One of the key promises of our imperative to “grow the good in business” is building a community of mutual advancement, and this includes a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion.

Two weeks ago, the College hosted a very successful 23rd annual Notre Dame Ethics Week titled “Women Lead.” The event featured speakers and panel discussions exploring the various challenges and opportunities women experience in the classroom and workplace. (See more information about Ethics Week below.)

This week, the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI) is hosting another important event, the second annual Women’s Investing Summit (WIS), which takes place on Friday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Dahnke Ballroom in the Duncan Student Center. The Summit is open to women and men in the Notre Dame community.

WIS is distinctive and important to Mendoza and to the larger finance industry because all of the speakers are senior women in investment management. This makes it a rare event, because the percentage of women in leadership positions is extremely low — less than 10 percent. NDIGI managing director Erin Bellissimo, who has been at the forefront of many efforts to encourage young women to enter careers in investing, organized the Summit to give attendees the insider’s perspective on current market trends and future job and investment opportunities.

Speakers include Wendy Cromwell, the vice chair and senior managing director and partner at Wellington Management; Katie Koch (ND '02), the co-head of Fundamental Equity at Goldman Sachs; and Kathy Murphy, president of personal investing at Fidelity Investments. Students also have the opportunity to network with investment professionals during lunch.

Mendoza faculty and staff members are welcome to attend WIS. To register, email Tess Swain at tswain@nd.edu. You’re also welcome to attend NDIGI’s Student Stock Pitch Competition 5-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 in the Jordan Auditorium.

My thanks to the NDIGI staff and faculty who have put so much thought and effort into organizing the Women’s Investing Summit 2020 and the student stock pitch competition — Erin, Tess, Mark Dumich and Shane Corwin.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn