This spring, Fortress’s Women’s Initiative hosted an informal networking social in Manhattan – the latest in a series of events that provides an opportunity for Fortress women to connect. More than 100 women – representing a range of tenures, seniority, business lines and offices – joined in person.
Maritza Munoz, Director of Portfolio Accounting at Fortress, has been attending Women’s Initiative events since the Initiative began. She shared perspectives on how Fortress’s Women’s Initiative has helped her build new relationships, grow her career, benefit from mentors, and provide informal mentorship to women joining the firm.
“I have been with Fortress for more than 16 years, and throughout that time, I have really benefitted from attending the Women’s Initiative events. Being able to connect with other Fortress women in both formal and informal settings has given me a meaningful forum to build stronger professional and personal connections, discuss career goals and learnings, enhance practical life skills, and provide support and mentorship to one another.
This Spring, I traveled to New York with my entire team of six – we’re all women – to attend the informal networking session. We maximized our trip by spending time in the New York office and scheduling meetings, which for some team members was their first time meeting colleagues from outside of the Dallas office in person.
The opportunity to see the office and meet people in person is invaluable for building stronger work relationships, and the less formal gathering outside the office is a fantastic forum to meet new faces and connect with others on a personal level. The events have helped my team to put ‘a face to the name’ of many of our co-workers. When you have an in-person connection, you tend to have better interactions with the individual in a business setting.
At this year’s event, I was able to connect with women from across the company, compare our experiences in the industry across the US and Europe, and exchange insights on how to pursue our career goals.
For me, this is one of the best parts of the Women’s Initiative events. The variety of colleagues in attendance means I get to meet women from a range of demographic backgrounds, from all sectors of the firm, and at various levels of seniority. This has helped me understand how much I have shared experiences with other women – and understanding these similarities, and indeed the differences, has inspired my confidence and helped me build more personal relationships at work that, in turn, help us all to be better colleagues. With an improved working relationship with peers, we tend to achieve more, have more common goals, and a more positive attitude, all of which greatly benefits the firm.
While the informal social events have given us a platform to connect, other recent events have been focused on valuable lessons which can be applied in our careers and our personal lives. In the Fall, for example, we had the privilege of meeting with a high-profile specialist on financial planning topics like behavioral finance and financial literacy. The session specifically focused on women investing in their futures. We delved into some sample roadmaps for financial planning, and were also given a chance to ask the guest speaker questions relating to our specific situations.
By attending the Women’s Initiative events, I know that I have furthered my own career goals and, on a personal level, helped other women to do the same. The events are like building blocks for me to make and extend informal mentor-mentee relationships which I can then carry forwards.
I am thankful to be a part of a firm that prioritizes and invests in women – it makes my work more rewarding and more meaningful because I know that I am part of a culture that is helping women to thrive.”
The Fortress Women’s Initiative regularly brings women together for events featuring high-profile speakers, and provides opportunities to build relationships across offices, functions and levels. The Women’s Initiative drives a multitude of programs across the firm - focused on professional development, fostering connections, encouraging organic mentorship and shaping recruiting strategy.
Fortress seeks to build a competitive advantage and enhance the well-being and effectiveness of its team by ensuring a breadth of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge across the organization. Fortress is committed to cultivating, maintaining and benefiting from a culture that supports its talented professionals and creates an inclusive corporate environment.