Women in Securitization (WiS) recognized Christina Burgess, a partner in Katten's Structured Finance and Securitization practice, alongside several accomplished women in the securitization industry during WiS Week 2022. WiS is an initiative of the Structured Finance Association (SFA) that offers education and other resources to facilitate the retention and advancement of women in the industry.
Christina's profile was presented as part of a celebration of women industry leaders during WiS Week 2022. The featured leaders were nominated by their respective employers for meaningful contributions made to their organizations, the finance industry and SFA. Discussing her commitment to the WiS mission of supporting women in the securitization space, Christina noted her involvement with Katten's Women’s Leadership Forum.
"I want to see all women excel generally but particularly in this field, which is why I am an active member of WiS as well as Katten's Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF)," Christina said. "With goals similar to those of WiS, WLF offers beneficial programming such as a business development boot camp and workshops on communicating effectively in addition to mentoring and networking activities that help women at Katten advance in our legal careers."
The UN Women's theme for International Women's Day 2022 – "gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow" – was at the heart of the featured profiles. When asked how she promotes the UN Women's theme, Christina shared appreciation for women mentors who contributed to her career advancement and highlighted her efforts at Katten to pay forward the mentorship and support she received.
"In addition to mentoring women in my own firm, I have a personal commitment to investing in women I connect with in the securitization industry," she added. "Through mentoring and sponsorship, I like to help other women in this very small world to spot and capitalize on their business development opportunities."
Offering advice for women in the securitization industry, Christina observed that the industry is a small community and emphasized the importance of developing good working relationships with clients, colleagues and other professionals. Christina also offered thoughts on how companies can help prepare women for leadership roles through mentorship and sponsorship programs, pointing out that Katten recently rolled out its Kattalyst sponsorship program with the goal of retaining and advancing underrepresented attorneys.
Charlotte
