Patricia Walsh Chadwick

The 13th episode of Read the Bull is a fascinating conversation with Patricia Walsh Chadwick, author of "Breaking Glass, Tales from the Witch of Wall Street." Patricia enjoyed a 30-year career in finance and held roles as a research analyst, portfolio manager, director of research, and investment strategist.

The book details Patricia's career, which began at a time where the majority of women in finance held administrative roles.  Patricia explains that she had a long-held secret from her colleagues that only came to light when she published her memoir, "Little Sister" in 2019. Patricia was forced to survive on her own, when at age 17 she was abruptly dismissed from the religious community that her and her family belonged to since she was six years old. The community had transformed into a cult over time and Patricia never revealed anything about her upbringing until she shared her book with her colleagues and friends.

Her second book, "Breaking Glass," details her meandering but ultimately, impressive career after being cast out of the cult. Finding her way in the late 1960s, at a tumultuous time in our country, was challenging in its own right, but Patricia had the added challenge of being thrust out in a world where she had never read a newspaper, never seen a movie, never went to a restaurant and didn't know any curse words.

Still, she was equipped with a stellar education thanks to her teacher and first mentor, Sister Ann Mary Cobb.

Patricia explains how she navigated the world in those early days and eventually landed a secretarial position at Ladenburg Thalmann, a Boston-based brokerage firm.  She talks to Stefan about those early days and details how she continued to gain experience and advance her investment management career, working for places like Citicorp, the Ford Foundation and Invesco. She credits much of her success to a handful of mentors, and dedicated the book to those individuals, including George Burden, Sherif Nada, Jay Light and Peter Vermilye.

Patricia details the ups and downs of her career and provides her perspective on the 1982 bull market, 1987 crash and other moments she witnessed first-hand. She also explains how she earned the nickname "The Witch of Wall Street," a moniker she was unaware of until her 70th birthday party.

Stefan and Patricia end the interview discussing what women starting out in finance can learn from her experience. Patricia also highlights her work on boards and and her current role as pro bono chief executive officer of Anchor Health Initiative Corporation, a Connecticut-based not-for-profit health care organization she founded in 2016 that provides primary and specialty health care needs of the LGBTQ community. 

Books detailing women's careers in finance and investing are rare, but more women are detailing their journeys. "Breaking Glass" is a worthy addition to the burgeoning genre.

Go to ReadTheBull.com for more information.