NYSE's first female President: Stacey Cunningham's journey from an intern to the top boss

In its history of 226 years, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has appointed a female President for the first time. Stacey Cunningham, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the exchange, has been appointed as NYSE Group's President.

Cunningham replaces Thomas Farley, effective May 25. John Tuttle will be the new COO.

Cunningham's first stint with the exchange was in 1994, as a summer intern. In 1996, she joined the exchange as a floor clerk. She was one of the 24 women who worked on the floor among a thousand men, according to a Fortune report.

In 2005, she quit NYSE and took some off to develop her culinary skills. She enrolled in a nine-month culinary cooking programme and spent six months in a professional kitchen, The Fortune report says.

In 2007, Cunningham joined NYSE's competitor NASDAQ

Cunningham has been NYSE's CEO since 2015, and rejoined the exchange in 2012.

As COO, she has handled managed the exchange's cash equities markets, relationship management, product management, and NYSE governance services.

"More than a half century after Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE, Stacey represents a new generation of leadership for the NYSE Group," said NYSE Group Chairman Jeff Sprecher.

Cunningham is the second woman to be appointed as a global stock exchange's head. NASDAQ appointed Adena Friedman as its CEO in 2016.