Pioneer’s Death Shines Light on Slow Demise of Old Boy’s Club
Muriel “Mickie” Siebert, a Wall Street trailblazer who shattered more glass ceilings than one could count, has died of complications from cancer. She was 80.
Siebert crashed the old boy’s club in 1967 when she became the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange – after more than a little opposition. Her application was rejected nine times before she garnered enough support to force the move. It took another 10 years for a second woman to join her on the exchange.
Siebert fought battles big and small. In 1987, two full decades after she earned her seat, she successfully lobbied to have a ladies bathroom built on the exchange floor in her infamous no-nonsense fashion: she threatened to have a portable toilet delivered if the chairman didn’t act swiftly. He did.
Her other contributions include helping launch the discount brokerage industry, giving individual investors better access to the market, and breaking down the walls of all-male social clubs, where deals were often manufactured without the presence of any female talent. She was also the first woman to be named superintendent of banking for the state of New York.
But perhaps her biggest impact was the millions of dollars she spent to support other women on Wall Street. Despite her successes, Siebert remained humbled – and disillusioned with the state of diversity on Wall Street.
“Firms are doing what they have to do, legally,” she said. “But women are coming into Wall Street in large numbers — and they still are not making partner and are not getting into the positions that lead to the executive suites.”
Today’s Wall Street culture is more welcoming to women, but the industry still sways in favor of male bankers. Goldman Sachs’ newest partner class is 14% women, for example, which is the highest percentage since at least 2006. The latest class of managing directors at Goldman was 23% women. At Morgan Stanley, it was just over 17%.
Wall Street still has a ways to go.
Wall Street Job Hunting Tips (eFinancialCareers)
BNP Paribas is expanding in the U.S. We talked to Sharon Rybak, head of talent acquisition at BNP, to get some tips for candidates looking for work at the bank and across Wall Street.
Actual Investment Banking Interview Questions (eFinancialCareers)
Investment banking interviews are known to be rather intensive, with hiring managers digging deeply into a candidate’s technical aptitudes. We collected a series of these types of questions recently asked of Ivy League business school graduates. How would you do?
Prosecutors are considering indicting three men for allegedly stealing algorithmic code from high frequency trading firm Flow Traders with the hope of using the information to start their own firm.
Can You Be a Great Consultant? (eFinancialCareers)
Core Abilities are key building blocks for consultants on the move up. Here are the most important qualities top firms look for.
Last week’s embarrassing trading glitch at Goldman Sachs was not a victimless crime. Four senior technology specialists were put on administrative leave.
J.P. Morgan’s co-head of litigation is leaving the bank to join San Francisco lender UnionBanCal Corp. The move couldn’t come at a worse time J.P. Morgan, which faces a near innumerable list of legal issues.
Pierre Wauthier, group chief financial officer of Zurich Insurance, was found dead in his home on Monday. He was in his 50s.
After weeks of speculation, BATS Global Markets Inc. and rival stock-exchange Direct Edge Holdings have decided to merge. No word yet on any possible fallout from an employee perspective.
Buzz Around the Office
Donald Trump and his eponymous "Trump University" are being sued by New York’s Attorney General’s Office. Students at the for-profit university allegedly didn’t get much of anything they were promised, including getting to meet the man himself. Instead, they were allowed to take a picture with a cardboard cutout of the man with the debonair hair.
List of the Day: Combating Ageism
Landing a job over the age of 50 is no picnic. Keep these tips in mind when trying to pull it off.
- Focus on applying for jobs you’re not overqualified for.
- Demonstrate your ability to use technology.
- Be upfront about salary expectations.
