Non-Traditional Careers in Finance

Special Guest Panelists
Sarita Gupta, Vice President, Global Resources & Communications, Women’s World Banking (WWB)
Sarita Gupta joined WWB in July 2007. She is responsible for ensuring that WWB meets its annual fundraising goals, is positioned for strategic growth, and remains a thought leader in the sector through its publications and speaking engagements.

Sarita has a 25-year career in the non-profit sector, encompassing program development, fundraising, communications, marketing and management. Just prior to joining WWB, she headed the fundraising and communications efforts at Acumen Fund, which seeks entrepreneurial approaches to alleviate global poverty; and before that held successively higher fundraising and management positions at CARE, a leading humanitarian organization. Sarita has also worked for the American Friends Service Committee, the Asia Society, and a U.S. State Department-funded project on refugee resettlement.

Sarita holds a Masters degree from the School of International & Public Affairs at Columbia University, and a Bachelors degree from Miranda College, Delhi University, India.

Kausar Hamdani, PhD, Senior Vice President and Community Affairs Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
It is the special responsibility of the Community Affairs Office to gather grass-roots intelligence and analyze emerging issues affecting low to moderate income communities in the Second Federal Reserve District. Additionally, the Community Affairs Office convenes stakeholders to provide information and technical assistance related to community and economic development.

Ms. Hamdani joined the Bank in 1982 as an economist in the Monetary Research Department and has served in several areas, including the Bank Supervision Group. She also led the Buffalo Branch of the New York Fed and has served on several community, business and academic advisory boards in Upstate New York. Prior to that, she taught economics at Columbia University and New York University.

Ms. Hamdani holds a doctorate and two master’s degrees from Columbia University. Her bachelor’s degree is from Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio.