Tamela M. Merriweather, Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Northern Trust, won the Excellence in Legal Award at Markets Media Group’s 2023 Women in Finance (U.S.) Awards.
What was your reaction to winning the award?
Astonishment. I know that I am well-regarded by those who know me but winning this award opened my eyes to the fact that my contributions to the industry are objectively valued and appreciated by a group of people whom I’ve never personally met. This blows my mind every time I think about it.
What makes you proud to work at your company?
I joined the Legal Department at Northern Trust 12 years ago because I wanted to be at a financial services company that has a strong moral compass and would allow me to evolve as a lawyer. I am most proud to work at my company because I have found these things to be true; we care about the communities and clients we serve and my personal growth and development is championed and deeply valued. It doesn’t hurt that the work we do is innovative, well-reasoned, and effectively managed.
What’s something you’re really proud of and why?
When I was offered my first legal position, as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Alan Page (ret.) and Honorable Helen Meyer (ret.) on the Minnesota Supreme Court, my very wise justices said they found me particularly well-suited to the role of shared clerk because of my ability to engage with others in an intellectual, collegial, and persuasive manner. I later learned that this skillset, or rather talent, is my superpower, it is who I am as an authentic leader. It defines my approach to my practice and fuels my success.
What’s your advice to the next generation of women in finance?
Attending Spelman College was a turning point in my life that set me on a trajectory anchored in a deep understanding of who I am and what sort of person I wanted to become in the world. That strong foundation gave me the tools to make the best decisions for me as I have evolved, ones where conventional wisdom would have said turn left but where I was able to trust God and know that the best decision for me was to turn right. Given that most young women are not going to have the privilege of attending Spelman, I would advise the next generation of women in finance to understand that there are structural impediments to your success. In order to navigate these barriers effectively when (not if) they appear, build a community that supports and invests in you and in which you can do the same for others.
First, take advantage of your firm’s organized programs like women’s affinity groups, to meet and learn from successful women within your organization. Show up, be engaged, and follow-up with people who interest you. Second, look outside your firm for organizations that align with your interests. I found this alignment with the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). I first became involved with NAWL at the suggestion of a friend who thought its commitment to advancing women in the law and women’s rights under the law seemed very consistent with who I am. She was spot on. Through NAWL I’ve found the ability to have community with other women lawyers from all practices, locations, beliefs, and grounded in our common purpose of further women’s rights under the law and increasing our presence in the practice. In a few years, I will serve as the organization’s 100th president, another accomplishment that astonishes me.
My hope is that the next generation of women in finance use these opportunities to carve their own paths and find success in a way that is most meaningful to each of them.
