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The College of New Jersey Magazine
Bolton witnessed a similar pattern
over the next two decades of her
professional career. The finance indus-
try attracts women initially, but has a
culture that often undermines the
qualities they bring to the job, and
throws up barriers that make it hard to
reach the executive suite.
Women, particularly of color, face
daunting odds in finance, according to
a 2021 study by McKinsey & Company
and LeanIn.org. Although they begin
their careers on par with men,
accounting for 52% of the entry-level
workforce, their numbers slip with
each rung they climb. According to the
report, 64% of executives are white
men and 23% are white women.
"We have been pretty stalled," says
Colleen Ammerman, the director of
Elaine Rocha, global chief
investment officer, AIG
" I looked across the
trading floor and saw a sea
of white men."
— Elaine Rocha '95
