Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • April 6, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 29 WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS 2020 Jett breaks asset management compliance-industry mold By Susan Danseyar Special to the Hartford Business Journal M edina Jett left a career as a corporate compliance officer to form Integrated Compliance Solu- tions Group LLC in large part to help women and minority-owned investment advisors attract clients. Seventy-trillion dollars are managed in this country, but only 1 percent of that money is invested by women and minority-owned firms, she said. "Smaller investment advisors often don't have the compliance infrastruc- ture to attract institutional capital," she said. "We create a model for them that will make it cost-effective and help them build a compliance program, which is what institutional investors want to see before they'll give them assets to invest." Since 2008, Farmington-based IC- SGroup has been breaking down the intricacies of securities regulations to help companies put compliance rules and procedures in place. Jett started with a handful of cli- ents. Now she and her team of seven consultants work in offices in Farm- ington, Atlanta and Austin, provid- ing counsel to investment advisory firms throughout the United States as well as Africa. They have 30 clients right now. Jett, 54, attributes her success over the past 12 years to providing not only the highest quality consult- ing services but also to the power of word of mouth. Her first client was JoAnn Price, co-founder and managing partner of West Hartford-based Fairview Capital, who said recommendations are important in any business but particularly in compliance. "I would not have taken the chance on Medina had I not been convinced of her integrity and abil- ity," Price said. "She's very struc- tured, disciplined, works coopera- tively and is an exceptional listener, taking the time to understand a business and what it needs." As the only black woman-owned compliance company in the world, Jett has faced obstacles. "Black people and women have never been a large part of the asset investment industry," she said. "The first reaction is often a question as to my level of expertise." Although some clients just want a quality product, Jett said she has frequently had to defend herself and refer to her 30 years of profes- sional experience as an attorney and compliance officer in the asset-man- agement industry. "It's a cost I have to bear," Jett said, which has inspired her next goal — to take what she's learned and pay it forward. "Given where I've been — corporate America and starting my own company — I want to empower women by sharing the strategies that worked for me that will help them climb the corporate ladder: networking, building relationships, taking risks and, of course, always knocking the ball out of the park." These are skills many women may not have learned from their parents or in college, Jett said, so she wants to share knowledge and serve as a role model through Jett Speaks LLC, her latest professional endeavor. Jett has a long history of helping others. With her other companies, she offers pro-bono consulting to minority and small business owners through Jett Consulting LLC and financial literacy training for young adults in underserved communities and professional athletes through Financial Literacy for All Inc. Medina K. Jett Founder and CEO ICSGroup, LLC What's been your biggest profes- sional accomplishment so far? ICSGroup. I started an asset management compliance firm in 2008 at the onset of the recession. Consider that 95 percent of all businesses fail within five years. To be the only African-American woman in the country to own a compliance firm in this highly regulated, white-male dominated industry for 12 years and counting is an accomplishment that makes me extremely proud. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? My 30 years as a corporate ex- ecutive and entrepreneur and my desire to propel others led me to develop a system to help diverse professionals achieve greater pro- fessional and financial success. Through my newest venture, Jett Speaks LLC, and my book, 'GPS: A Woman's Guide to Profes- sional Success,' my next big goal is to help women and minorities ascend the corporate ladder and shrink the wage and wealth gaps. What legacy do you want to leave after your career is over? I strongly believe that to whom much is given, much is required. There are so many young wom- en and people of color who didn't grow up learning about finances and who didn't have exposure to corporate careers or entrepre- neurship. I want to create a path to suc- cess for those people. I want to leave a legacy of inspiration and actual strategies — playbooks if you will — that can change lives for generations to come. What are your keys to maintain- ing business success? Excellent customer satisfaction is at the crux of any business's success and it's no different for me and ICSGroup. Exceeding our clients' expecta- tions each and every time so that they want to tell others about their experience working with us has been a key part of the success equation. PHOTO | J. FIERECK PHOTOGRPHY

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