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PrintONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Q & A With Victoria Wright
As a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah, located on Martha's Vineyard Island in Massachusetts, Victoria Wright understands the unique challenges facing Native Americans and those organizations who want to work with them. Her current position at Merrill Lynch as Vice President of Multicultural Marketing and Field Communications provides a platform for Ms. Wright to focus on the Native American community.
The following Q&A provides an overview of her background and philanthropic work and also demonstrates her contribution to the Native American community through her position at Merrill Lynch.
How does your heritage influence your career choices?
It has always been a priority for me to help other Natives and Indian Country in general. My background and culture are ever-present in the decisions I make, and when I went to law school, it was for the purpose of going home to work for my tribe. Although the path I chose has not yet led me home, it has afforded me the opportunity to help other Native people in many aspects. I have spent several years in the non-profit space working directly with tribes, and currently at Merrill Lynch I am able to work with our Financial Advisors to help tribal governments protect and grow their tribal wealth.
Why do you think there is a trend toward corporations taking an interest in multicultural groups?
Diversity is the future for business growth. As U.S. demographics continue to change, businesses will need to not only market to these diverse populations but also make sure their workforce is representative of the markets they are trying to serve. At Merrill Lynch, we recognize that by finding more and more ways to leverage our differences, we can achieve benefits that go far beyond financial gains to encompass institutional wisdom: creativity, flexibility to changing market conditions, individual engagement and a corporate transformation that results in a true culture of inclusion. One example of our firm seeking to serve Indian Country with relevant solutions is our recent launch of a Web site dedicated to supporting the financial needs of the Native American community. To learn more please visit www.totalmerrill.com/nativeamerican.
What is Merrill Lynch doing to support the Native American community?
Merrill Lynch works within the community by supporting non-profit organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians, Americans for Indian Opportunity, the National Museum of the American Indian and others. Individual financial advisors are making a direct impact by working with tribal governments to teach financial literacy to the tribal membership. Internally, we host events through the Native American professional network to provide employees with a better understanding of the native culture, as well as actively recruit for qualified natives to join the Merrill Lynch team.
Is Merrill Lynch working with any specific tribes already? If so, in what capacity?
Merrill Lynch is working with more than 60 tribal governments and tribal enterprises providing a variety of financial solutions including investment and cash management and secured lending. The firm’s Native American Banking and Financial Services group uses our global resources to fully assess and address the needs of each client while working closely with tribal leaders to design and implement a customized and comprehensive solution.
