The 5 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021.

VOL 08 | ISSUE 03 | 2021
Thriving
Strong
Climbing the
Finance Ladder
A Prominent Name in the Finance Industry
SueHayter
Founder
Quality Financial Group Pty Ltd
Most Inﬂuential
WOMEN
in Finance, 2021
The
5

Building Stairs
to Success in
Finance
or many years, the finance industry was believed to
Fbe dominated by men. However, that isn’t the case
anymore. As trends started changing, women
donned several hats to prove their mettle in the finance
sector.
Earlier, business leaders were unsure about having a career
in finance. Of course, because of the financial crisis and
bankruptcy of 2008, more and more leaders kept their way
from finance. But rising in such a field, businesswomen are
shining in the financial leadership roles. It is because of
their vision and approach towards coordination with the
clients and solving their problems related to finance.
Their success says it all; the dedication and passion for
consistently growing the company and themselves stands as
their best quality. They are committed to bringing the
change and reaching out to clients with the best financial
advice and solutions. Their leadership style includes
communicating with the right expert and building the best
solutions for the clients. Even in these challenging times of
pandemic, they virtually discuss the financial topics and
support the company in every possible way.
Businesswomen have many tasks in the financial industry,
and building long-lasting relationships is their best way to
grow. Their contribution is worth appreciating to provide
authentic advice on becoming a strong and successful
leader. In this ever-evolving finance industry, they have
evolved along with the changing times by staying updated
with the technology. Today, they are helping create
employment, education, startups, and assisting the big
industries and governments.
Editor’s Desk

To recognize and appreciate the contribution of such
businesswomen, Insights Success comes up with its
upcoming edition - The 05 Most Influential Women in
Finance, 2021. Through this edition, we share the business
journeys, challenges, and achievements of these leaders.
On the Cover of this edition is Sue Hayter, the Founder of
Quality Financial Group Pty Ltd. A broker since 2004,
Sue has used her experience and excellent industry record
to become a leader in her field. She shares her knowledge
and expertise to empower the brokers to fulfil their dreams
of being self-employed and self-sufficient business owners.
As an experienced mortgage broker, Sue started mentoring
brokers in 2010. To support the brokers, she authored the
Quality Financial Group Mentor Programme which has
been assessed by the Mortgage & Finance Association of
Australia and the Finance Brokers Association of Australia
and is recognised and approved as a mentor programme for
new to industry brokers.
As exciting is this edition, equally interesting is the CXO
written by the industry experts and the article by the in-
house editorial team.
Let’s begin the Rewarding Experience!
sourabh@insightssuccess.com
Sourabh More

CONTENTS
A Prominent Name in
the Finance Industry
Sue Hayter
08
Cover
Story

16
Leading a New
Generation of
Corporate Finance
Ángela Álvarez
20
Climbing the Finance Ladder
Thriving Strong
Article
Driving the Credible
Transition of
Capital Markets
Cecilia Repinski
24
A Profound Leader
Powering Hong Kong’s
Sustainable Finance
and FinTech
Community
Helene Li
28
Simplifying the
Financial Lives
of People
Liz Miller
32

sales@insightssuccess.com
August, 2021
Editor-in-Chief
Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Technical Head
Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager
Research Analyst
Database Management Technology Consultant
Hitesh Dhamani
Managing Editor
Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Sourabh More
Assistant Editors
Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
David King
Art & Design Director
Priyanka Rajage
Associate Designer
Kartik Balapurkar
Kshitij S Eric Mathew
John Matthew
Sales Executives
David, Vaibhav, Krutant
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Aidan, Irfan
Jacob Smile
Aditya Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive
Amol Wadekar Frank Adams
Circulation Manager
Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes
Shubham Dali
Co-designer
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Brief
Company Name
Aglaia Capital
aglaiacapital.com
Ángela Álvarez
Founder and Executive
Chairman
Aglaia Capital is an independent Corporate Finance boutique
advisory business.
Liz Miller
President
SUMMIT PLACE
FINANCIAL
ADVISORS
LLC www.summitplace
financial.com/
SummitPlace
Summit Place Financial Advisors offers an individualized goal-
oriented approach to managing wealth for a select group of
clients.
Cecilia Repinski
CEO and Founder
Green Assets Wallet
greenassetswallet.org
Green Assets Wallet is a global trust platform that accelerates
impactful asset allocation.
Helene Li
General Manager
Co-Founder
FTAHK
www.ftahk.org
The FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) is an
independent, not-for-profit, membership based association
representing Hong Kong’s FinTech community.
Sue Hayter
Founder
Quality Financial Group is a boutique mortgage broker
company.
Quality Financial Group
& Trusted Mortgage
Broker
www.melbourne
mortgage
brokermentor.com.au
Featured Person

