Top Women in WealthTech 2020: Mary-Catherine Lader of Aladdin, BlackRock
"Women’s ability to rely on each other as partners and mentors within this space" is crucial for increasing their presence, she said.
Accomplishment(s): As wealth managers shift to fee-based advisory relationships, they are asking for new technologies to help them scale their business and build better portfolios.
So in November 2018, we announced a strategic partnership with Envestnet to integrate our digital wealth technologies into Envestnet’s platform — and extend BlackRock’s reach to the more than 90,000 U.S. financial advisors Envestnet serves.
This partnership is a continuation of BlackRock’s Digital Wealth agenda: to empower our wealth management partners to grow their practices through technology. And in 2019 we integrated iRetire into Envestnet’s platform. Our partnership is allowing advisors to understand clients’ objectives, build and implement better portfolios, and communicate to clients where they stand.
How to get more women into WealthTech: We’re moving into an exciting and innovative time within the WealthTech industry — and women will be an equal part of that.
My best advice to women is to stay curious and continue to get involved. It is important to ask questions and raise one’s hand in order to evolve and adapt alongside this ever-changing industry.
Even more important will be women’s ability to rely on each other as partners and mentors within this space.
At BlackRock we have an internal Women in Tech group that serves as a forum for open conversations, mentorship opportunities and networking. I’m also really proud of our partnerships with groups such as Girls Who Code, an organization that helps high school students pursue their own tech career dreams.