Photo provided by the College of William and Mary.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – A 1983 graduate of William & Mary thinks women need to be more independent.
“Women need to be independent and know how to manage their finances,” said Caronline Cooley, the ’83 graduate of the university and CIO of hedge fund strategies at Crestline Investor, Inc. in Texas. “Women now own more than half of the nation’s personal wealth and that number is predicted to rise.”
Cooley was a judge at the Women’s Stock Pitch competition at the College of William & Mary on Friday and Saturday of last week, and believes in the value of this competition.
Starting in 2016 with the help of alumni, the competition has grown to include around 100 William & Mary students, along with students from top universities and colleges across the nation and world.
This competition is also serving a purpose that Co-director of William & Mary’s Boehly Center of Excellence in Finance, James Haltnier, points out. Stats show that women are underrepresented in the finance industry, but are really good at pitching stocks.
“It is good practice for selling your ideas, in business and elsewhere,” says Halnier, who believes that stock pitching can build knowledge and confidence in people, while also being useful and rewarding.
With more than 50 industry professional at the event, it was certainly a place for young women at William & Mary, and other universities, to gain experience and exposure.
“A potential employer would see that these women are not only qualified for a future career, but they have the excitement, energy and interest that goes beyond,” Cooley said. “Their experience of presenting before a crowd and supporting their ideas also makes them more interesting to an employer.”
Information in this story was provided by an article from the College of William & Mary.
