Celebrating female leadership in FX: Katy Parks (Tradesocio)

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.

As FinanceFeeds celebrates the success of women in the FX industry, FinanceFeeds’ Ricardo Esteves spoke to Katy Parks, Account Manager at Tradesocio, a provider of marketing software for brokers.

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

After graduating back in 2006, I took my first steps in the finance arena in a sales position in a recruitment firm in London. A major turning point for me was attending a sales meeting back in 2007 and sitting in the boardroom of a major investment bank, thinking how I wanted to be at the other side of the table. I told my team leader about this and his response was a disapproving look and a reply along the lines of: “you aren’t ready”.

One year later I was heading up the entire recruitment division in another major investment bank in Canary Wharf. That’s when I finally realized that if you believe in yourself, you can do anything.

Have you faced any challenges and how did you overcome them?

Working in a Sales position wasn’t the challenging part. Nor was learning about the Finance Industry and the associated culture that came with it. Adapting and blending into that role came naturally. Unfortunately there were a few things which I came to realize also came as part of the package which I hadn’t anticipated to begin with.

Before I took on the position at the Investment Bank, I remember landing a 100K deal with a new client, a mere 3 months into my new role which didn’t fare well with some male colleagues. Having said that, it didn’t go down well with my female colleagues either – but we were outnumbered so I can’t really say it was a gender specific issue. It was about competition.

Being competitive in a male oriented industry as a female can be challenging – if you don’t know how to handle it. I was lucky to have some incredible bosses who helped guide me through the rough patches and helped me build my confidence and grow thicker skin. These guys were true leaders in their field and I have a lot to thank them for, especially for where I am today.

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

Recently, I was approached for a great position in TradeSocio with an incredible team who saw the value I can add to their company and leapt at the opportunity. Working with a such supportive team makes all the difference, both in the growth of your company and your personal development.

Even thoughit’s a start up, I can already see that the people managing us have a clear view in mind about what foundations they need to create a good working environment and form a successful business. Being part of those foundations and growing with the team is a great experience.