As the newly appointed chief of staff for UBS Global Wealth Management and UBS Americas, Marsha Askins is living proof that chairman Axel Weber is making good not only on his pledge to put more women in the private bank’s executive ranks, but to appoint them to roles where they will influence UBS’ push to further gender equality. Following a number of recent appointments, 40 percent of the UBS executive suite is now comprised of women. That’s a significant step in an industry where boys’ clubs have long prevailed, often alienating potential clients, especially women, who felt that they’d have a better relationship with a female wealth advisor.
But Askin’s appointment was hardly just a means of checking the diversity box; she’s had a distinguished career in finance, a formidable climb within UBS and demonstrated a commitment to fostering the growth of women in business. On her Twitter account, Askins frequently promotes female founders, and the importance of networking conferences and cultivating girls’ financial acumen and ambition.
Appointed chief of staff in 2019, Askins has spent the last 13 years at UBS, starting as head of product and segment marketing and rising to chief communications officer. In that role, Askins launched the firm’s first-ever Billionaires Report, exploring the role of women in building lasting financial legacies, and codeveloped UBS’s Project Entrepreneur, which provides women access to training and networks needed to build scalable, economically impactful companies.
Prior to her UBS tenure, Askins spent 20 years working at Wachovia, Atlantic Trust Private Wealth and U.S. Trust. She holds a BS from Clemson University.
