Lorraine Twomley, Chief Human Resources Officer, Société Générale won Excellence in Leadership at Markets Media Group’s 2022 Women in Finance (U.S.) Awards.
What was your reaction to winning the award?
I was both honored and humbled to receive the recognition given the multitude of strong female leaders in our industry.
What have been the main drivers of your success?
Remaining humble, never getting comfortable, being open to learning and willing to change in order to do better. I have worked hard at becoming self-aware, understanding my strengths as well as my limitations and make conscious efforts to acknowledge my mistakes, learn from experience and take into account the perspectives of others. I make it a practice to frequently ask for feedback from my staff, colleagues and peers as well as my management which has helped me to understand how I am perceived and where I should focus in order to be more effective in my functional role and as a leader of the organization.
Who have been the main influences in your career?
My mom, who instilled in me that I could achieve anything through hard work and perseverance, a female MD I worked for at JP Morgan who taught me how to advocate for myself as a female professional and my former manager and male sponsor at SG who believed in me and supported and advocated for me behind closed doors.
Which actress should play you in a biopic about your life/career?
Sigourney Weaver since she typically plays the role of a strong-willed woman who takes risk and doesn’t scare easily in difficult situations.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Raising three beautiful children to become kind, empathetic and responsible adults.
What’s your advice to the next generation of women in finance?
Work hard, raise your hand and always look for opportunities to grow and learn. Stay humble, being confident but never over confident in your abilities. Don’t let fear of failure stop you from taking risks or going outside your comfort zone. Most importantly be empathetic and elevate others since it is through their success that you will be successful.
