Invesco MD Anna Paglia: 'I Always Looked At ETFs As A Game-Changer'

Invesco managing director Anna Paglia manages the firm’s strategy and vision for exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Paglia is also the Global Head of ETFs and Indexed Strategies. She will be among the prominent finance professionals participating in Benzinga’s Future of Digital Assets event. She will participate in a highly-anticipated panel discussion titled "The Rise of Crypto ETFs and Regulatory Considerations.”

Her educational background includes JD from L.U.I.S.S. Law School in Rome, a law school certificate from Kingston University School of Law in London and an LLM from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. She is a bar member in Illinois and New York.

Paglia's career had an untypical trajectory. Her first role was as an associate at an Italian law firm, Carnelutti. Still, a student exchange experience in London drew her back to England. In 2004, she became an associate counsel at Barclays Global Investors. She became familiar with the exchange-traded funds industry (ETF) during that period. Owing to her humble background, she loved making investment opportunities accessible to individuals of all financial backgrounds.

After moving to the U.S. in 2007, she spent a few years as a partner at K&L Gates. Her dream opportunity came when Invesco needed a head of legal.

"Everything I hoped for materialized in front of me," Paglia said in an interview.

"I was at the forefront of innovation, pushing the regulatory envelope and leading with my colleagues a new investment revolution," she noted.

Considering Invesco's growth since she joined, it is hard to disagree with her choice of words. In 2010, the company had $616 billion in assets under management and 5,600 employees. Nowadays, that number is 1.5 trillion and a headcount of 8,600.

Recent notable ETF launches include two actively managed ETFs. Agriculture Commodity Strategy No K-1 provides exposure to food commodities such as grains, livestock, coffee, sugar, and cocoa; Electric Vehicle Metals Commodity Strategy No K-1 provides exposure to metals needed to manufacture electric vehicles and their batteries.

Paglia's hard work and dedication put her on Barron's "100 Most Influential Women In Finance" for the second year. Even after over a decade at Invesco, she remains committed to the cause.

"I always looked at ETFs as a game-changer in the industry and as a tool that really allows investors to bridge the wealth gap because you don't need to be rich to make an investment in ETFs, especially today," she said.

Paglia's knowledge and legal experience certainly put her in the spotlight at the upcoming Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets conference. Don't miss the opportunity to connect with founders, investors, and industry experts on Nov. 14 in New York City.