Catherine Clay | CEO S&P Dow Jones Indices

Women In Leadership Global is proud to honour an outstanding female leader each month, recognising women who embody leadership excellence and are shaping the future of our industry. This month’s recipient of our Women In Leadership Excellence Award is Catherine Clay. With an extraordinary career spanning a decade at Cboe running derivatives globally - Cboe's largest business line - and now serving as CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices, Cathy has built a truly stellar track record. Join Georgie Dickins in conversation with Cathy as they unpack the leadership kernels that have shaped her journey: the insights, decisions and lessons that you can apply to your own path. In this episode: - Her practical strategies for sustainable productivity heading into the year-end sprint - The non-negotiable sleep ritual she protects, wherever in the world she is - The one rule she never breaks when flying - "There's power in the pause" - the daily practice that has shaped her leadership more than any other - Why "words make worlds," and how intentional language builds trust - What genuinely keeps her up at night as a CEO navigating constant change - Why she believes in building a "stop doing" list, not just a to-do list - Why curiosity has never been more important - and how she models it for her team - Why she operates with "strong opinions, loosely held" when making high-stakes decisions - Why listening is a superpower - and a luxury - Her honest concerns about AI, critical thinking, and what we risk losing - The leadership lesson she wishes someone had told her sooner: build your personal board of directors - What it was like starting her career as a derivatives trader on a floor full of men - What she hopes her two sons take from watching her lead - Why she's never planned her career, and instead followed "the river of joy" - A rapid-fire round covering her first job picking cherries, the biggest risk she's ever taken, her go-to motto, the leader she admires, and the book she reread this year - Her advice for graduates and new starters entering the workforce this autumn Find out more about Catherine Clay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineclayspdji/ Find out more about Georgie Dickins: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-dickins-5083686a/ Follow Women In Leadership Global: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-leadership-global/ #WomenInLeadership #S&P #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #WomenInFinance #LeadershipPodcast #CareerGrowth #CEOmindset Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome & Introduction 01:16 Catching Up & Where She's Based 01:36 Practical Strategies For Sustainable Productivity 03:13 Her Non-Negotiable Sleep Routine 04:21 Sleep Trackers, Whoop Bands And Data Obsession 05:03 The One Travel Rule She Never Breaks 06:11 The Power In The Pause 09:51 Why Words Make Worlds 10:47 What Keeps Her Up At Night 13:05 Helping Her Team Navigate Constant Change 14:15 Prioritisation And The Art Of The "Stop Doing" List 16:17 Always Be Curious 17:43 Confessions Of A Teenager's Mum 18:21 How She Makes Good Decisions 19:52 Strong Opinions, Loosely Held 21:34 Why Listening Is A Superpower 22:57 AI, Critical Thinking And What Concerns Her 24:38 The Upside: Ageing Later Than Our Parents 25:37 The Leadership Lesson She Wishes She'd Learned Sooner 26:11 Alone On The Trading Floor 28:43 Why Georgie Founded Women In Leadership Global 29:19 What She Hopes Her Sons Take From Watching Her 32:05 Following The River Of Joy 33:39 Quick Fire: Firsts, Risks And Regrets 34:59 Quick Fire: Leadership In A Word 36:00 Quick Fire: Books And Legacy 36:49 Her Advice For New Starters 37:08 Making Her Parents Proud 37:38 Closing Thoughts