Laura Hamilton, Bank of America
What is your position within your company?
Laura Hamilton: Global Head of Corporate Finance, Credit Risk, Climate Risk, and Financial Forecasting Technology at Bank of America.
How long have you worked in the financial services industry?
Hamilton: Over 20 years. I have worked in various business areas for three major financial institutions, including Bank of America. Additionally, he has experience in fintech consulting and technology startups.
How did you get into this industry? Was it a conscious decision or did it just “fell in”?
Hamilton: I have a degree in business administration and was lucky to find my passion for technology early in my career. My career began in financial services, working in credit risk management with a focus on data, analytics, and management information systems. This allowed me to understand how companies work across different businesses and industries, and allowed me to gain a variety of technical roles. With a deep love for learning and creating innovative solutions, my experience has developed the ability to understand different businesses, products, and how technology can be a strategic differentiator. . My career in technology has allowed me to continually learn and grow in my business and leadership roles.
My journey has always been about leveraging technology to not only solve complex problems, but to do so in meaningful, transformative, and far-reaching ways. This award highlights the importance of inclusive leadership and the great results that can be achieved when everyone is empowered to share/challenge ideas and work towards common goals.
What is your day-to-day role?
Hamilton: I'm an avid technologist and a people leader who enjoys a rapidly changing business and technology environment. My day-to-day activities span delivering solutions with line of business teams, creating and innovating with technology teams, and collaborating with control partners and solid leadership to realize innovative plans. Every day, my team and I start by thinking about how our work can enhance our ability to support our customers' financial journeys.
What project or work are you most proud of in your career in the industry so far?
Hamilton: I am most proud of the talented people I have the pleasure of working with. We are particularly proud of our strategic component-based libraries that are continually updated to support your ability to build enterprise solutions faster while maintaining quality. By cultivating a technical community that contributes to expanding ideas and capabilities, we are able to leverage the diverse experience and collective size of our developer community to deliver innovative solutions.
What are you currently working on and what does it mean in your position?
Hamilton: We are redefining systems across data management, model execution, and deep analytics to rapidly embed common business capabilities across end-to-end solutions at scale. We are currently working on transforming aspects of data management to increase quality and efficiency. We are focused on delivering business solutions while creating reusable technology and enterprise platforms for today's rapidly changing environment.
My journey has always been about leveraging technology to not only solve complex problems, but to do so in meaningful, transformative, and far-reaching ways. This award highlights the importance of inclusive leadership and the great results that can be achieved when everyone is empowered to share/challenge ideas and work towards common goals.
How much help did you receive from internal mentors/role models during your career?
Hamilton: I value partnerships and relationships and work hard to make sure it's a two-way street. I've been fortunate to work with great executives who are willing to spend their time and candor to frame complex projects, solve organizational challenges, and celebrate accomplishments. I have also been involved in the process of their challenges and accomplishments. If things go well, it becomes something like a mutual counseling session.
To what extent does your company have a formal framework in place to identify and promote talented women, ensuring they have every opportunity to realize their ambitions and contribute to the business?
Hamilton: We are dedicated to ensuring all employees have the tools and support to advance their careers. This includes in-house academy skills training. This includes bringing local college classes into the bank's 11 employee networks, creating more than 280 branches and encouraging employees to connect with others at all levels outside of their regular work, meet new people and develop their personal You will grow both personally and professionally.
What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome in your career in the industry so far?
Hamilton: I'm sharing what I've learned, not the obstacles. You are the captain of your ship. Don't wait for someone else to bring you the next growth opportunity. While working hard and fulfilling your current role, think about, research, and work toward what you want to learn or do next. Talk to your manager about your goals, and if they're outside of your current goals, meet people in your field.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your career so far?
Hamilton: The most valuable lesson I learned was:
- We will show you a great performance (the result is a gamble)
- Find your passion (get this and everything else will fall into place)
- Be positive and have good energy (a can-do attitude brings approachability to help you solve the most difficult problems)
- Find an environment with diverse perspectives and great collaborators that will support your growth and growth.
What advice would you give to women just entering the industry?
Hamilton: This award shows what is possible. This is especially true for women in technology and finance, to pursue your passions, seek out teams and environments that empower you, and never underestimate the power of collaboration and diversity of thought to drive change. is a call to action. Be yourself, be confident, and take the time to gather strong role models and mentors that go beyond transactional conversations.
What does this award mean to you?
Hamilton: It is a great honor, and I am filled with pride and gratitude, and I look forward to the future. This recognition is more than an individual accomplishment, it is also a testament to the creativity and hard work of the incredible team I have had the privilege of building, leading, mentoring, and collaborating with. Innovation requires a diverse set of perspectives, an opportunistic outlook, and a culture of the “art of the possible.”
