INTHEBLACK February 2024 - Magazine - Page 32
AT A GLANCE
Michelle Wigglesworth CPA
is a senior equities analyst
with Australian Ethical
Investment.
Wigglesworth has faced
many career curveballs,
but has refused to let
them derail her.
Instead, she has leaned
into the twists and
turns, learning a lot
along the way.
CAREER PATH
power TO
PERSEVERE
Early on in her career, Michelle Wigglesworth CPA made the
decision to treat career curveballs as learning opportunities.
This strategy has taken her far.
Words Hannah Tattersall
Photography Anthony Geernaert
Life is not one straight line, says Michelle Wigglesworth CPA, but
unexpected challenges can make life more interesting and help build resilience.
Based out of Sydney, Wigglesworth is an investor and senior equities analyst at
Australian Ethical Investment.
“I’m not one of these straight success stories where I suddenly got my dream job
the next day,” she admits. Rather, Wigglesworth’s long, fulfilling career has been
built piece by piece, following a path of twists and turns.
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD
Wigglesworth began her accounting career in 1995 at Macquarie Bank.
Three years later, she followed many of her fellow expats to London and, upon
her return, joined the equities floor at Citigroup.
In 2002, Wigglesworth faced her first career curveball – redundancy.
This was undoubtedly a challenge, but she did not let the experience discourage
her. Instead, she began “cold calling” firms to try to find another job.
She soon landed a role doing finance and equities research with a small
stockbroking firm, but she wasn’t there for long. “One of the senior analysts
there actually said they didn’t think I was cut out for the industry,” she recalls.
32 INTHEBLACK February 2024
