Overview
We are improving public trust in the global finance industry
through our Fellows' leadership.
The Aspen Institute's Finance Leaders Fellowship develops a community of enlightened leaders to chart the course of the global finance industry. Fellows strengthen their companies' cultures, look for ways to improve system stability, and innovate to ensure global financial inclusion.
Using the Aspen Institute method of text-based dialogue, building a strong community of Fellows, and leveraging the Institute's commitment to high-integrity, action-oriented leadership, the program inspires selected Finance Fellows to consider values and perspectives necessary for effective, enlightened leadership in finance—and in society at-large. Fellows also undertake a leadership venture of their own, designed to challenge themselves and advance the role of finance in society. See a list of all the Finance Leaders Fellows here.
The Fellowship Experience:
- Engages Fellows in a thought-provoking journey of personal exploration and understanding of what their definition of "the good society" is
- Forges a global network of finance leaders deeply committed to each other and the betterment of society
- Encourages Fellows to reflect on the historical importance of finance in well-functioning societies and current challenges in the sector, inspiring them to play an active role in shaping its future
Pillars of the Fellowship
Developing Leaders
The Finance Leaders Fellows attend a series of four seminars where they reflect on their own role and responsibility as leaders. In each seminar, they discuss different themes: challenges of leadership, their role in creating the “good society,” complexities of leading in the global community, and legacy through leadership ventures.
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Leading during COVID-19
Building Community
The Fellowship encourages a community where Fellows challenge and support one another for life. These Fellows include senior or executive leaders in the broad finance ecosystem, from savers and users, to intermediates and stewards of capital. Finance Leaders Fellows are also part of the larger Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), a world-wide community of successful, high-integrity, entrepreneurial leaders committed to making the world a better place.
Finance Leaders Community
AGLN Network
Taking Action
An integral part of the program is undertaking a Leadership Venture by each of the Fellows - a chance to put values into action. They aim to reconnect finance and society by charting the future course of the industry and using the power of their platforms in finance to address societal issues.
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Finance Leaders Fellowship News
In an era marked by financial crises and disruptive market events, the need for transformative change within the finance industry has become undeniable. The Finance Leaders Fellowship welcomes the 2023 Class as they embark on a two-year leadership journey to cultivate a new generation of industry frontrunners who not only excel in their fields but ...
Representing a diverse range of global perspectives and sectors within the finance ecosystem, the 23 leaders of the 2021 Class are committing to a two-year fellowship that will challenge them to reflect on their roles and responsibilities as finance leaders and to cultivate a deeper understanding of values-driven leadership in practice. The ...
In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Kara Gustafson , Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's Finance Leaders Fellowship (FLF), sat down with four FLF Fellows who are making advancements in gender diversity and equality across the financial services industry. From helping women to successfully launch their own ...
The Aspen Institute Names Kara Gustafson New Executive Director Of The Finance Leaders Fellowship Gustafson joins the Institute from Palais Impact Advisors and Goldman Sachs. Contact: Jon Purves Senior Media Relations Manager The Aspen Institute Jon.Purves@aspeninstitute.org Washington, DC, January 26, 2021 — The Aspen Institute announced ...
The Fellowship
Nominate a Fellow
Nomination Information
Ideal candidates are senior or executive business leaders in the broad finance ecosystem, from savers and users, to intermediates and stewards of capital. Learn more about becoming a candidate by reviewing the guidelines and watching videos of Fellows sharing their experiences.Read More
FAQs
Are you a nominator or candidate with questions about the process? Read our FAQs.Read More
Fellows in Program
About the Finance Leaders Fellowship
Yet over time, the finance industry has also been a force for good, providing many people a shot at prosperity, progress, and stability with its innovations such as pensions, mutual funds, savings accounts, mortgage credit and insurance. This was the paradox that the Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellow Ranji Nagaswami was contemplating when she founded the program with Christopher Varelas and the CFA Institute in 2016.
The Fellowship’s founding executive director, Jennifer Simpson, built a strong foundation over the first five years. With 82 Fellows operating in 20 countries at the time of the program’s leadership succession, Fellows were committed to each other in service of making impact, were taking bold action to improve trust in the industry, and had begun to work collectively as a Fellowship on key societal issues leveraging the finance industry.
The Team
