As 100 Women in Finance marks its 25th anniversary, we are beyond thrilled to welcome five visionary leaders to our Global Board of Directors. These exceptional women join us at a pivotal moment, bringing a powerhouse of expertise across investment management, global markets, and financial services to help steer our organization into its next chapter of growth.
Our mission has always been to close the gender gap and empower women at every career stage, and these new board members are the perfect catalysts to accelerate that impact. Their collective wisdom, deep industry roots, and unwavering commitment to mentorship will be instrumental as we work together to create a more inclusive, equitable, and vibrant financial world for the next generation.
Meet the New Visionaries on Our Global Board
Denise Hu
Chief Investment Officer, Archer Asia – Rockhampton Management Limited
Denise Hu founded multi-family office Archer Asia in 2009 and has over 25 years of experience in the Asian hedge fund industry. She leads the firm’s investment strategy and oversees advisory services for leading families and institutions investing in Asian alternative funds. The Archer Asia Fund is an Asia-focused, multi-strategy fund of hedge funds launched in 2009 with cornerstone investor Rockhampton Management. Denise and her team aim to be a trusted partner for global allocators seeking access to Asian investment opportunities.
Denise began her career as an equity derivatives strategist at Merrill Lynch. She later joined SAIL Advisors, the family office of Robert W. Miller, where she served as Portfolio Manager and led Asian hedge fund research and portfolio construction. She is Co-Chair of the Education Committee of 100 Women in Finance – Hong Kong Chapter, APAC Head of 100 Women in Finance’s Global Fund Women Week, and a Director of Rockhampton Management’s Fitzroy Foundation, supporting educational initiatives in Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.
Tracy Castle-Newman
Former Financial Services Executive; Founder, TCN Advisors; Independent Board Trustee
Tracy Castle-Newman is a highly accomplished Wall Street executive with over 35 years of experience in financial services. Most recently serving as the Head of Client Business Development and Strategy for the Global Institutional Equity Division at Morgan Stanley, where she spent over two decades leading organizational and business transformation.
Following the Global Financial Crisis, Tracy played a pivotal role in transforming Morgan Stanley’s business by crafting and implementing a client strategy that led to significant organizational change and commercial impact. Tracy is widely recognized for her unwavering advocacy for diversity, both within Morgan Stanley and among her clients. Her commitment to diversity is evident in her efforts to establish Morgan Stanley’s Women Investment Roundtable in 2013, a community focused on elevating the profile of female equity portfolio managers. She developed several marquee events aimed at elevating the profile of women managers in the industry. Her efforts in helping numerous women launch their own hedge funds has been recognized by Worth, Crain’s, and Business Insider.
Post retiring from Morgan Stanley, Tracy founded TCN Advisors, a firm focused on consulting, coaching, and building community. She serves as an External Advisor for Bain Consulting, as an Independent Board Trustee for Bitwise Funds Trust, and is actively involved in her alma mater, Virginia Tech, where she serves as the Vice President of the Pamplin Advisory Council and serves on the Investment Committee of Virginia Tech’s endowment.
Maria S. Jelescu Dreyfus
Chief Executive Officer, Ardinall Investment Management
Maria is the CEO and Founder of Ardinall Investment Management, an investment firm focused on sustainable investing, electrification, digitization, and resilient infrastructure that she started in 2017. Prior to Ardinall Investment Management, Ms. Dreyfus spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs, where she most recently served as a Portfolio Manager and Managing Director in the Goldman Sachs Investment Partners (GSIP) Group.
She currently serves as a director on the boards of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) and Cadiz Inc (NASDAQ: CDZI). She previously served as an independent director on the boards of Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD, 2021-2024), Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE: MIC, 2018-2022), Nabors Energy Transition Corp (NYSE: NETC, 2021-2023), CDPQ (2019-2024), and on the advisory board of Eni SpA’s corporate venture arm (2018-2024). She also serves as a director on several private companies’ governing and advisory boards in the energy transition and technology space.
Additionally, she is the Vice Chair of the advisory board of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and Co-chair of its Women in Energy program. Ms. Dreyfus is also a member of the MIT Corporation’s Development Committee and sits on the MIT Economics Department’s Visiting Committee. Her current and past non-profit board memberships include the Global Carbon Management Foundation, the New America Alliance, Breakthrough New York, and Girls Inc. of NYC. Ms. Dreyfus has held her CFA since 2004, and holds a dual degree in economics and management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Allyson Johnson, CAIA
Vice President, Investor Relations & Fundraising, Eclipse
Allyson manages IR and fundraising at Eclipse, an investment manager investing at the intersection of technology and physical industries. After starting her career in banking, living and working in New York, Dubai, and Singapore, Allyson led IR at Saga Tree Capital Advisors (a Singapore-based hedge fund manager) and Gateway Partners (an emerging markets private equity manager).
Allyson graduated from Duke University with a BA in Mathematics. She is a CAIA charterholder and has passed Level II of the CFA exam. Allyson serves on the Board of Summer Search Bay Area, a nonprofit organization dedicated to igniting the potential of high school students from under-resourced communities. In her spare time, Allyson enjoys travel, hiking, skiing, cooking, and exploring the Bay Area’s restaurants and wineries.
Vivian Fraga Spies, CFA
Vice President, Goldman Sachs
Vivian is an investment advisor in the Asset and Wealth Management Division of Goldman Sachs, where she works with wealthy individuals, family offices, and non-profit organizations. Vivian joined Goldman Sachs in 2015. She graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a BS in International Economics and an honors certificate from the Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy.
Vivian also speaks Spanish fluently. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia. She serves on the board of STEM for Her, a DC-based nonprofit dedicated to serving women and girls interested in STEM careers, and also serves as the Treasurer of the Georgetown Alumni Club of Philadelphia. She has been a volunteer for 100 Women in Finance since 2021 and most recently served as the Chair of the Washington, DC Committee.