Speaking out is hard. I was shaking. Here's why I did it anyway.
A letter to my readers:
I want to acknowledge and explain a recent incident that is receiving broad press coverage, including statements from me. Additional press coverage linked below.
Earlier this week, I attended the Tiburon CEO Summit as a speaker. One of the main stage events was a "fireside chat" interview of Ken Fisher. During the interview, Mr. Fisher made a number of outrageous statements, some of which fellow attendee, Alex Chalekian, mentioned in this now viral Twitter video.
The conference has a privacy code, so that CEOs are able to speak candidly about the business opportunities and challenges they face. Because Mr. Fisher's comments are not about business issues, I chose to break the privacy code to confirm what Alex said about the interview. My quote in the Washington Post article sums up why I chose to speak out:
“Violating the summit’s media policy was risky, attendees said, particularly in the field of wealth management. A person’s credibility is wholly dependent on their ability to be discreet and keep information private. But those who spoke out said this circumstance warranted an exception. “I chose to speak out because maintaining a culture of silence around harassment and assault protects those who abuse their power, which then further marginalizes underrepresented groups,” Sonya Dreizler, a speaker and consultant to financial services firms, told The Post.”
Thank you to all of you who have reached out with words of support. I appreciate it. I may not have responded (my inbox is in a shambles!) but I have read them all and appreciate each one.
If you're a longtime reader, you know that I am driven to make financial services a more inclusive place for women, people of color, and especially women of color. Independent of this week's event, I have been working on a series of articles featuring real stories of women's experiences in financial services. Stay tuned. I'll be sharing those soon.
Kindly,
Sonya
A sampling of the coverage:
Washington Post: These CEOs broke the rules at a secretive summit to expose a billionaire’s crude sexual comments
Bloomberg: Billionaire Fisher Shocks With Sexual Remarks, Is Bewildered Why
Investment News: Ken Fisher's crude comments drag Tiburon CEO Summit into the mud
RIA Intel: Ken Fisher’s ‘Horrifying’ Comments Lead Advisors to Break Non-Disclosure Agreements
WealthManagement.com Ken Fisher’s Sexual Comments Roil Tiburon Conference
Tiburon CEO Summit Response: Tiburon's Chip Roame Releases Open Letter to the Industry