Cover Story
Sue Hayter
Founder
Quality Financial
Group Pty Ltd

Sue
Hayter
A Prominent Name in the Finance Industry
Believe in yourself.
It does not matter
who you are or
where you come
from - work hard -
you can make it.
‘‘
‘‘

Working as a mortgage broker mentor in the male
dominated Australian mortgage broking
financial services industry which has less than
25% women has certainly been an interesting and
rewarding experience for Sue Hayter.
Sue Hayter is the Founder of Quality Financial Group
Pty Ltd., a boutique sub-aggregation mortgage broking
business. It includes Trusted Mortgage Broker and
Melbourne Mortgage Broker Mentor, all of which are solely
owned and operated by her. She offers an holistic full
service mentoring model for new mortgage brokers who
choose to operate under their own business name.
A broker since 2004, Sue has used her experience and
excellent industry record to become a leader in her field.
She shares her knowledge and expertise to empower the
brokers to fulfil their dreams of being self-employed and
self-sufficient business owners.
As an experienced mortgage broker, Sue started mentoring
brokers in 2010. To support the brokers, she authored the
Quality Financial Group Mentor Programme which has
been assessed by the Mortgage & Finance Association of
Australia and the Finance Brokers Association of Australia
and is recognised and approved as a mentor programme for
new to industry brokers.
Specialist in Mentoring Immigrants
Emigrating from South Africa to New Zealand and then to
Melbourne, Australia was both exciting and terrifying for
Sue. She didn’t know a single soul when she arrived in
Melbourne in 2001. Today when she reflects back over the
years, she is immensely proud of her achievements. Sue
specialises in mentoring immigrants to Australia because
she understands how difficult it is to become established in
a new business and build a new network in order to become
successful.
Operating a new business can be a lonely experience for a
new mortgage broker and to overcome this Sue created a
feeling of a sense of belonging to a community within her
mentoring business. She has helped many immigrants from
a diverse range of countries such as Sri Lanka, Philippines,
Nepal, China, Vietnam and India to name a few. All the
brokers started as new to industry under her mentorship.
She has proudly watched how they have benefited from her
experience, guidance and built a solid foundation with
which to gain a feeling of security and financial freedom.
Glorious Recognitions
Sue was very proud to be recognised as the Australian
Women in Finance Mentor of the Year 2020 and also The
Better Business Mentor of the Year 2019. Her other
achievements over the years include recognition as a finalist
for Innovator of the Year, Industry Thought Leader of the
Year and Training & Education Program of the Year.
Driven by Values
Sue’s key leadership and mentoring values are based on a
foundation of honesty, integrity and trust. This is supported
by habits of excellence which are nurtured by a mutual
respect for each other and translated into her business
processes. The mentee completes an application form so
that she can establish whether the mentee is aligned with
her values.
Therefore, from the outset, Sue attracts the people with the
same values to work alongside her.
Maintaining Operational Excellence
Sue recognises that the Australian finance industry is highly
regulated. Mortgage brokers need to be 100% compliant

and adhere to responsible lending rules and regulations in
order to provide credit assistance which is in the best
interests of the customer and does not disadvantage the
customer in any way. In order to achieve this, Sue strives to
maintain operational excellence whereby the mentees are
supported by her mentoring programme.
Sue designed and built the “QFG Online Resource Centre”
which is an online platform that is updated daily by her. The
broker has 24/7 access to the platform which houses 100’s
of educational tools, templates and marketing examples to
help them stand out from the crowd.
Sue uses the platform for training and support. These tools
instil a sense of self belief and confidence, allowing the
brokers to grow their business and achieve sales and
revenue.
Embracing Technology
A leader in the mentoring space, Sue advises the use of
innovative technology such as cloud computing,
productivity and collaboration tools. This enables
mentoring, coaching and training regardless of location.
The brokers are able to learn and work efficiently whilst
remaining compliant and ensuring the security of the
customer data.
Mortgage broker mentees often have minimal experience
how to operate successfully within the complexity of the
many different lenders and loan scenarios. They can make
many mistakes costing lenders millions of dollars.
Sometimes brokers could disadvantage customers with their
mistakes. To overcome this hurdle, Sue developed the
unique, innovative “Business in a Box” system, which is
continually updated by her in line with the changing finance
environment.
The system delivers powerful results by helping the brokers
organise and submit loans. It forces the brokers to follow
the best business process which meets the industry
standards, and it suits mentees who don’t have the skill sets
to map out the necessary processes. It is mandatory to
follow her step-by-step home loan process road map,
compliance guide and audit checklist which results in a
delightful customer journey.
Pandemic Survival Plan to Thrive
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – Albert
Einstein.
During the Melbourne lockdown which lasted more than 7
months, Sue adapted to mentoring and working 100%
electronically with the brokers. She asserts, “We all worked
from home as an online community. We have all adapted
and evolved our businesses and most of us still prefer to
work from home to this day.”
Sue has helped and inspired the brokers thrive during
COVID-19. She successfully educated the brokers about e-
marketing with zero cost and has assisted them to evolve as
mortgage brokers which has resulted in maintaining
operational excellence. The brokers have also achieved
positive results by assisting the customers with a stress-free
home loan application journey which produced great
outcomes.
Whichever way Sue looks at it, there’s no denying that
COVID-19 has had a massive positive impact on the way
she has conducted her mortgage broker mentoring business.
And this excites her as it has allowed her to explore creative
ideas in the mortgage broker mentoring space.
Here are a few things Sue implemented:
• She recorded face to face individual zoom training
sessions for every broker so that they could refer to their
own individual training/education video at any time.
• Group meetings: Her team looked forward to weekly
zoom sessions and the brokers loved them, as working

