One of the main ways women in asset management have gained leadership roles in the field is by having a voice, says Kim Mustin, the head of North American distribution at BNY Mellon Investment Management.
"Women are more involved in investment decisions than ever before and represent one of the biggest market opportunities for our industry," Mustin says. She got her start working on retirement issues at the U.S. Treasury, a job she says grew her passion for the industry. Today, her responsibilities include overseeing distribution across Dreyfus, BNY Mellon Retirement and institutional markets.
"We're working to better equip our advisors to really get at the concerns and circumstances of their clients in order to better serve them," she says. "Taking that deep dive into individual investors' needs and priorities is what really allows our advisors and their clients to be successful."
Prior to joining BNY Mellon, Mustin was the head of strategic accounts at OppenheimerFunds as well as the head of institutional and co-head of Americas Distribution for Legg Mason affiliates. Before that, she worked for Deutsche Bank and led consulting and relationship management for retirement at Scudder Investments.
Mustin notes there are many ways for women working in the industry to find success. She encourages female colleagues to take on more assignments to expand their skillsets, as well as finding ways to "expand their confidence and raise their profiles within the marketplace."
"Women are more involved in investment decisions than ever before and represent one of the biggest market opportunities for our industry," she notes. "But there is no one-size-fits-all-solution, and within BNY Mellon, we have evolved our business to better tailor the investment products and services we offer to mirror the composition of the increasingly diverse market we are serving."
