Sheetal Prasad, CFA: Managing Director, Jennison Associates

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Sheetal Prasad“I think the constant in my life is that you’re moving to the next level. You’re moving to a new challenge,” says Sheetal Prasad, Small Cap Core and Mid Cap Growth Portfolio Manager at Jennison Associates, “And even though you might not think that you’re ready, you are.”

Prasad talks about the continuous learning curve, the value of culture, diversity of thought and being your whole self at work.

From Pre-Med to Portfolio Manager

Like a “good Indian girl”, Prasad began pre-med at Georgetown. When she realized being a doctor was not her calling, she switched to business. At first, she remained in the healthcare territory, working in a market research firm before moving to Wall Street.

A few years in, she leapt from the sell-side research to buy-side investment management, and then landed at Jennison, thirteen years ago. Soon she was challenged to diversify her expertise. 

“I got the opportunity to become a small-cap portfolio manager, but you have to know stocks across the entire universe – not just healthcare, but tech stocks and consumer stocks and industrial stocks,” says Prasad. “The truth is I didn’t have the background for that, but you’re given an opportunity, and you take it.” 

Today, most of her time is spent on mid-cap portfolio management.

“I had to learn to love to read. It’s so critical. My job is predicting the future to some degree. It’s finding those companies that are so well-positioned in certain industries that they can continue to grow from being a smaller market value to larger over time,” says Prasad. “The way you do that is by constantly reading or listening and continuing to learn. Learning is the best part of my job everyday.”

How I Built This, Invest Like The Best, The Knowledge Project and Masters of Scale are among podcasts that inform her professionally. 

Culture & Social Responsibility Matter More Now

“It’s pretty clear that we aren’t going back to the old normal, so what is that ‘new normal’?” asks Prasad. “How are we going to work – and play – differently? How will life change? Who are the companies that will enable that change and are going to be able to thrive?”

In addition to new companies and business models, Prasad is paying attention to company culture. The post-pandemic world has brought out the true value of culture.

“I have a much greater appreciation for culture today in my investment portfolios and the companies that I invest in,” she says. “Because I think that really is the difference between a company that can grow to be bigger, versus a company that might not make it.”

Investing responsibly is paramount to Prasad, such as considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

“As our portfolio companies are becoming more social stewards, we also have to follow that,” states Prasad. “If I don’t feel good about investing in a company, I don’t have to do it.”

“I take my fiduciary and social responsibilities very seriously. It’s the way the investment business is going to be going forward, and we have to be good at it,” she says. “Part of who I am is having a social responsibility to my family, my community, but also to my job and my investors.“

Diversity of Thought And Voices

“In our business, diversity is not just on the outside, but it’s really about  diversity of thought,” notes Prasad. “If we all think the same way, we’re not going to do well in a stock market, where we need to be prepared for low probability events and be willing to react.”

Diversity of thought is essential to preventing blindspots, cognitive dissonance and ‘thesis creep’, since her team’s success requires staying open-minded to ‘what ifs’ and the healthy friction of debate. 

A candidate that questions a stock the firm holds, from a genuine and informed place, is an asset.

“Everybody is absolutely respectful, but you can’t be shy,” says Prasad. “We don’t hire wallflowers. We want people to express their opinions, because an exchange of ideas is critical to performance.”

Be Visible And Ask Questions

“The financial services industry is behind in their ability to attract and retain and promote women,” states Prasad, though Jennison does better. “And it’s both a top-down problem and a bottom-up problem.”

While face-time is essential to building culture and relationship, she feels the post-pandemic disruption has revealed it’s possible to work more virtually. This could help to attract women and diversity of thought. 

Prasad encourages women to sit visibly at the table, not the periphery, and express their opinions. If there’s one thing she wishes she’d known earlier, it is to not be afraid to ask “dumb questions”. Be communicative and ask questions, especially when you shift between roles or jobs. 

“I’m asking dumb questions all the time,” she says. “Chances are there’s somebody else sitting at the table that also doesn’t understand.”

She encourages women to take a page from men’s confidence book, and when opportunity presents, take the leap before you think you are ready – knowing you will figure it out, and it’s okay also to fail sometimes. 

“I’ve long come to realize that I have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she states. “I’ve had imposter syndrome throughout my entire career. I’ve had to use that discomfort to get smarter, to get better, and to drive towards better performance. It doesn’t stop.”

Being Your Whole Self

Prasad begins her days with yoga before logging on, and recommends to take the time to do whatever helps clear your mind and support your well-being, as often as possible. She is finding working at home is also allowing her to feel more present at work. 

“I think very often in life you can’t be really good at your job if you feel as though you’re not giving 100% to your personal life, because that really is the core of who you are. My children, my family, are so important to me,” she says. ”The fact that I can be here for my family allows me to give just as much energy to my job.”

