Susanne_Spector_Chief_Analyst

3# Women in Finance – “More women attract more women”, meet Susanne, Chief Analyst

02-05-2022 15:27

May is European Diversity Month, and we kick it off by moving along in our blog series, “Women in Finance” - and being very much aware, that diversity is so much more than gender. In this third blog, we meet Susanne Spector, one of our esteemed chief analysts for a talk about work life at Nordea Markets, the culture, diversity and inclusion – and how to attract more women to the financial industry.

Why did you initially apply for a job at Nordea?

I was approached to apply for the position in the macro team, and at that time it felt like an exciting step to take. I did a summer internship at another bank, and afterwards chose to pursue my PhD instead of continuing. But at times, I thought about the road not taken.

Working here at Nordea since 2017, these two roads met.

Has working at Nordea been as you imagined – any surprises?

Working here has been/is even better than expected. For me as a labour economist, it was a bit of a wild choice to start working on a trading floor like here. I am positively surprised of how many people who are genuinely interested in my knowledge, not to mention how big an impact my work and insight can have for our customers.

For me, personally, it is also interesting to get to learn about the financial markets from the inside – and even after a couple of years here, the market continues to surprise.

Susanne preparing the recurring Monday Macro webinar with a colleague.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The are many great things about my job; my great colleagues, and being able to follow the economic development at the front line, meeting customers and always striving to get a clearer picture of a sometimes pretty blurry future market development.

How would you describe the culture, and working environment at Nordea Markets?

I really enjoy working here. There’s a lot of great energy, and a quite homey feeling here. I would say we have an inquisitive and fun environment with lots of interesting discussions – at least in my Macro team.

Susanne at her desk next to her desk neighbour and colleague at the trading floor in Stockholm.

Why do you think there aren’t more females in finance?

I think there is some perception of the financial markets that attracts men more than women. Each time I meet students there are always more guys coming up to talk afterwards. There might be this idea, that you need to be a hobby investor with your own stock portfolio to work here – and that could not be further from the truth. Especially for us in the macro team, we are driven by a passion to understand the world we live in, and where we are going.

What do you think could help attract more women?

I definitely believe that more women attract more women, both directly by expanding networks and such but also to help create a more diverse and inclusive work place. This might be even more important for young women entering Nordea, as role models are important.

Don't miss out on the previous blogs in the series - meet Malin and Caroline.

May is European Diversity Month. Once again Nordea joins thousands of companies across Europe to celebrate Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace. This year’s theme is “building bridges”, between organisations and areas of inclusion and diversity policy (race, gender, age, etc.). A theme that’s very much aligned with Nordea’s Purpose & Values.   

#EUDiversityMonth #InclusiveNordea 

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