‘‘
Mentally strong women
are totally comfortable
with their efforts, and
don’t hold back to talk
about their
achievements. Be
comfortable in your
own skin.
‘‘
• from home and being in lockdown was a very lonely
experience.
• She believes that it’s important to keep a sense of
humour and thus, she had “coffee catch-up” mentoring
sessions on zoom, where everyone had to show their
favourite coffee/tea mug. The shared experience was
enjoyed by everyone.
• She educated the brokers to embrace digital technology
and therefore proactively plan ahead to prepare for a
range of positive outcomes going forward into the new
normal.
• Digitally powered relationships – She educated the
brokers to integrate digital tools within their business
processes, including electronic interviews, e-signatures
and digital documentation in order to drive more
efficient customer service and enable remote working.
• As the highest levels of customer service and efficiency
come from being digitally connected, the brokers
replaced physical face-to-face interview client meetings
with electronic face to face meetings which proved to be
very convenient for the customers.
• Positive results have been achieved because digital
communication is key and this has enabled scalability of
their businesses. It also drives efficiency and helps
mortgage brokers continue to facilitate a better customer
experience and provide a faster service.
Sue loves her role of mentoring mortgage brokers as it has
enabled her to be innovative and encourage them to be
resilient and have the ability to continue to be adaptable. By
sharing her knowledge, expertise and experience, she has
been able to empower the mentees to fulfil their dreams of
being self-employed and self-sufficient business owners.
Working from home has become the new “business as
usual”. Many women have enjoyed the flexibility of the
“new normal” and in Sue’s opinion we will see more
women joining the finance industry in the future.

Providing Mental Health Support
How can a broker mentally survive the changing and
challenging times of our financial environment without
substantial mindset support to prevent depression and
suicide?
To support and maintain a positive mindset with the
brokers, Sue uses techniques such as emotional intelligence
and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She has been a
coach/practitioner since 2010 helping support the brokers
to:
• Maintain a positive outlook within themselves with
regards to their lifestyle, family and business.
• Define their purpose/clear vision
• Successfully obtaining and establishing goals
• Overcome negative thoughts and decisions
• Establish good habits and behaviours
Sue believes that many brokers need help to believe in
themselves to remain mentally strong so they can help
themselves, their family and customers while maintaining a
healthy business and achieve a life they love. She also
recognises that mentally strong women remain focused,
striding confidently forward on their own path and therefore
grow stronger.
Enlightening Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
Sue gives five pieces of advice to up-and-coming women
entrepreneurs who aspire to enter into finance industry.
“Always have a positive attitude and transform any
negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Your positive
thoughts will lead to positive feelings and will feed your
soul.”
“Recognise that you are the source of everything you
manifest and recognise that you have the strength and will
to activate your inner potential.”
“Have the courage to speak up if you see that something is
wrong. Always remain professional and dignified and this
will gain you respect.”
“Confidence to achieve is a valuable key ingredient to have
in your life. Self-confident people are admired by others and
inspire confidence in others. You too can inspire your
partner, children and business colleagues.”
“To cope with the stresses of today’s world, start by taking
care of yourself. I love to walk and run to keep my body and
mind fit and healthy and I share videos and posts to inspire
others to do the same.”

kimberly Khoury
Paving her Way in Sustainability Development
&
&
The
20
BUSINESSWOMEN
to Watch, 2020
SUCCESSFUL
Most

Climbing
the
Finance
Ladder
16 | August 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

