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Muriel
Siebert is the CEO of Siebert Financial Corp. and
she is a remarkable woman.
In
1967, she took what may have been the biggest risk
in her life. She applied to become the first woman
member of the New York Stock Exchange. After having
earned a partnership in a leading Wall Street brokerage
firm, a seat on the exchange seemed like a natural
next step. But her efforts were ridiculed and openly
opposed by many men on Wall Street. She was turned
down by nine of the first 10 men she asked to sponsor
her application.
Many
months later, Mickie (as most people call her) found
the needed bank loans and sponsors required. She
was elected to membership on Dec. 28, 1967. On that
day, she made history for all women.
Mickie
has taken countless risks throughout her life and
career, and many of them have been of global proportions.
In 1977, Democratic Governor Hugh Carey named her
Superintendent of New York State's Banking Department.
There, she reorganized troubled banks, often taking
drastic measures to keep them afloat. She forced
banks to merge and persuaded stronger institutions
to help weaker ones. Her daring determination and
creativity paid off. Not one bank in New York failed.
Mickie
has so many awards and honors to her credit, the
list is staggering.
In
October 2000, Siebert Financial Corp. purchased
two women's web sites, WFN.com and HerDollar.com,
which became the foundation for the Women's Financial
Network at www.WFN.com.
It has been heralded as the first women's site that
incorporates trading online, phone or in person-including
buying and selling of stocks, bonds, and mutual
funds, as well as free checking, online bill paying,
and the ability to aggregate financial accounts
on one site.
Mickie's
goal was to target products and services that address
the financial needs of women without talking down
to them-as so many sites and companies
have done in the past.
For
opening doors and financially empowering women in
business, and for her significant impact on women's
entrepreneurship, Mickie Siebert has earned our
2003 Lifetime Achievement Award.
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