We often associate the world of banking and trading with men. Historically, it has been an industry heavily dominated by male leadership. When faced with an ‘old boy’s club’ like this, it’s even harder for women to get ahead. Women need to be twice as good as their male peers to make their name in a competitive industry.

Some women have done just that. Here are six amazing female traders who have helped to change the face of the trading world.

Geraldine Weiss

Geraldine Weiss was a real trailblazer for women in finance. After studying business and finance and college, her job applications to investment firms were consistently rejected. It was a man’s world, and women were to work there as secretaries, not equals. Unable to get her investment career started by the usual routes, Weiss started her own investment newsletter in 1966. Advising under the name G. Weiss, she achieved a consistently successful record. She continued to publish the newsletter until her retirement in 2003.

Linda Bradford Raschke

Another woman who faced and overcame the misogyny of the trading world is Linda Bradford Rashchke. From the start of her career in the 1980s, she rose up the ranks to become one of the most respected traders in the industry. She is currently president of two financial firms, has written a book about high probability trading strategies and shares her knowledge through trading lectures.

Ingeborg Mootz

Ingeborg Mootz was a late starter when it came to trading. She made her first trade at the grand age of 83, and within eight years she’d made €500,000. Now a millionaire and one of the trading’s greatest success stories, Mootz made her money from the comfort of her own home, with just a newspaper and a telephone at her disposal.

Abigail Johnson

Born into a family of traders, Abigail Johnson was always well-placed to do well within the industry. Her grandfather was the founder of Fidelity Investments and, in 2011, she was appointed the chairman of Fidelity Management and Research, the advisory body for Fidelity’s mutual funds. But Johnson hasn’t succeeded just by name alone. She got an MBA from Harvard and worked in analysis and portfolio management roles before getting her big break within the company. Analysts speculate that she will one day be appointed CEO.

Muriel Siebert

Muriel Siebert started out at the very bottom of finance with an entry-level research position. Her hard work and determination saw her male partner in a firm before founding her own brokerage firm, Muriel Siebert & Co., back in 1967. Because she was a woman, she faced challenges finding the sponsorship and finance she needed to get her firm registered with the New York Stock Exchange. However, she was successful and made a name for herself in the industry before moving on to politics.  

Lubna S. Olayan

Olayan is CEO of Olayan Financing Company, one of Saudi Arabia’s most high-profile companies. The world of finance is dominated by men. But the world of finance in Saudi Arabia is a step beyond. From her entry into the family company in the 1980s, she has risen to great heights. She currently sits on the board of numerous banks and finance companies and has been listed as one of Forbes’ “Most Powerful Women”.

These women prove that it’s possible to get ahead in the world of trading and finance whatever your gender. And, in the case of Ingeborg Mootz, whatever your age! At a time when online trading is so easy, women no longer have to face the discrimination of the stock exchange to make their money. It’s an opportunity that’s open to all.

Alana Downer is an experienced blogger whose main interest lie in finances and new technologies. Currently writing for Learn to Trade, Alana might often be found online, sharing her insights into technology trends which shape the way both businesses and individuals function.