Prasad has learned the value of bringing her authentic self, including her emotions and extroversion, that complements some of her colleagues, to her work.

“In my early career, I was stoic. I felt like it’s all about the job,” she recalls. “Over time, I came to realize it’s okay to care. It’s okay to share. I am going to be emotional about this job and it’s okay. Because the best part of a job really is the people and the relationships you develop.”

“I love my team so much that I think it’s okay for me to show that I’m a woman, that I’ve got family obligations, that I laugh or I cry, or show what bothers me.” She exhales. “Chances are someone else might be going through something similar, and if you can share, they feel like they can. That’s where the team dynamic really comes through. Those small personal interactions go a long way.”

By Aimee Hansen

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Amber Ghauri: Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Wells Fargo Private Bank

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Ghauri AmberAs one of the youngest advisors on her team with Wells Fargo Private Bank in Houston, Pakistan-native and single mom Amber Ghauri is not your typical VP Wealth Advisor. And she didn’t arrive to her position via your typical trajectory either.

Entering Finance on Her Terms

Born and raised in Pakistan, Ghauri moved to Houston, Texas in the middle of working toward her economics degree. Even though Amber experienced immense culture shock in a challenging international move, she completed her economics degree and then decided to stay at home for a few years to raise her first child.

While at home with her two and a half year old son, she began prepping to enter the University of Houston for her MBA in Finance. As part of the program she participated in the Cougar fund, student-led portfolio management hedge fund program.

“It’s a very sought after program and many Houston based energy and financial companies will hire you directly out of that program,” says Ghauri. “I was offered several positions, but didn’t accept any of those.”

Following graduation and expecting her second child, she stayed home for a few years, fully aware this would make her initial leap into a finance career more challenging. Adding to that challenge was the fact that she would not be coming directly out of her MBA, nor would she be licensed.

However, when Ghauri was ready in 2014, JP Morgan hired her for their investment department while supporting her to complete her CFP. She worked at JP Morgan with senior advisors for nearly five years, until she met the sponsor who would help her find her personal path to thriving.

Help in Finding Her Greater Alignment

While Ghauri was successful in her investment role at JP Morgan, she was ready for broader responsibility. It was during a single networking lunch with Amy Bracken at Wells Fargo that she received the kind of valuable external reflection that turns a key and changes everything.

“You’re not a behind the desk kind of person. You’re in the wrong role,” Bracken told her, according to Ghauri. “You’re a relationship kind of person, and that’s the role you should be taking on.”

Ghauri skeptically moved to Wells Fargo in a Wealth Advisor Associate role working for Bracken. Within three months, she was promoted to Wealth Advisor. Less than two years later, she was promoted to VP. Her combination of business acumen, investment knowledge and natural relatability propelled her to success.

As her sponsor and mentor, Bracken continues to be supportive of Ghauri whenever she is looking for career encouragement.

“Amy will impress you to no end, she is somebody that’s relatable, admires Ghauri of her mentor. “She gauges the goals of other women and enables them for success.”

Self-Advocacy, Learning and Honesty

Ghauri has thrived being a single parent, being an immigrant and being seen as young, relative to members of her team – and she’s proud of it. She shares some principles behind her success.

“I’ve always pushed for more. I was never shy in asking and putting it out there to leadership what I wanted,” she says. “If I got the opportunity or not, that’s beside the point.”

When it comes to self-advocacy, she recommends to let leadership know where your personal goals are, long term and short term.

“Talk to immediate leadership. Have the conversation you’re always hesitant to bring up,” she recommends using the opportunity of reviews. “Unless you speak for yourself, nobody else is going to.”

What energizes Ghauri in her current role is her ability to work with clients on their diverse needs through holistic wealth planning. She and her team help clients better understand their investment portfolios, create customize wealth preservation and transfer strategies, manage the asset and liabilities side of the balance sheet and provide other solutions including business valuations and M&A advisory services.

“Learn more than what you are expected to do, and more than what you’re doing in your current job capacity,” she recommends. “Broaden your knowledge base. Don’t be caught with a blank expression on your face when someone asks a question.”

Ghauri values honesty and efficiency and letting her clients know they are an important priority for her. “If you reach out to me, you’ll get a response from me quickly saying I acknowledge you”, says Amber stressing the importance of a responsive connection to others.

Coping with Disruption: Struggle To Growth

Speaking of honesty, Ghauri admits the onset of COVID-19 hit her really hard, but she has ultimately witnessed personal growth and an increased sense of her own leadership ability.

“I overcame many challenges moving to another country. I was not working until I was in my thirties. And now, the moment my career took off – I’m thinking, I’ve arrived,” she reflects. “And then COVID hit. I was feeling a deep depression.”

As a vibrant person who communicates with her entire presence, she felt the need to continue to explore ways to connect with clients in creative ways during the pandemic.

“I have a new approach and stronger bond with internal partners that has improved the way we serve clients,” she says.

