This week The Glass Hammer is publishing a series of profiles on top leaders in corporate diversity. Check back all week long to learn about the women making a difference.
By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
“I’ve always been a really driven person,” said Amy Williams, Principal at Edward Jones. “I was fortunate to realize early on that I had a passion for serving others.”
Williams began her career at Edward Jones as a Branch Office Administrator. “I thought it was a great way to learn about the new field, and I soon realized I wanted to be on the other side of the desk. So I started an office from scratch.”
An early defining moment in Williams’ professional path was when her husband began experiencing health problems about six years into her career. “I had a one year-old and a five year-old and a really sick husband. But I knew that with the practice I had built, and with the sense of entrepreneurship I had built at Edward Jones, I knew that it was going to be okay. I could support my family. It didn’t end up coming to that, but it was a powerful realization.”
“That’s when I knew I had to get other women involved in this work,” she added.
Williams championed the cause of attracting women to financial advisory while developing her practice. “After 15 years of helping others build their business, I became a general partner, leading programs to develop women and minorities.”
Today, Williams is one of the Principals in charge of talent acquisition specifically responsible for diversity at Edward Jones. She continued, “And now, a little over 20 years at the firm, I’m humbled at the people I work with, at the grassroots efforts to bring in more talented women and minority advisors at the firm. I’m really proud of that.”