very industry, every company, every leader, and
Eevery individual faces challenges. Whether it is
personal or professional, we all have our own big
or small challenges in life. We grow only by facing those
challenges, and when we look back on how we overcame
them, we realize that we’ve become a different person now
from what we were. We become flexible and adaptive
people with any situation as we become well-aware of our
strengths and weaknesses.
Having been born with such capabilities, women in
business are more determined to adapt to every challenge in
any professional career field. Speaking of one such versatile
field is finance, where business functions in banking,
investments, mergers, and acquisitions, etc.
The Talent Inside
If we think, women are used to working with the financial
matters because they are the ones who look after our
household's working. Their decisions about finance and
managing the daily activities in the house is spot on. The
same applies in the professional arena. Their way of doing
business involves transparency, trust, integrity, diversity,
and the essence of bringing an impact in the world. They
lead with passion, commitment, and honesty, building an
ecosystem of trusted people around them.
For businesswomen, ethics is the key to success in the
finance industry. Further, it is pretty easy to work with them
as they always bring new opportunities with their creative
ideas and approach. Learning from the industry experts to
take the company to greater heights is also their
highlighting factor.
Ready for Future
Adoption of new technologies to speed the traditional
corporate finance is needed in today’s competitive world.
That's where FinTech comes into the picture. Having access
to finance for everyone and in every part of the world that
provides opportunities for everyone is the goal of FinTech.
Businesswomen are well aware of the FinTech ecosystem
and understand its value in the business. Fintech allows
businesswomen to understand the complex financial world
better and make decisions that match the business purposes.
Businesswomen have found a sustainable way in the
competitive field of finance. They drive Corporate Finance,
Mergers, and Acquisitions into creating their way of
financial infrastructure. Their style of leadership is mostly
inclined towards interaction; interaction with the board
members and committee about the future of financial
growth for the team and the company. Creating a unified
ecosystem by bringing together different parts of the
community is something they always nurture.
Conquering the Industry
Businesswomen have always worked hard to get where they
are today. Ultimately, the innovative business leader is
always the one who ensures the growth of the team
members and the company. And, businesswomen are often
seen with this quality. They are involved in working in
millions of dollars transactions daily, but operate it
successfully with their qualities. They know the problem
when they sense one. Sometimes they might be at their low,
but their will to bounce back is stronger than anything.
To support and maintain a positive approach in the
business, they establish a positive outlook in their
behaviors, which reflects achieving the goals.
Businesswomen in finance are stronger and have become a
source of everything. Their self-confidence in being the best
inspires many other business leaders to follow them.
With this, next-generation women leaders are accelerating
the financial industry with great momentum. Finally, it is
because of their hard work and persistence they are
recognized throughout the industry and not just in finance.
Thriving Strong
17
|
August 2021
www.insightssuccess.com

Ángela Álvarez
Founder and
Executive Chairman
Aglaia Capital
20 | August 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

Ángela Álvarez
Leading a New Generation of Corporate Finance
here is plenty of evidence that supports the link
Tbetween having more women in business leadership
positions and higher profitability. Yet, we see the
outnumbering of women in the corporate finance industry.
However, the progress on gender balance in the workforce
in the financial services industry is being carried out. The
mindsets are shifting slowly but surely due to the hard work
and commitment of women leaders.
Women are bringing a much-needed change to the sector of
corporate finance. They are creating a stronghold for
themselves. One such woman is Ángela Álvarez, the
Founder and Executive Chairman of Aglaia Capital,
who has been evolving with her own view corporate finance
and the finance industry, establishing her independent
corporate finance advisory firm, combining the traditional
world with a new digital world, founding also a Fintech
using blockchain based on her own vision on her industry,
leading a new generation of corporate finance, where
finance, digital and values such as sustainability, diversity,
and impact for a better world, are co-existing.
In our endeavor to find 'The 05 Most Influential Women in
Finance, 2021,' we crossed our paths with Ángela. In the
following interview, we got a detailed insight into her
journey so far.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Take our readers through your journey and the
challenges you came across founding Aglaia Capital &
being a Finance Professional.
Serendipity has been a constant in my professional and vital
path. Every challenge I have faced has brought a new
beginning or something more aligned with my interests. I
usually focus my attention and energy on the new instead of
looking back; so many challenges have appeared along this
path and have converted into means for advancing my
growth process.
Aglaia Capital was born with a determined convincement of
contributing to changing the industries where I have
developed my professional career, Investment Banking,
Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Restructuring,
and Alternative Finance industries. On the one hand,
exploring and developing with Blockchain a platform for
The 05 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021
21
|
August 2021

