Sharon Bowen Becomes The First Black Woman To Be Elected To Chair The New York Stock Exchange Board!
YourBlackWorld.net, By Victor Omondi, Posted Januaty 24th 2022
According to Market Watch, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has nominated Sharon Bowen as the next chair of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), making her the first Black woman to hold the role.
Bowen’s appointment follows on the heels of previous leadership changes at the NYSE, which is facing increasing competition from rival stock exchanges.
TRT World noted that the Wall Street Exchange has 2,400 listed firms with a total market capitalization of $36 trillion.
She previously made history as the first African American to be appointed to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a Commissioner. According to V103, her three-year tenure began in 2014, during the Obama administration. She has since aided in the development of new conversations in the financial industry, such as those about diverse representation and high-quality civic involvement.
Bowen currently works as a securities and finance lawyer. She has been on the board of directors of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., the parent corporation of the New York Stock Exchange, since 2017.
In April, Bowen was named to the board of directors of Akamai Technologies, Inc.
“Akamai is pleased to welcome such a distinguished financial and legal expert to its board of directors,” Akamai co-founder chief executive officer Dr. Tom Leighton said in a statement. “In an environment with evolving regulatory developments and market risks, we look forward to benefiting from Sharon’s vast experience and expertise.”
Bowen was born in Chesapeake, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She then graduated from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management with a Master of Business Administration and Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law with a Juris Doctor.
Bowen has worked as a partner and associate in many legal firms with over 30 years of experience in commercial law.
In 2010, she was appointed vice-chair and interim chair of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation by former President Barack Obama.
According to NewsOne, Black women account for about 10% of those employed in the finance profession. Lauren Simmons, who was 22 at the time, became the second Black woman to work as a trader at the NYSE in 2017.
