Following the successful launch of the Women in Clearing Network, in March 2024 the EACH’s Women in Clearing Series was launched. This an initiative with the objective of featuring a key female leader on a regular basis to inspire other professionals in the industry.
Jennifer Robertson is our honoured contributor for this month. Jennifer Robertson joined the European Commission in 2004 and has worked in DG Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union since 2005. She is currently a Head of Unit in the unit responsible for financial markets infrastructure. Previously she worked on retail financial services issues and SME finance in various departments of the European Commission.
Before working at the Commission, she worked as a senior economist for 5 years at the European Savings Banks Group on issues ranging from the introduction of the euro to the integration of European financial services markets. Her professional experience also includes working as an economic researcher for a financial communications consultancy in Washington DC, USA.
She is a graduate of the University of Glasgow (UK) and received a Master’s degree in International Economics and European Studies at the School for Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University (Italy and USA).
Jennifer has volunteered to share with EACH her personal and professional journey by responding to three questions:
- What was the aspect of yourself that you had to work on the most to get to where you are now?
This is a difficult one to answer. When you move around and work with and in different cultures, you need to be flexible. Different cultures and people have different ways of communicating. Our job is to try and understand and communicate to them all – even if that means in different ways with different people.
- What key tip would you give for professionals to successfully develop in their careers?
Where there is a will, there is a way.
- How do you see the future of clearing in 10 years?
I don’t think anyone has a crystal ball. The financial sector is changing all the time. The last 10 years have seen a lot of changes in derivatives markets and clearing in particular. New ways of clearing are emerging, new products such as crypto are emerging, and the impact of technology on clearing is a key topic for discussion. The market will evolve and the regulatory and supervisory framework will need to keep pace with the changes.
In the meantime, I hope that CCPs and market practitioners take advantage of the many opportunities that EMIR 3 has introduced – to bring new products to the EU market and new ways of doing things, while at the same time ensuring that financial stability is not put at risk. In this way, we can build a deep and liquid EU clearing market that serves the needs of companies and the financial sector alike.
Learn more about Jennifer by reading the attached document and using this link.
Thank you to Jennifer for taking time to enlighten us with this enriching contribution and we look forward to continuing the EACH’s Women in Clearing Series by hosting many skilled women leaders to inspire other professionals in the clearing sector!
The Women in Clearing network takes the form of a LinkedIn group that participants may use to connect with each other.
