IIA Celebrates International Women’s Day with Insights from Female Board Members Shaping Index Industry

In honor of International Women’s Day 2026, our female board leaders share insight and career advice on the importance of diverse leadership in the index industry and financial services more broadly.

Jana Haines, IIA Chair, Head of Index, MSCI

“Inclusive leadership matters everywhere. The Index industry is a highly transparent, quantitatively-driven industry where results speak for themselves and leadership is earned on merit. For women early in their careers in the Index industry, my advice is simple: Have confidence in your abilities, accept that you will make mistakes and learn from them, and persevere — because leadership is built through resilience and performance.”

Amelia Furr, IIA Board Member, President of Indexes, Morningstar

“Our benchmarks are designed for a wide range of investors – and investor use cases – around the world. It is natural that the teams and the processes to design and govern our indexes should be diverse and bring in a range of theoretical, analytical and practical investing perspectives.”

Emily Spurling, IIA Board Member, SVP and Global Head of Index, Nasdaq

“Having a seat at the table comes with a responsibility to ask the hard questions, listen carefully, and make decisions that serve the ecosystem, not just the moment. My advice to newcomers is to lean into that responsibility early: be curious, seek diverse viewpoints, and don’t wait for perfect certainty before contributing. Progress often comes from thoughtful action, not flawless answers.”

Fiona Bassett, IIA Board Member, CEO, FTSE Russell

“Presence becomes impact when leaders pair visibility with intentional action. That means championing others, making room for new voices, and being consistent in modeling the behaviors you want to see. Influence is not just what you say in a meeting — it’s the tone you set, the opportunities you create, and the standards you uphold every day.”

Catherine Clay, IIA Board Member, CEO, S&P Dow Jones Indices

“Building benchmarks that truly serve varied investment outcomes requires different voices at the table. Diversity of thought improves index provider decision-making by reducing groupthink, enhancing risk management, and fostering innovation in benchmark construction. Diverse teams challenge assumptions, leading to more robust, accurate, and relevant financial benchmarks that better reflect global markets, ultimately improving the quality of investment products and performance.”