Amanda Meatto, Head of Sales and Relationship Management at Tradeweb Direct, was recognized as a Rising Star at Markets Media’s 2017 Women in Finance Awards. Markets Media recently caught up with Amanda to hear about what she’s been up to since, as well as her thoughts on women in finance generally.

What accomplishment(s) would you highlight since winning Rising Star award two years ago?

I’ve been really focused on working out how Tradeweb – in our entirety – can best serve customers in a really integrated, streamlined way. Recently, we’ve been working to introduce Tradeweb’s institutional credit clients to new streams of retail liquidity available on Tradeweb Direct, and do so in a way that suits their existing workflow. That really helps broaden the liquidity picture while connecting thousands of clients in a way we never have beforeand we’ve made huge progress.

In your opinion what are some factors that push women to go into finance? What drew you to the field? 

I knew I wanted to be in finance, but I didn’t know to what capacity. Was that in marketing? Sales? Trading? I ended up finding the sales path very rewarding, because it’s a ton of little challenges lined up at once. You’re working towards a goal, but you’re also working in a team. And of course, having a little edge of competitiveness keeps it fun and different.

Generally, when I started my career, my biggest fear was getting into a mundane 9-to-5 job doing the same thing every day, but I have found working in finance isn’t that at all.

What would be your advice to young women considering a career in finance?

Have an open mind. Finance has really evolved over the past five to 10 years, and it touches a lot of business areas. So if someone is concerned about entering a field that’s heavily male-dominated, that’s not the case anymore, at least when it comes to technology, sales, and marketing.  I think it’s also worth saying that firms have changed, and employers have become much more invested in cultivating an inclusive, supportive environment. There’s no time like the present to be curious and intrigued and pursue your interest.

How important are creativity and flexibility?

Flexibility and creativity is vital. When we present ideas and concepts, you need both creativity and flexibility to really know and understand the customer to address their needs.

And creativity and flexibility don’t just come in roles! It’s also a feature of firms themselves. Tradeweb, for example, is great at having a lot of different roles on the spectrum as far as being creative in working on new protocols and products within electronic trading.

How important have mentors been in your career?

Every point in my career has been a learning point. Not all of my managers have been mentors, but I have had several male mentors that have really helped me build up my confidence, and I think it’s an overlooked facet of the female experience on Wall Street that for some of us, the sponsorship of truly great, egalitarian male leaders has really allowed us the space to change this market.

For example, when I accepted my offer at Tradeweb, I learned that I was a bit of a different hire than those who held the position previously, not least because I was female and a bit younger.  I carried a little insecurity about that – I think lots of folks would – and my boss really took that onboard, helped me shoulder it, while mentoring and coaching me to be comfortable in my own skin and trust that I’m in the role for a reason. There’s never any reason to feel like because you’re a woman you can’t go and shake hands with five men in a client meeting, or sit there wondering whether what you have to say is less important.