professional development, career path insights for students, forums to share best practices with industry leaders etc.

What I find most attractive about WCM membership are the programs it has developed or sponsored around mentoring (Professionals – Mentorship Program) and coaching  (Professional – Executive Coaching Award) and its sponsorship of participation in the Judy Project (Professionals – HLM Judy Project).  These types of programs allow women who might be reluctant or unable to find support and nurturing in their own organizations to find it elsewhere. 

I also like the job posting feature on the WCM web site. For example, I noticed a July 2009 posting for a position on the board of Canada’s National Ballet School which represents the type of opportunity for community service and networking outside the securities industry of which qualified and capable individuals might be otherwise unaware.  

In my mind, WCM and other organizations like it represent good choices for a woman who wants to expand her network outside the firm which employs her. It will not serve her every need, however, depending upon her personal objectives, it is a choice which could offer significant opportunities for personal development, growth and learning over time.  On the other hand, I do believe that exclusive reliance on a single organization to serve all of one’s networking and other career objectives would be a less than optimal strategy.

I would be interested to hear about your experiences with WCM and other similar organizations and the benefits of your membership in this type of organization, as well as, your comments and opinions on their effectiveness in terms of serving the purpose of advancing and supporting women in a particular industry.