Chartered Financial Analyst and Institutional Consulting Director, Graystone Consulting
“When you empower women, you impact the entire community. “
That’s what Camille Alexander has learned over the years – from her philanthropic work with women and children to her twenty years as a leader in the financial services industry.
As a Chartered Financial Analyst and Institutional Consulting Director with Graystone Consulting, Alexander is responsible for the investment portfolios for a broad array of institutions. While women are present in ever-greater numbers within the field, and are being increasingly recognized for their unique and valuable contributions to the financial sector, Alexander remembers a time when this was not always the case.
When she arrived for an exam, for instance, to obtain her CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certification in the early 1990’s, she was one of only a few women in a room of eighty test takers. And when she moved into her first role as a portfolio manager in the mutual fund industry, Alexander was the sole woman in a group of more than 40 working on the Equity Team. “The only other women,” she reflects, “were in positions of support.”
While she was acutely aware of the gender stratification and her position as “the one and only,” Alexander never felt that her gender held her back from succeeding. She credits the fact that many of her male colleagues were of a generation that was more open to working alongside women as peers, encouraging them to be supportive and open doors to many opportunities in her career.
"I grew up thinking that strong women were normal,..."
Alexander also believes that she was well prepared to lead from her youth. “My father stayed home with us for a period of time when we were children, while my mother was the breadwinner – a trailblazer, really, in our town in Louisiana,” says Alexander. “I grew up thinking that strong women were normal, and my environment allowed me to not see the world in terms of typical gender roles. My grandmother went to college in the 1930’s! So all the women in my family, really, were trailblazers.”
There are a few things, however, that Alexander wishes she had known as a young professional. “I didn’t know how to negotiate. When I was younger, I felt lucky to have a job – I felt I couldn’t ask for certain things because I needed to work.” Now, however, the playing field has changed. “Mentally and emotionally I feel differently about my own value in the workplace. I can be a tougher negotiator. Some of that is part of my evolution as a woman in the business; some of it is just the wisdom that comes with experience for any gender.”
The biggest lessons that Alexander would impart to young women just starting out? “Success comes from doing what you love and surrounding yourself with people you want to be around. Don’t be afraid to take opportunities, and pursue your passions with integrity.”
