We are excited to be hosting a panel discussion showcasing a distinguished lineup of finance professionals from the black community to coincide with Black History Month in 2021.

The webinar will span a broad agenda, from a discussion about careers to advice for future black finance professionals, as well as recommendations for the broader finance community seeking to enhance Diversity & Inclusion programs while sharing market opinions and insights from our panelist's area of expertise.

Join us for a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion.

Sabrina Bowens-Richard, CFA, CAIA, Director, Portfolio & Market Strategy, SunTrust Advisory Services, Inc. | Investment Advisory Group 

As SunTrust Advisory Services, Inc.’s Director, Portfolio and Market Strategy and First Vice President, Sabrina is responsible for providing strategic and tactical asset
allocation and capital market research supporting SunTrust’s investment strategies, creating custom-constructed portfolio solutions, and preparing related topical and
market/strategy communications. Sabrina has over twenty years of investment experience in the areas of portfolio management, investment research, client service, and new business development. Prior to joining SunTrust’s Investment Advisory Group, Sabrina was a Senior Asset Allocation Strategist with SunTrust’s Institutional Investment Solutions line of business and was a member of the group’s investment committee.

Sabrina’s prior positions include Asset Allocation Specialist with RidgeWorth Capital Management, Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Decatur Capital Management, and Research Analyst at Peachtree Asset Management. Sabrina also worked in the Latin American Strategy Research and International Money Management divisions at Smith Barney in New York City.

Sabrina received her MBA from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, a BA in Business Administration/Finance from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, and studied French and International Business at the College Internationale de Cannes in Cannes, France. She is also a CFA charterholder and has earned the right to use the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation. Sabrina is a member of CFA Society Atlanta,
the CFA Institute, and the CAIA Association. She has also contributed to financial publications addressing diversity on Wall Street.

Nicholas Harrell, CFA, CAIA, CFTe, Senior Portfolio Manager/Senior Investment Consultant, Synovus

Nick is a Senior Investment Consultant and Portfolio Manager for Synovus Trust Company, N.A. in Atlanta, Georgia. He has over 25 years of institutional investment experience. Nick earned his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Atlanta University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of South Carolina.

Nick has a wealth of experience in investment management and consulting services to include asset allocation, investment strategy research, investment manager search, and due diligence, portfolio construction, risk management, performance evaluation, derivatives trading, and strategy development. He is currently a member of the CFA Society of Atlanta, the CAIA Association, and the CMT Association.

Bio Highlights: Over 25 years of investment management experience, Joined Synovus Trust in 2011, Member, Synovus Manager Selection Committee, B.S., Statistics, University of South Carolina, M.B.A., Finance, Atlanta University, Prior to joining the firm, Investment Consultant at Aon Investment Consulting, Prior to joining Aon, Funds Manager at Georgia-Pacific.

Nathan Lewis, President & CEO, Security Capital Brokerage

Nathan Lewis is President and CEO of Security Capital Brokerage, Inc. (SCB). He is a native of Macon, Georgia, and received a B.B.A. from the University of Georgia in Risk Management, concentrating in Actuarial Science. He graduated with an M.B.A. with the highest honors from Clark Atlanta University and was inducted into the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma. Mr. Lewis is also a graduate of AIMSE’s Marketing and Investment Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania - Wharton Institute of Executive Education.

He began his securities career in sales and trading at Jackson Securities, a company founded by the late former three-time mayor of Atlanta, Ga, Maynard Jackson, and later a division of Atlanta Life Financial Group. In 2008, Lewis left to start his own firm and acquired Security Capital Brokerage, Inc., a registered FINRA member and certified minority business enterprise (MBE) with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) focused on securities brokerage and investment banking services. He is responsible for the firm’s overall compliance program and the development of its tax-exempt and corporate finance underwriting strategy.

Mr. Lewis is an active community volunteer and has a passion for financial literacy, literature, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Nathan is a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society Atlanta, former Treasurer of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) – Atlanta Chapter, and a member of The Robert Burns Club Atlanta. He is also on the Board of Directors for Zoo Atlanta, Communities in School (CIS), and the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE).  Mr. Lewis holds FINRA Registrations Series 7, 24, 53, 63, 79, 86, 87, and 99.  In his free time, Mr. Lewis enjoys reading, golf, and traveling with his wife and son.

Dekia Scott, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Southern Company 

Dekia Scott, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer at Southern Company where she leads its Trust Finance team overseeing the Company’s corporate pension plan (market value of approximately $14B) and the investment options of the company’s 401k plan (market value of approximately $6.5B).  The team also has direct oversight responsibility of various other asset pools such as the Georgia Power Nuclear Decommissioning Trust, the Georgia Power and Southern Company Gas VEBA Trusts, and the Georgia Power Company, Southern Company Charitable, and Southern Company Gas Charitable Foundations.  Ms. Scott has been with Southern Company since 2000.

Ms. Scott has a broad array of experience ranging from asset manager research and structure to portfolio strategy, asset-liability analysis, and high-level accountability to executive management. Ms. Scott has developed strong relationships with many asset management organizations and professionals, across various layers of the institutional investment industry.     

Ms. Scott has a BA in Economics from Spelman College and an MBA in Finance from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University.  Ms. Scott is a CFA  charterholder and is a member of the CFA Institute and the Atlanta Society of Finance & Investment Professionals.  Ms. Scott currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Alcohol and Drugs (an affiliate of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce). 

Ms. Scott lives in Atlanta, Georgia but is originally from Mobile, Alabama.  She is married (Michael) with two children ages 18 (Michael) and 16 (Zoe).

Moderated by: Jennifer Weems, Portfolio Specialist, Fixed Income, Voya Investment Management 

Previously at Voya, Jennifer was a credit analyst on the private credit team, working as part of the deal team to underwrite direct, syndicated, and secondary corporate credit transactions in the middle market, project finance, special situations, and private placement markets. Jennifer earned a BBA in finance from Georgia State University.

Qualifications: 2hr Professional Learning | CFA Institute Competency Framework Skill = Leadership + Personal Effectiveness

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