Ethics in Finance Shortlisted for Award

Great news! Dr. Kara Tan Bhala’s latest book, Ethics in Finance: Case Studies from a Woman’s Life on Wall Street, has been shortlisted for the International Business Book category of the Business Book Awards 2022. The Business Book Awards celebrates the work of authors who have shared their industry or market knowledge, experience and expertise in published book form.

About the Business Book Awards 2022

The Awards highlight the quality and variety of business books in the market and offer industry-wide recognition to new and established authors writing on a range of subjects for a diverse readership.

The judging panel is made up of experts from business, writing, publishing and other related fields, with expertise in their relevant category. The panel is headed by Head Judge Jacq Burns, co-founder of The London Writers Club and former Commissioning Editor at Random House and Editorial Director at Harper Collins. Jacq edited classics such as Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus, Who Moved My Cheese and Chicken Soup for the Soul, all which have sold millions of copies worldwide.

About the Book

Ethics in Finance: Case Studies from a Woman’s Life on Wall Street was recently spotlighted by BloombergQuint. Dr. Tan Bhala gives a refreshing and instructive view of global finance. She recounts entertaining stories of an immigrant Asian American woman’s journey through the top echelons of Wall Street, with enduring lessons about ethics from her 30 years of experience across Asian financial markets. Her case studies narrate her experiences, in a humorous, engaging style. Yet, on the ethical problems she highlights she offers thoughtful analyses and serious solutions.

Readers will benefit from the author’s work in finance (on the sell side, buy side, research, and sales), and scholarship in philosophy. She synthesizes the two disciplines and serves up poignant and edifying realities.

Perhaps it’s astonishing that one woman faced so many ethics issues in her distinguished career in international finance. Or, perhaps multiple ethics skirmishes are more common than we care to acknowledge. The book testifies to Dr. Tan Bhala’s acute observations, assiduous note taking, and knowledge of moral philosophy. If the book moves us towards achieving the author’s stated purpose “to help you [young people], the future, to build a more ethical and socially responsible financial industry,” then society would be better off.

In his review of Ethics in Finance, Bill Tammeus, former Kansas City Star columnist, writes:

“The terrific thing about the book is that it’s full of true stories told in engaging ways… In this insider’s look at the world of finance we find a wealthy married man asking a female subordinate to set him up with a prostitute in Asia. We read about how women in a big financial firm were systematically kept out of a special inner sanctum company Christmas party (within the regular company-wide party) just because they were women. We discover whistle-blowers who get fired for bringing unethical business behavior to unwanted light.”

Endorsing its value, the International Compliance Association (ICA) featured the book in a series using its case study materials. The series culminated in a webinar with Tan Bhala.

Winners of the Business Book Awards 2022 will be announced in London on May 16th.