making more efficient and scalable the business of
providing funding and making investments. On the other
hand, trying to imprint a way of doing business where
ethics and balance among the parties will be present
through a transparent and trustful way of proceeding, as
well as the values that also constitutes our essence, such as
innovation, sustainability, integrity, diversity, and impact to
make a better world.
What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of
leadership do you personally prefer at Aglaia Capital?
My idea of impactful leadership is leading by example, also
inspire others to make an impact. I like talent, passion,
commitment, and transparency and honesty, as a way to
create trust. I like cooperative business models where the
parties are related on the basis of a trustful ecosystem.
Taking into consideration the current pandemic and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving the
company to sustain operations and ensuring the safety
of your associates and employees at the same time?
We are used to working, also earlier, remotely from
everywhere, using tools that make it easy to work within
the team or with partners or external teams. The impact on
the economy brought us also new opportunities on the
traditional Corporate Finance, but also on the digital assets
space, where it has speeded further the transformation and
adoption of the Blockchain and digital assets.
What opportunities do you and your company offer for
Financial growth with Investment solutions to
Individuals and Corporates?
On the traditional Corporate Finance business, where we
are focus on Hotels, Real Estate, and Alternative Financing
for all sectors, with a focus mainly in Europe and
selectively in other geographies. We have an affiliated
company in London, UK. We usually work with niche
investors, family offices, and funds that are not the most
common in the market, and we offer off-market selected
opportunities, as well as alternative finance solutions for
corporates and for developers, Real Estate, and hotels.
We are also a Fintech, offering Aglaia Capital DeFi
Platform for Tokenisations developed with blockchain
technology mainly focused on the digitalization of
securities, security tokens and connected to a secondary
market of digital assets, which we are about to launch.
We advise on "Token generating events" from the strategy
process, implementation, development, and set up of
investment vehicles constituted for this purpose, as well as
providing our own platform to carry out the private and
public sale of the digital asset through the platform Aglaia
Capital DeFi Platform with connection to a secondary
market of Digital Assets that will provide funding for
owners of assets wanting to sell and also provide
investment opportunities coming from the new economy.
On digital assets, as well, we are in the process of launching
a security token that allows you to invest with an
underlying asset, get an annual result, and reducing your
carbon footprint, participating in venture capital aiming at
sustainable investments, also aligned with one of our core
values.
What makes your organization's Strategy and Financial
advice a preferred choice of your clients over the
competition?
In traditional Corporate Finance, we usually are focused on
a niche base, with investors that are not on the market and
with investment opportunities that are off-market. Our
advice is personalized, independent, and we usually analyze
the opportunities with a lens of investors and know well the
ecosystem of investors and financing providers and what
they are interested in.
Related to digital assets and Blockchain, we are insiders
also in the Financial Industry, which makes a difference for
the understanding and assisting in maximize the value
On Digital assets, we are also a Fintech company, with our
own blockchain development, Aglaia Capital DeFi
Platform, which allows us to get funding and invest easily
while participating in the new financial infrastructure.
According to you, what essential traits should
entrepreneurs possess to thrive in the present-day
cutthroat business ecosystem?
Follow your
vision and
passion, and let
them work
their magic.
“
“
22 | www.insightssuccess.com
August 2021

Resilience, Courage, Determination, Creativity, and
Paradoxical Thinking and Flexibility, as these traits allow to
understand this complex world better and making better
decisions which match with the business purposes. I also
think that have a sustainable and diversity lens will be vital
for entrepreneurs in the short term, being a competitive
advantage, and also will act as selection criteria driven from
consumers.
In what ways have you or the company contributed to
the community? If given a chance, what change would
you bring in solving the most complex financial
problems for the clients?
I founded Aglaia Capital to combine traditional Corporate
Finance and Fintech Blockchain, mainly focused on
Transactional Services, and to contribute in transforming
my industry where I have developed my professional
career, Corporate Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions
(M&A), Alternative Financing, Restructuring, and
contributing in creating the new financial infrastructure.
The Aglaia Capital DeFi Platform deployed in a
Permissioned Blockchain and connected with a Secondary
Market of Digital assets provide access to assets owners to
funding, and to investors in an easier and more efficient
way by using Blockchain.
23
|
www.insightssuccess.com |
August 2021

Cecilia Repinski
Founder and CEO
Green Assets Wallet
August 2021

Cecilia Repinski
Driving the Credible Transition of Capital Markets
With changing trends in the capital market,
impact investing has started gaining momentum
in the past few years, as it drives social and
environmental progress through investments. What else
could be a better way to give back to society while also
generating financial returns? After realizing the importance
of sustainable finance, investors are actively contributing to
help build a better world for all.
However, the question of credibility in transactions still gets
raised. Scaling up impact investments requires entirely new
levels of transparency and ways to determine the credibility
of issuers of green assets. This is exactly what Cecilia
Repinski, an ingenious entrepreneur, brings to the table.
Through her company, Green Assets Wallet (GAW),
Cecilia is facilitating high-impact asset allocation,
providing the needed solutions to issuers and investors to
thrive and scale in the sustainable bond market with real-
world measurable impact.
Cecilia is driven by her vision of building prosperous and
sustainable societies, and GAW is making this possible.
In our endeavor to find “The 05 Most Influential Women in
Finance, 2021”, we caught up with Cecilia to unveil her
journey as a leader and how GAW is unleashing global
capital at scale.
From an Innovation Project to a Purpose-Driven
Company
Green Assets Wallet first came about as an innovation
project supported by public grants. The project grew very
fast and naturally, reflecting the need in the finance industry
for practical solutions to ramp up impactful asset allocation.
As market demand for innovation in green finance grew, it
decided to spin off as a private company in December 2019.
Its greatest challenge came when GAW transitioned from a
project to a self-sustained purpose-driven company to serve
capital markets better. That transition period was
challenging, but being in the next phase and with a great
team on board, things are moving faster than ever.
Injecting Efficiency and Transparency
GAW is the world’s first platform for validating and
reporting financial impact. It is designed to inject efficiency
and transparency into the green debt market. Its goal is to
equip investors with the necessary means to make impactful
asset allocations while enabling impactful project owners to
access capital so that these two parties can realize a credible
and sustainable capital transition.
Cecilia also mentions that GAW’s community of users
appreciates that it is a purpose-driven and independent
company. This creates an important foundation of trust. The
actors it works with feel that Green Assets Wallet is there to
support them and help them drive the transition towards
sustainability in a way that will make a difference.
Driving Transition to Support Sustainable Life on Earth
At GAW, Cecilia aims at serving the sustainability
champions, driving the transition to support sustainable life
on Earth, including those needing capital to implement
better solutions and those wanting to steer their capital
towards such activities.
Cecilia believes in empowering everyone around her. Her
idea of impactful self-leadership is to be very clear about
the future they all strive to realize with Green Assets Wallet.
Everyone in the team should feel empowered to take the
necessary steps to reach this outcome, while at the same
time feel supported to make their own decisions.
Going Forth and Rising
When the pandemic arrived, it had a drastic impact on
individuals as well as businesses. GAW also witnessed
many changes in its operations.
The 05 Most Influen al Women in Finance, 2021
25
|
August 2021

