The Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Center for Business Ethics hosted a panel session in Mandeville Hall Oct. 23 featuring business women from the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of Philadelphia. The women business professionals responded to pre-written questions about women in business, followed by a networking session during which attendees could speak with the panelists one-on-one. 

Viktoriya Lantushenko, Ph.D., associate professor of finance, said having women-only speakers was intentional. Hosting these events is important, Lantushenko said, to build confidence and to show how women can overcome gender bias in the male-dominated field of finance.

“The important thing is to see your goal and fight the challenges in front of you,” Lantushenko said. “You have to stay persistent, push hard on your goals, have your goals lined up and envision who you are in the future.”

A panelist at the event, Jessica Blitz, member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia and senior research analyst at Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc., said events like this provide an opportunity to highlight voices of women from different backgrounds with different goals.

“Your career doesn’t necessarily have to look like one thing or another just because you are a woman,” Blitz wrote in response to questions. 

Blitz said, alongside building confidence, women going into business should understand the importance of networking. 

“I think [networking] is especially important for young women because it helps you to build an independent team of supporters and cheerleaders who can empathize with shared experiences,” Blitz wrote. “They can act as advocates when you need additional voices in your corner, whether to celebrate wins or during tougher times.” 

Jacqueline Wise, Ph.D., associate professor of finance and associate director of the Arrupe Center, said being the minority in a room can make women feel like they don’t belong. 

“There’s a lot out there that can cause women to doubt themselves, and you have the same education as the men do, so you’re just as strong as them,” Wise said. “Don’t let what society tells you stop you, keep pushing forward.”

Additionally, women of color in the business world are a double minority in the workplace, Wise said, and face more challenges than white women or men.

“This is where I think it’s really important for other women to support each other,” Wise said. “I think that’s sort of where you have to recognize that and realize that’s part of your role.”

Gabriella Sweeney ’29, a finance major who plans to do investment banking, said she enjoyed hearing the panelists describe their experiences as women in finance and how they have had to advocate for themselves.

“It can be intimidating at times, but I think you have to step into it with confidence and make the best of it and really make a name for yourself,” Sweeney said. 

Another attendee, Jessica Mihalak ’29, said the panelists helped ease her worries about being a woman in business in the future.

“I think it was really cool to see young women that are super successful,” Mihalak said.