As senior vice president of community at Commonwealth, Jessica Fougere leads a team that creates connections within Commonwealth through initiatives such as signature events, networking experiences and shared learning. One of the many initiatives she chairs is the Women of Commonwealth community, which amplifies women’s voices and supports the development of all who identify with WoC both professionally and personally.

Chairing WoC connected Jessica Fougere with Scarlett Clarke, the firm’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, and their partnership took off from there.

Fougere provides insights into the Commonwealth community through the programs she leads, and Clarke brings deep knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion dynamics. They believe they accomplish more together than they could working separately.

And there’s evidence that they are right in the launch and ongoing success of the Women of Commonwealth mentoring program, which was specifically designed for the firm’s affiliated women advisers and their staff. In the first-of-its-kind offering for Commonwealth, Fougere tapped her mastery of the firm’s adviser community to create compelling invitations to mentors and mentees, while Clarke brought in an external consultant to facilitate a meaningful 6-month program.

“Scarlett and I enjoy and value each other. Together we create an energy that is fun, collaborative, and ready for whatever comes next,” Fougere said. — Gregg Greenberg