Movers and Shakers: May Tong, Vice President, Portfolio Management, Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions, Voya Investment Management (formerly known as ING U.S. Investment Management)

Welcome to The Glass Hammer’s Celebration of Asian Heritage Month! All month long we will be profiling successful women here in the US who have Asian heritage as well as spotlighting some amazing women in Asia and discussing what it means to work there.

“Seek broad experiences,” advised May Tong. “Use these experiences to establish what your passions are and which path you want to take in your career. Then, go for it full steam ahead,” added Tong.

Capitalizing on Career Opportunities

Tong graduated from Boston College where she studied Accounting and Finance. Upon graduating, she accepted a position in the Quantitative Advisors group at Merrill Lynch Investment Management, where she would be responsible for managing index funds and enhanced index funds. “This was such a valuable experience for me, both professionally and personally,” said Tong, “because I learned every detail about how to manage a fund and I was fortunate enough to work with really great managers who ultimately became mentors to me in my career.”

Three months prior to the Merrill Lynch and BlackRock merger, one of Tong’s most influential managers at Merrill had moved on to Voya Investment Management to start up the Quant Portfolio Management team and brought her aboard to join his team shortly after. “He took me under his wing, guided me, and gave me the autonomy to help him build out the quantitative portfolio management group,” said Tong.

The financial crisis of 2008 resulted in some internal restructuring at Voya Investment Management, which ultimately opened more doors for Tong and led to career-changing opportunities. “I was forced to think about my future career path and the direction I wanted to take,” Tong noted. “This made me realize that while having skill and expertise in one particular area is a good thing, I wanted to gain a broader perspective of the industry.”

At this juncture, Tong decided to earn her Executive MBA from Columbia and was sponsored by Voya Investment Management. “It helped me grow and increased my value to my company,” remarked Tong.

In 2010, an opportunity presented itself within the Multi Asset Strategies & Solutions (MASS) group and Tong took advantage of the chance to expand her depth and breadth by managing asset classes as opposed to funds. “It was a steep learning curve, but also an incredible learning opportunity, “said Tong, “and now I have been working with the MASS team for almost three years.”

According to Tong, her ability to make this career move, and thrive in a different environment, was made possible by the strong leadership and support she experienced from her managers. “I cannot express enough how valuable it is to have good managers who give you the space and support to grow professionally,” stated Tong.

She also credits her success to the fact that she stepped outside her comfort zone and took her career in a different direction. “There are days I miss the black and white aspect of fund management, but I love the fast-paced and dynamic environment of the multi asset strategy team,” explained Tong.

Maintaining Equilibrium

According to Tong, maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional endeavors throughout her career is something that she is proud of. “Finding that happy medium is certainly different for everyone,” said Tong, “but I have found what works for me and in turn I find that I am extremely satisfied in both my work and home life.”

She encourages everyone to strive for their own definition of work-life balance and has observed this issue is a focal point of many women’s leadership conferences she attends. “One of the most frequent questions fielded by panelists is ‘how do you manage to have it all?’ and one of the most interesting responses came from a CEO at Deutsche Bank’s Women on Wall Street conference who stated that you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once.”

Tong also stresses how important it is to focus on staying professionally balanced as well, especially at the start of your career. “One thing I wish I had realized when I was first starting out in my career is just how important it is to cultivate strong relationships and build up a network. Finding a mentor to be your sounding board is critical to your career,” stated Tong.

Filling the Pipeline of Women in Finance

Tong acknowledged that flexible work arrangements have played a big part in supporting women in their career, and pointed to examples within Voya Investment Management where women have been able to take advantage of flexible schedules in order to help them juggle the demands of raising children while still wanting to maintain focused on career growth and advancement.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction toward keeping top female talent active in the workforce,” stated Tong.

According to Tong, forming mentor relationships can be something that is easier said than done. This is why she encourages women who are more senior in their career to take a special interest in the up and coming female talent at their firm in order to pass the torch of women’s leadership achievements down to the next generation.

“It doesn’t have to be formal,” noted Tong. “Pulling someone aside for a quick chat in the hallway or scheduling a brief sit down meeting can really make a difference in the career of a talented junior professional who is unsure about how to establish a connection with their senior leaders.”

Tong continued, “You never know which words will resonate, but you can only make a difference if you reach out and make an effort to develop the next generation of female leaders. This is a key element of being a good manager and role model.”

At Voya Investment Management there are programs geared toward women’s leadership initiatives that Tong is involved in. She acknowledged how building up companywide awareness through these programs is a critical part of ensuring the pipeline of women leaders stays full.

Outside the Office

Tong stays active outside of the office by teaching yoga in the evenings. “It is incredibly humbling and rewarding to help others through the practice of yoga,” said Tong, “and it also helps me be more present at work and handle the stresses and pressures that result from a demanding career.”

By Michelle Hendelman