Q&A: Women working in finance

Kai Li, Finance professor at Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

“Performing at the highest-level as a finance academic, publishing in top journals and maintaining a commitment to innovative teaching, means that sacrifices in other areas of life must be made. Missing out on important birthdays, holidays, and school events is not uncommon and I often feel guilty.”

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Sophie Manigart, Finance professor at Vlerick Leuven Gent School of Management in Belgium

“The biggest challenge has been international mobility: spending enough time abroad to build a network and increase my international credibility. I saw with my male colleagues that their spouses happily accompanied them, but my husband was not keen on quitting his job and starting from scratch abroad – hence, I spent one year alone in the US at Wharton, while married, at a time without Skype and limited internet availability.

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Susan Wachter, professor of Financial Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, US

“My biggest challenge has not been in the field of finance itself, but rather the difficulties that many of us face in balancing work and family. I have dealt with this by marrying the right person, eating lots of take-out and varying the focus of my efforts over time.”

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Joëlle Miffre, professor of Finance at Edhec Business School, France

“Here at Edhec, the faculty of is dominantly male but I gather that my colleagues would very much welcome having more female faculty members around, should suitable candidates apply. The main challenge I face as an academic is thus not gender-related. Rather, it relates to my ability constantly to push the boundaries of my understanding of financial markets. This learning experience is at times challenging, but also very stimulating.”

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Gulnur Muradoglu, professor of Finance at Cass Business School, UK

“When I see that a male colleague with similar work success or status is given better resources, I am astonished. I almost never ever expect this could be because he is a man and I am a woman. The biggest challenge to me is accepting that. How do I cope with this?”

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Dragana Cvijanovic, assistant professor of Finance, HEC Paris, France

“Being on the finance faculty at HEC Paris has been extremely rewarding and so far I have not experienced any challenges different from those faced by my male peers. Hence, I find it a bit surprising that there are not many female finance faculty, especially given that, in general, they are as capable, talented and treated like anyone else. Therefore, I would encourage young women who are contemplating a career in finance, to give academia a serious thought.”