When her sister was interested in Nintendo, Barbies, and other toys as a child, Investment Management Group Principal and Global Head of ETF Capital Markets and Broker & Index Relations Janel Jackson was drawn to numbers. “My dad had Value Line binders full of individual securities, pricing, and recommendations on stocks that intrigued me,” Janel said. “My sister quizzed me on math problems before she let me join her in playing video games!” Janel’s passion for figures and finance helped her advance through college, graduate school, and her career and earned her a seat on the Women in ETFs U.S. board.

Women in ETFs (WE) is a global nonprofit open to everyone in the ETF industry, with a mission of developing talent, honoring the achievements of women in the industry, and investing in the ETF community. Vanguard is a gold sponsor and has an internal steering committee focused on maximizing our engagements and benefits from WE, as well as helping to create a sense of community among crew who are members.

Janel attributes her achievement to a long-term focus on the investment industry as well as on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of her goals as a board member is to widen the scale of possibilities for WE members.

“I enjoy helping people discover ways to develop themselves and broaden their networks,” Janel said. Throughout her Vanguard career, she has prioritized helping new and tenured crew members broaden and deepen their ties with one another.

Vanguard is a strong supporter of this organization and its mission. Membership among Vanguard employees has grown to almost 600.

The value of a first impression
When Janel was pursuing a career with investment management companies, committing to one that sustains a diverse culture was a priority for her. She vividly remembers one career fair where Vanguard stood out.

“I met Vanguard’s Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis and, at the time, he was running the U.S. bond index desk,” Janel said. “I hadn’t seen a lot of African Americans in money management, and to see him in the role knowing the mission and values of this organization, I was automatically attracted to working here.

“You hear firms talking about diversity and inclusion, and then you see a room of white males. Does this company really care about diversity and inclusion? When I met Greg, I thought, ‘Wow, they’re serious. I want to be a part of that.’”

Connecting and growing
Janel became involved with Women in ETFs in 2017. After getting to know other women in the group and then attending a conference a few years later, she was inspired to build her ETF knowledge and broaden her network.

“Hearing female speakers at the conference talk about their tenure and path sounded very similar to mine, and many of them were around since the inception of ETFs,” Janel said. “Even though they were working at different firms, seeing how connected they were and the knowledge around the ETF vehicle made me want to get even more involved.”

Janel will continue to advocate for a diverse mindset, equity in opportunities for everyone, and inclusivity. “There’s always going to be more than we can do,” she said. “We should all be getting ahead together.”