GAW serves a global market. Before the pandemic,
everyone in the organization participated in meetings and
conferences worldwide to connect with a community of
impact investors, green bond issuers, policymakers, and
others. This changed during the pandemic. As travel ceased,
anyone beneﬁtting from Green Assets Wallet’s solutions
was engaged via video meetings.
Cecilia expresses that even after the pandemic, this may not
change to the way it was before. The world has learned to
connect and create meaningful relationships, even if they
don’t happen in person. GAW will foster these processes in
the future to exemplify how a global business can have a
zero-carbon footprint. However, meetings in person may
still be necessary and often the only way to network and
create the necessary exchange to create new solutions.
Towards Sustainability
Green Assets Wallet is hoping to transform how impact
investments are made, enabling any trusted actor, regardless
of size, location, or business orientation, to either invest
and/or access ﬁnance to deliver impactful outcomes that
otherwise would not have happened.
Talking about the future of GAW, Cecilia states that they
have just started, and many more milestones are yet to be
achieved.
Enlightening Upcoming Entrepreneurs
In her advice to the up-and-coming women entrepreneurs
aspiring to enter the Financial Industry, Cecilia says, “Trust
your instincts. Believe in yourself. And remember to have
fun.”
Green Assets
Wallet is a
global trust
platform that
accelerates
impactful asset
allocation.
‘‘
August 2021

Helene Li
A Profound Leader Powering Hong Kong’s Sustainable
Finance and FinTech Community
S
ustainable finance is the need of the hour, and
ensuring sustainable finance is the key parameter to
success in the finance sector. With that being said,
being organized and having strategic planning and thought
process is key to ensuring sustainable finance and stability.
“The future of finance will be shaped around sustainable
development,” expresses Helene Li, the General Manager
at FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) and Co-
Founder of GoImpact.
Helene Li is a management consultant turned banker, turned
impact entrepreneur. She has held various leadership roles
at global financial institutions such as J.P. Morgan,
Lombard Odier, BNP Paribas, and consulting giants like
Boston Consulting Group and Willis Towers Watson.
Throughout this exciting journey, she witnessed the highs
and lows of the global financial crisis and the significant
systematic gaps that they need to bridge – sustainable
developments, ESG (Environmental, Social and Gover-
nance). Currently, Helene is at the intersection where
capital and technology can be harnessed to deliver this
important agenda.
Pushing for Sustainable Finance and Connecting the
Dots
Helene is a firm believer in applying market-based solutions
to fast-track social and environmental impact and a
passionate advocate for Sustainable Finance and Impact
Investment. She is a leading voice on Sustainable Finance,
DigitalTransformation and FinTech, a TEDx Speaker, and a
sought-after speaker and moderator at conferences and
industry summits.
Having worked in the ultra-high-net-worth space for most
of her career, Helene is committed to leveraging the
financial power and heart of the 1% to accelerate the impact
in helping the 99%. It is in this spirit that she co-founded
GoImpact as an action-driven ecosystem to connect
stakeholders in accelerating the Impact momentum. She has
been spearheading and curating industry-recognized and
highly rated Next Generation Family Business programs,
and a regular contributor to Impact and Entrepreneurship
research throughout her banking and consulting career.
Motivating Team to a Common Agenda of Sustainability
Helene believes a leader should lead and motivate the team
to a common agenda of sustainability. The style that best
suits her leadership is interactive while focusing on
individual needs and the deliverables as a team.
The FinTech Association’s Three Pillars
The FinTech Association of Hong Kong is led by a
“The FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) is not-
for-profit and has an independent structure, based on
pillars of transparency, accountability and governance.”
August 2021

