Laura Ahto is an Independent Non-Executive Director and Advisor, serving as Chair of the Board of the Global Give Back Circle, member of the Board and Audit and Risk Committee of Polar Capital Holdings, and Advisor at Armstrong- Wolfe. Previously, she held roles as Managing Director at BNY Mellon and COO of the firm’s Asset Servicing Business; President, CEO and Member of the Board of BNY Mellon’s Brussels, Belgium headquartered European bank, and as COO of Investment Services German-speaking and CEE region, based in Frankfurt, Germany. Laura has also, through her career, held leadership positions at Baring Asset Management, PIMCO Europe, Deutsche Bank, and Bankers Trust Company, in London and the APAC region.

Laura has been involved with the Global Give Back Circle since its founding, as a mentor to two girls- now young women- in Kenya. Laura has long been an advocate for gender diversity in business and supporting the development of women professionals and on the importance of inclusion as well as diversity. She has been recognized twice by Financial News as one of the100 most influential Women in Finance and appointed to the Cranfield 100 “Women to Watch” list.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Ursinus College and a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University.