The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has appointed its chief operating officer Stacey Cunningham the 67th President, according to a statement it released on Tuesday.
Cunningham, succeeding Thomas Farley, will be the first female leader in the history of the 226-year-old exchange. She will start her new job on Friday.
She started as a summer intern on the NYSE floor in 1994 and began her career as a floor clerk on the trading floor in 1996.
"More than a half century after Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE, Stacey represents a new generation of leadership for the NYSE Group," said Jeff Sprecher, Chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange and Chairman of NYSE Group and the New York Stock Exchange.
The announcement came at a time when Wall Street is grappling with the #MeToo movement, a nationwide grass-root campaign calling for demolishing of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace.
Last month, New York City authorities decided to relocate the Fearless Girl statue to a spot in front of the NYSE. Authorities hoped the relocation would improve access for visitors and ensure that the statue's message and impact continue to be heard.
First installed in March last year, the bronze statue of a small girl, fists on her hips, staring down the famous 7,000-pound Charging Bull statue on Wall Street, was part of the efforts to advocate for gender diversity in companies.