29
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Helene Li
General Manager at FTAHK
Co-Founder of GoImpact
|
August 2021

volunteer group of board members and committee co-chairs
who care about the future of FinTech. It is set up on three
pillars:
Advocate – Creating the unified voice for the Hong Kong
FinTech ecosystem
Collaborate – Bringing together the diverse parts of the
community
Educate – Learning from existing leaders and nurture the
next generation of talent
Today, The FinTech Association of Hong Kong is at the
forefront of advancing capital and technology in driving the
sustainability agenda, contributing to the collective efforts
needed to write the next chapter of finance and
sustainability.
Elevating Hong Kong’s Status as a FinTech Hub
The FTAHK is very much a community-building, ecosys-
tem-focused organization. It is the super-connector for the
finance as well as the technology sector. It aims to unite the
Hong Kong FinTech industry and ecosystem in order to
elevate Hong Kong's status as a FinTech hub. It works on
creating awareness, employment, education, promotion, and
advocacy around FinTech. Members range from start-ups to
the world’s leading global corporations come together
through 14 committees on various verticals of FinTech
including Blockchain, AI, WealthTech, Payments, Digital
Banking and Financial Inclusion.
Being Super Connector for Finance and Technology
Sector
The finance sector is keen to respond to the needs of capital
owners. This is something that GoImpact as a platform is
working to educate, advocate, and accelerate by connecting
the dots that drive next step actions. GoImpact addresses
the crucial pain points in adopting sustainable finance. The
two key aspects of its offering are: executive and investor
education around ESG and Sustainable Finance, as well as a
holistic approach to ESG portfolio management. Its
community-driven initiatives give it a unique position to
speak on behalf of the FinTech community.
Being Influenced by Innovative Leaders
Helene is influenced by the innovation of Steve Jobs, the
vision and leadership of Lee Kuan Yew and the commit-
ment and drive of Helen Clark. The book "21 Lessons for
the 21st Century" is thought-provoking for her.
Being Flexible and Adaptable in Times of Crisis
Talking about the impact of the pandemic on businesses and
individuals, Helene mentions that the pandemic has
reshaped the workplace completely, including the operation
process and leadership mindset, which has really been
challenged upside down. She believes that flexibility and
the adaptability to learn are keys to the future of work.
Recognizing Importance of Grit, Resilience, and
Adaptability
According to Helene, entrepreneurs should have the
qualities of grit, resilience, and adaptability to thrive in the
present-day cutthroat business ecosystem. She advises
aspiring entrepreneurs in the financial industry to work
hard, but she also suggests they work smart and stay
focused.
“Bridging the great divide between the talk and action,
accelerating the Sustainable Development agenda from
intention to implementation – GoImpact means Impact
made easy and actionable.”
August 2021

Liz Miller
CFP®, CFA, President
Summit Place Financial
Advisors, LLC
August 2021

Liz Miller
Having an enriching experience of 30+ years in the
finance industry, Liz Miller, CFP®, CFA, is the
epitome of visionary leadership. Liz serves as the
President at Summit Place Financial Advisors, LLC.
Before launching Summit Place, Liz held increasingly
senior roles at different financial service organizations.
Her team at Summit Place offers a personalized goal-
oriented approach to help people achieve their financial
objectives. Combining her experience and expertise, Liz
has significantly contributed to simplifying the financial
lives of people.
In an interview with Insights Success, Liz sheds light on her
professional journey and how Summit Place is helping
people enjoy coordinated financial well-being at the most
personal level.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Take our readers through your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Summit Place
Financial Advisors, LLC.
After years of managing institutional and individual client
investment portfolios, I resigned my partnership at an
investment management firm the morning Lehman Brothers
declared bankruptcy in 2008. I launched Summit Place in
the middle of the financial crisis, unsure if I would have a
business to run by the end of the year. But after hearing
more and more non- investment questions from my clients
over the years, I had a vision to uniquely advise multi-
generational families on their investments and legacy goals
while coordinating the best advice among their other
professionals.
One source of our successful growth has been my vision
that the niche market of clients with $5-$25M in assets had
out-grown the financial industry’s cookie-cutter approach to
clients and was looking for coordinated, holistic wealth
expertise. Leading a start-up financial services firm, it is
tempting to take on every client that is looking for an
advisor, but I kept to my vision and held the team focused
on our target clients where we knew we could offer
enormous value. Internally, we regularly discuss what that
client looks like and what they seek in financial services.
Also, from the firm’s beginning, I had a vision to include
every generation of a family, as I recognize that strong
relationships with younger generations help assure family
continuity, stewardship, and general accord. Long before
the industry mentioned “millennials,” we were offering
them dedicated service and advice as passionately as we do
for their parents. This has been a second source of growth,
as we consistently see maturing parents looking for a firm
that will include, respect, and “educate” their adult children.
What makes your organization a preferred choice for
your clients over the competition?
We know that genuine relationships grow over time, and
when carefully built, they can last generations. This is the
core of our approach to clients. Unlike many firms that
assign hundreds of clients to advisors and put growth as
their first annual business goal, Summit Place puts
exceptional client experience as our top goal. We are
committed to maintaining a team that has the time each day
to think about our clients, what is happening in their lives
and their potential needs. We want to anticipate how we can
help before our clients reach out to us.
33
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August 2021

