How to Use Women in Consumer Finance as a Springboard for Developing Female Colleagues

2 years ago, Spring Oaks Capital committed to developing the leadership skills and careers of their female employees. In this follow up interview with Catherine Calko (Chief Compliance Officer and Assistant General Counsel), she reveals how the company’s program for women has grown and adapted since its inception.

“Supporting women can’t just be a blurb on a slide somewhere. It has to be part of everyday dialogue and it has to be backed by actions.”

That’s the mindset that led Catherine Calko and the Spring Oaks team to actively invest in supporting women within their organization.

Spring Oaks Capital uses the Women in Consumer Finance digital workshops and in-person leadership development summit as a launch pad for conversations about growth and empowerment within their company. By doing so, they extend the effects of attending a WCF event well beyond registrants.

Though the program hasn’t yet expanded to the scope that Catherine originally envisioned, she sees great value in the positive impacts that have been made so far. She explains that much of the program focuses on initiating open conversations about career growth and challenges. Those discussions have fostered a real sense of belonging and camaraderie among the team.

Watch the original interview where Catherine discusses the importance of creating a culture that supports, develops, and retains female talent here. 

Spring Oaks Capital was a generous supporter of Women in Consumer Finance 2024. They are committed to helping women from financial services and beyond excel both personally and professionally.

This interview mentions the digital workshop on diversity, equity, and inclusion that we hosted in partnership with Management Leadership for Tomorrow. Watch that workshop here.