Top Women in WealthTech 2020: Stacey Goodman of Prudential Financial
"As mother to a 14-year-old daughter, I’m thrilled to see programs for young women to explore and interact with technology," she said.
Accomplishment(s): Looking back on 2019, joining Prudential in July certainly stands out. With less than a year on the job, I’m so energized to be here and encouraged by the progress the global technology team is making to enhance both our employee and our customer experience.
I’m also excited about our acquisition of Assurance. From a technology perspective, it’s a great example of how there can be innovation in the application of technology as well as the technology itself.
[Editor's note: Before becoming Pru's CIO, Goodman was the CIO of Freddie Mac; earlier, she worked for CIT, Bank of America, UBS and Salomon Brothers, as well as serving on the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Research Advisory Committee. She replaced outgoing Pru CIO Barbara Koster.]
How to get more women into WealthTech: It’s an exciting time for the sector. Technology is the driver of business growth and the ways in which we do business are evolving. Today, there are more opportunities than ever for women to work in technology.
And, as mother to a 14-year-old daughter, I’m thrilled to see programs for young women to explore and interact with technology. There are more opportunities than ever before, and we (as women in WealthTech) should encourage the next generation to pursue their interests.
Advice for those starting out: When I give advice to those starting out their careers, or upskilling/reskilling into a new role, I always say, “Immerse yourself in what you do and embrace the journey as you equip your toolbox with new skills to grow your career.
“Learn everything you can about the business or industry you’re working in, because that’s the table stakes. You want to know what you’re trying to solve for — that’s where you will have the most impact on the bottom line. Really understanding what you’re doing and how you are helping the business is what makes you most valuable to a company and grow both professionally and personally.”
Sources of insights and inspiration: I love ideas! I get excited when my team comes to me with new ideas and solutions. Technology helps unlock business value and it’s enabled financial services to do business at a new level, entering different markets and engaging customers in new ways.
Prudential employees know the business and marketplace cold, so hearing their ideas and especially seeing how they think differently is really inspiring to me.