Antonella, an Example for Women in Finance
If you have passion, talent and determination, you come from a good university, and are lucky enough to find a firm that has merit as its mantra, then you can rise quickly in the financial sector even if you are a woman. This is what is happening to Antonella Di Chio, 28 years old, who earned her Bachelor in Economics and Finance and MSc in Finance both from Bocconi, and is now deputy head of NPL strategy of Algebris Investments. She was named Young Investment Woman of the Year for Italy 2019 Investment Awards last October in Milan.
"The award was a real surprise, I knew I was on the shortlist, but being named is a great source of satisfaction," says Antonella. "It is a very important initiative because it makes people aware, and especially young women, about the current clear male prevalence in finance. But we must not be discouraged, our goals must be pursued with passion and perseverance». Antonella Di Chio began her career at Algebris as an intern in London, then was hired at the Milan office. She found no obstacles in her path related to the fact of being a woman, but she knows she was lucky: "Algebris is a virtuous example in this sense," she says.
"Globally, 40% of Algebris employees are women, a percentage that rises to 50% at the Italian subsidiary. And even at top management levels, there is an equitable distribution of jobs between genders. This is nothing more than the natural result of our constant search for talent, regardless of age, gender, origin, and background. True equality really means meritocracy." But this is not the case everywhere, and Antonella knows it: "Unfortunately, there are job realities that are different, but women must know that there is space for them. The ability to know how to adapt to changes while maintaining a positive attitude has certainly played in my favor. Bocconi University taught me that, in addition to key skills, plus another fundamental thing: they urge you to be determined in pursuing your objectives while providing you with a valid method for working towards them." But Bocconi did more than that. "I decided to join Algebris after hearing Davide Serra speak at a conference at the University. I will never thank Bocconi enough for the opportunity it gave me."