Summit Place also stands out in the crowded financial
services industry by targeting a growing and ignored market
niche: those with $5-$25 million in wealth whose financial
complexity demands more than mass-market solutions.
There are now so many more rules and laws around taxes
and estate planning that many families with wealth have
become overwhelmed trying to understand and coordinate
all the facets of their financial lives. Summit Place offers
coordinated financial services based on a full view of our
client’s circumstances. We help clients consider how all
parts of their financial life work together and we communi-
cate with all appropriate professionals, sharing expertise
and building vetted solutions to present to our clients.
What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of
leadership do you personally prefer at Summit Place
Financial Advisors, LLC?
I believe impactful leadership is a style that leads each
member of my team to a greater level of success and
satisfaction. It focuses on the end goals of the firm while
executing with an eye toward the development of
employees. I lead with individual goals for employees that
encompass both task-oriented goals at the firm as well as
professional development toward the employee’s stated
desires.
I lead with a blend of an authoritative strategic vision
married to participatory engagement and support. I value
collaboration and positive thinking and believe each of my
employees is capable of more than they yet realize. I am
committed to helping them get there for their personal good
that ultimately supports and serves the firm.
What is your thought on the necessity for businesses to
align their offerings with newer technological
developments, especially when it comes to innovative
thinking to solve complex problems?
In the past few years, we launched “MySummitPlace.com”
linking to a third-party provider for a more interactive
experience that appeals to all generations of our clients. Our
site provides secure document organization and storage of
financial statements, meeting presentations, and important
documents. These can be shared with us or kept private;
they can also be shared with other allied professionals on a
document-by-document basis. The site also aggregates all
our clients’ financial assets and liabilities for a full view in a
single sign on. Clients can also generate reports for their
We recognize that the
best way to build your
unique wealth strategy is
to fully appreciate your
circumstances, concerns,
and aspirations. That is
why we begin with you
and your goals, never
with products.
‘‘
‘‘
August 2021

own financial management needs at their site. Our younger
clients embrace the aggregation of credit card accounts and
budgeting within their site. They also enjoy having mobile
access on their tablets and phones. This implementation has
enhanced client management from our end as well. It used
to be a complex and manual process to gain a full view of
our clients’ financial assets. Today, we can view our client’s
full financial picture and integrate the information into other
tools to deliver truly personalized solutions. This is critical
for our complex clientele that rely on us for our unique
perspective and expertise to their full wealth situation. Now,
we are able to manage investments to their investment
policy with real-time reviews of their other assets.
In what ways have you or the company contributed to
the community? If given a chance, what change would
you bring in Investment plans for solving the most
complex financial problems?
I care deeply about giving back. Based on our work, we
have been honored for more than five years as the top
financial services firm in Summit, NJ based on our
outstanding service to clients and the community.
Additionally, I serve on the board of directors of the
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc, helping
to bring qualified and ethical financial planning to the
broader public.
A few years ago, I established a mentoring program for
young women entering the financial services industry. BE
ME- Believe Envision Mentor Empower - invites women
from local universities in their Junior year through
professionals up to 5 years out. We meet virtually monthly
to discuss career topics and share support for each other. I
believe that developing and supporting a more diverse
community of financial professionals is the single biggest
change our industry can make to solve our future
challenges.
I am also an alumni interviewer for my alma mater sharing
my experiences with students interested in Penn and
Wharton, and I am a member of the Women’s President’s
Organization supporting other female professionals.
What would be your advice to the up-and-coming
women entrepreneurs aspiring to enter the finance
industry?
I believe that it takes many different characteristics to be
successful in the financial industry. The thing that may be
most important, in my opinion, is the understanding that
lasting relationships grow over time. I’ve always felt
committed to building authentic connections with clients
and prospects who provide growth to the firm and my
employees who contribute to it. Secondly, these days it is
important to embrace media outlets to build credibility and
a strong public image. I bring attention to my expertise and
Summit Place through radio and television spots and
articles. Finally, I believe you must be strategic to be a
successful financial leader. Not only do you need a strategy
in place for your firm today, but where it will be in 5 years
and what business moves you will need to make to support
your clients to stay ahead of an evolving industry.
35
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August 2021

The 5 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021.

The 5 Most Influential Women in Finance, 2021.

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