Celebrating female leadership in FX – Aviya Arika (Tal Ron, Drihem and Co.)

Ultra-modern, highly technologically advanced, and at the cutting edge of the world of financial services and technology, the FX industry heralds executives who are ambitious, enthusiastic and upwardly mobile.

In its relative infancy compared to the hierarchical, wood-paneled institutions of traditional banking, FX represents all that is urbane and fast moving, hence the lack of a metaphorical ‘glass ceiling’. With this dynamism comes the rise to success of several ladies whose prominence in senior management positions across the entire FX industry, from social trading, to interactive educational systems, to signal provision, platform engineering, events, and brokerage.

FinanceFeeds’ Ricardo Esteves spoke to Aviya Arika, Offshore and Banking Specialist at Tal Ron, Drihem & Co., a law firm specialized in Hi Tech, Ad Tech and iGaming based in Tel Aviv, Israel, which has a very significant presence in the FX industry.

How did you get into the industry and where did it all start?

For me, it all started when I became aware of friends entering the binary options and forex industries. Back then, I was practicing criminal defense law and had background in online gaming. I was looking for a field that would satisfy me and arouse my curiosity and interest more than other law fields.

I contacted what was described to me as the prominent law firm in the business, and luckily for me, I got accepted. I studied the business very quickly and worked with many operators, affiliates, and technology providers which broadened my view and taught me everything there is to know.

Any interesting anecdotes from your own background and how this helped you succeed? 

There is something very masculine in this industry- the drive to make big money, the aggressiveness, the strictly business oriented approach-, but I liked it. Sometimes it feels like people in this industry don’t listen as much to women, but I felt that through hard work and research I managed to position myself in a place where people are already willing to listen, and the evidence is that during the past year I have participated and moderated panels and contributed to leading financial publications.

Headlining a successful panel in GO Gaming Conference in Tel Aviv with 7 men on stage gives me a powerful feeling, and I’m glad that I always envisaged myself as an equal and not as an outsider in this industry- it always paid off.

Any views on the role of women within the financial services? 

Being an expert and a part of the leading firm in the Financial Entertainment and iGaming world – Tal Ron, Drihem and Co., whose chairman, Tal Itzhak Ron promotes women to senior positions like I am (where almost all other department managers are also successful women), shows that success is not based on gender equality but on true industry leadership which I am happy to be part of, continuously reaching new heights and rendering the most friendly and professional service for our clients.