The First Woman To Lead The New York Stock Exchange

Over 200 years ago, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement on Wall Street in New York City and created the New York Stock Exchange on May 17 in 1792.

The same year British writer Mary Wollstonecraft published one of the first overtly feminist texts,  A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. In America, women did not have the right to vote or to own property in their own name.

In its 226th year, the NYSE had chosen Stacey Cunningham to lead the company, she will be the first female to be named as the president of the largest stock exchange in the world.

Since the moment I stepped onto the trading floor, the @NYSE has always held a special place in my heart. I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead this organization. pic.twitter.com/600GP34hZe

— Stacey Cunningham (@stacey_cunning) May 22, 2018

Cunningham will be replacing Tom Farley – the NYSE’s president since 2014. 

Competitors Cboe Global Markets and Nasdaq congratulated Cunningham on her success alongside many other influential women and companies:

I’m humbled to receive this letter from Marianne, Mary, Lori, Stacey, Robin, and Liz – some of the fearless women at @jpmorgan – along with so many other well wishes from women & men, girls & boys, from near & far pic.twitter.com/1ksj9o0jgV

— Stacey Cunningham (@stacey_cunning) May 24, 2018

Cunningham had previously worked at Nasdaq, the second-largest exchange in the world after the NYSE.

In 2017, Nasdaq broke the glass ceiling when they chose Adena Friedman as their Chief Executive Officer.

The success of these two women has the potential to change the face of this heavily male-dominated industry and the future of women in finance.

Kristen Visbal’s “Fearless Girl” statue, created in 2017 for International Women’s Day, will be moved to its new permanent home across the street from the NYSE. The statue can be seen as a symbol for the inclusion of women in corporate America.