Spotlight on Women at Focus: A Conversation with Kristina Saunders

What does International Women’s Day or Women’s History Month mean to you personally?

Celebrating women and their accomplishments is a positive and uplifting practice. International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are a way to focus on the contributions of women and to recognize how much women bring to every field.

I see these celebratory moments as both positive and necessary, but my hope is that we continue moving toward a world where women’s work and achievements are fully integrated and acknowledged without the need for a special day or month.

Is there a woman, past or present, who has influenced or inspired your professional path?

An inspiring influence in my career path happened recently, when I joined the D.C. group I’m with now. A major reason I joined the team was because of a 70-year-old woman on the team named Ellen. She was super smart, very professional and had built a great network. She was an influential contributor to our group’s investment thinking and had built a client book that was enviable.

When I interviewed with Ellen, I remember thinking, I want to be her when I’m 70. I still want to be doing this work at a high level and to love coming to work every day. What was surprising was that even in my early 50s, her example was influential. You’d think by then that you wouldn’t need a role model in quite the same way, but it’s powerful at any age to see women in senior roles operating at a high level. It reinforces what’s possible.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in this industry, and how did you navigate them?

The hardest part of my career was returning to the workforce after taking many years off to raise my four children. Much of that challenge came from being underestimated or taken advantage of from a salary standpoint. There were several years of trial and error as I worked to position myself to where I am today.

I had a lot of support in navigating the challenges - a very supportive husband, friendship and counsel from a group of women friends who were all facing some of the same hurdles, and wonderful parents who set an example of how to overcome adversity and live a life of integrity, no matter the circumstances.

My father was a refugee during his teenage years after World War II. He and my grandfather had much uncertainty, loss, and turmoil in their lives. I grew up hearing those stories and saw the example they set in navigating the difficulties life threw their way.

So, when someone didn’t hire me or didn’t want to pay me during those early years returning to the workforce, I reminded myself that, in the grand scheme of things, I had options. When I am facing hard situations or doing something particularly difficult, I think of my parents and grandparents. It gives me perspective and the mindset of, “Pull your bootstraps up, and keep moving forward.”

What has been the most rewarding part of your career so far?

I feel incredibly blessed because I genuinely love my job. Early in my career, I started out as an equity analyst, very much on the investment side of the industry. Over time, my role evolved to include working directly with clients in addition to managing investment portfolios. That combination is perfect for me. There’s the intellectual challenge of an ever-changing investment landscape combined with client relationship building, which I really enjoy.

The most rewarding part of my career is being actively involved in clients’ lives. Many of my clients are getting older, and they need a different kind of help than they did ten or fifteen years ago. They’re in a different stage of life and being part of their transition and supporting them has been an unexpected gift.

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in finance?

My biggest advice to young women is to do the hard things in your 20s and 30s. If you want to work in wealth management, don’t come in and take the path of least resistance. Choose to really learn the investment side of the business, or the tax side, or focus on estate planning strategies. These are all complex, ever-changing competencies, but if you push yourself to build deep expertise early—whether in investments, tax, or another technical discipline—you will carry that expertise with you for the rest of your career.

What does mentorship—either giving or receiving—mean to you?

The most powerful form of mentoring, in my view, is setting an example. Mentorship is less about a single program or label and more about how you conduct yourself, the standards you set, the way you handle difficult situations, and the consistency with which you serve your clients. When you do that well, you give the young people coming up behind you a blueprint for how to be successful.

Formally, I am part of the CFP Board’s Women’s Initiative program, where women considering the financial services industry can reach out to established professionals for guidance. Within our offices, I am available to younger colleagues who show interest in being mentored and want to understand how to progress in their careers.

Any final thoughts you would like to share?

I do have an addendum, especially for younger women who are thinking about motherhood. Being a mother is the most fulfilling (and hardest) thing I have done and will likely ever do. My career brings me a lot of joy, but nothing compares to being a mom. For women who hope to have both a family and a career, I believe you cannot have it all at the same time, but you can create a rewarding life by weaving work and family together in a way that fits you.

Among my circle of professional friends, there were a variety of paths taken to blend career and family. One woman worked two days a week as a software professional. Another worked three days a week as a lawyer, and yet another worked full time for a non-profit. I stayed home with my children full time. We all blended work and caregiving differently, yet all our children are launched and thriving. I share this story because there are many ways to successfully combine career and family responsibilities. It is not easy…but nothing worthwhile is!

If you decide to step away from the workforce for a time, my biggest piece of practical advice is to have a plan and share it with your employer. When I left, I didn’t really have one. Looking back, I would have put a clearer plan in place and communicated it openly—how long I expected to be out, that I intended to return, and what kinds of roles I might pursue when I came back. Even if the details change over time, having that conversation early can make the transition back into the workforce much smoother.