The Aspen Institute Finance Leaders Fellowship

• Accomplished, Senior Finance Leaders: Nominees can be from anywhere in the world with preference for primary global markets plus secondary U.S. markets. They may work in any part of the industry as outlined in the Finance Ecosystem Chart above, for example: Regulators, Consumer/Corporate Bankers or Product Managers at Banks, Chief Investment Officers of Pensions, Endowments or Family Offices, CFO's of large operating companies, Asset Managers, Regulators, FinTech, Credit Card, Real Estate, and other Financial Services professionals.
• Between 35-50 Years Old: Must be at least 35 and not older than 50 as of October 1, 2020.
• Entrepreneurial: We look for a track record of starting things and accomplishing things, whether inside or outside the firm.
• At an Inflection Point: At a point in their lives or careers where they want to tackle a challenge beyond their existing day job within finance and society. Fellows remain in their work roles while participating in the active part of the Fellowship, so inflection point to us does not mean that the nominee is or will be between jobs.
• Able to Benefit from the Fellowship's Program: There are many finance leaders that are already doing great things for society and we want to create more of these individuals by finding individuals who need a "nudge" to apply their business acumen and entrepreneurial talents to improve the world. We rarely select nonprofit leaders, as we aim to develop business leaders (and their regulators) to do more.
• Understand and Commit to the Venture Requirement: The Finance Leaders Fellowship was designed to encourage senior finance leaders to step up with creative solutions to some of the finance industries more intractable challenges. Committing to and engaging in project activity during the Fellowship is a requirement for being considered part of the network.
• Willing to Come to the Table Fully Open and Engaged: Fellows benefit most when they are fully present, authentic, vulnerable, and willing to listen to differing points of view with an open mind and heart.
• Commit to Attending Seminars in their Entirety: We expect 100% participation and we publish our seminar dates in advance. Help us by stressing that this is non-negotiable. Offers of “just missing a bit” or “calling in” are not acceptable. As Finance Leaders Fellows, the bonding process is of utmost importance for each individual and the class as a whole. If a person leaves a seminar for any reason, they will not have been a Fellow at the table and therefore highly unlikely to be allowed to continue in the program.

The Finance Leaders Fellowship’s Class of 2020 runs from October 2020 until October 2022. Exact seminar dates and locations will be finalized prior to announcement of the class:

• Seminar 1: October 18-23, 2020
• Seminar 2: Mid-to-late June 2021
• Seminar 3: Choose from one of several dates and locations from December 2021-March 2022 (6 days)
• Seminar 4: October 2022

Individuals may not apply to the Finance Leaders Fellowship Program; they must be nominated by someone who knows them and their work well and may be a recognized leader of business and community organizations, which may also include affiliates of the Aspen Institute or its Fellows. Nominators are asked to provide short answers to questions about the nominee. Though not required, if nominators have additional information to share, they may submit a letter stating their reasons for recommending their nominee, with a special focus on the nominee's span of care (influence, numbers of people, assets under management, etc.) in finance and anything else not addressed in the short answers. Up to two people may submit letters of support for a nominee through their one nomination form. It is not helpful for the program to receive multiple nomination forms for a particular nominee. Please include a résumé indicating the nominee's educational background, current position, age, email and phone number, volunteer activities and any information that will help us evaluate their qualifications for the program. Please anticipate disclosing and explaining any negative headlines if applicable. 

If you have any questions about the nomination process or the Fellowship, please email [email protected].