Story 121

I was young and impressionable; I was regularly offered the opportunity to be mentored by older and more experienced colleagues or peers in the industry, who would also tell me how attractive I was. Once at lunch, one of these self-proclaimed mentors, who was in business with my boss to attract HNWI clients, after ordering Champagne, offered to spend the afternoon at the hotel with me before he took his train back. I said no and reported this to my boss at the time, who answered, with a blank stare, ” Well, you said no… but did he sign our contract?”

This showed I was alone and not supported by any men in the industry, not even my boss.

I wrote a novel called Financewhore (2018) to share my experience as a young woman in the hedge fund industry during the subprime crisis. I am sorry to see that ten years later, after I left this industry, the situation remains the same.

Fatima Gholem

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