When she felt concerns about the COVID having an impact on her performance, as a self-admitting strong Type A personality, she received valuable, nurturing advice from her leaders. During the stressful times of COVID, they have reminded her to put the emphasis on relationships.

“Focusing outside the relationships that sustain us can create a self-inflicted pressure which will only create more challenges” leaders advised her, according to Ghauri. They encouraged her to lean into her natural strengths of connecting and relating – even during the work from home period due to COVID.

Since Ghauri has focused her attentions away from the pressures of the job and more to the work which inspires her, she has felt herself thrive again, even though finding work/home boundaries are still a learning experience.

Ghauri has been indulging in her passion for cooking, and when she is able to, she will again enjoy avid world traveling with her two sons.

By Aimee Hansen

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Ronni G. Davidowitz: Partner, Head of New York Private Wealth, Katten

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Ronni Davidowitz

Photo provided by Gittings Photography

“When someone asks me about job longevity at one firm—as it is not often you see that nowadays—I say, ‘either I must love it or I cannot get another job,’” jokes Katten partner Ronni Davidowitz. “So I would like to think I love it.”

One look at her resume reveals Davidowitz is a lawyer who finds helping her clients with their estate and wealth plans both stimulating and rewarding. She shares her wisdom and lessons learned over decades of experience.

Finding a Home in Law

Davidowitz is ultimately a career one-firm woman who has utterly devoted her professional life to trusts and estates (T&E) law.

She began her legal career in 1979 at a small boutique firm with a heavy concentration in the trusts and estates field and then moved in 1985 to the New York City-based Rosenman & Colin LLP, which then merged in 2002 with a Chicago firm to become Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, creating a 35-year tenure for Davidowitz at one firm.

“Given the amount of time, it feels like that has been my only home,” says Davidowitz.

After finishing law school at St. John’s University, Davidowitz, as noted earlier, worked briefly at a small firm where she gained experience handling trusts and estates matters, but eventually grew “fidgety.” While lunching with a fellow lawyer and sharing her plans to move on, serendipity struck—a perfect vacancy in his firm, which ultimately became known as Katten.

“I did not even have a resume together because I was really mulling over what I wanted to do,” recalls Davidowitz. “Next thing you know, I was in there, had an interview, did not interview anywhere else, they made me an offer and the rest—as they say—is history.”

“What has kept me at the same firm honestly is the people,” she muses. “It is a terrific group of people that I admire and respect, and I think it is mutual. I am just very fortunate to work with smart, capable, good and truly nice people. It makes a big difference.”

Practicing in Trusts & Estates Law

“I love the balance of the personal interactions and the intellectual challenges in advising clients on estate planning and wealth management needs and helping them avoid litigation,” says Davidowitz.

In her work, Davidowitz often develops relationships with generations of the same family, who are looking for assistance with succession planning and come with all the facets that family dynamics bring.

“The challenge in my area is that although money is what it translates to in terms of property and assets,” she says, “the undercurrent is the emotional charge.”

Working with wealthy families and individuals, each case is as unique as her clients and their personal needs. With such diversified work, she is grateful to call on her colleagues in different disciplines, such as real estate, corporate and tax attorneys who can offer more services to clients, like handling the transactional capabilities most frequently needed by ultra-high-net-worth individuals and the privately held businesses they run.

“I tend to think of us as the closest you might come to a generalist in the legal profession, much like a general practitioner in the medical field, versus all the various sub-specialties,” she says.

“Intellectually, it is stimulating,” states Davidowitz, who enjoys devising cutting-edge tax strategies so clients can save on income, estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. “You really need to be mindful of what’s important to the individual—that is why there is no off-the-shelf answer.”

Witnessing the Influx of Women

Davidowitz is a daughter of Holocaust survivors, and as a first-generation U.S.-born citizen was the first in her family to attend college and graduate from law school.

She remembers a time when there were as few as ten women in her own law school class, whereas now women make up more than 50 percent of student enrollment. So she has witnessed the increase in women entering the profession, even close to home. Her own daughter is a “second generation” T&E lawyer.

At Katten, the firm has fostered an inclusive culture, focused on attracting, developing and retaining diverse talent.

“I know the firm’s leadership management has openly and often articulated its policy of diversity, inclusion and sensitivity to it,” she says of Katten.

Years ago, she became involved at an executive level in Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum, when it was first formed to support the growth and retention of women attorneys through various initiatives, mentoring and professional development programs, and social and networking events.

Making Contacts and Creating Opportunities

One of her important lessons has been to invest in relationships that are mutually agreeable—and then be willing to leverage those connections.

“I have learned that contacts are really important. When you have identified people that you genuinely like, that you respect, then do not be shy about reaching out to them,” advises Davidowitz.

Unique in her practice area is that lawyers from different firms often get together in discussion groups and cultivate ties to one another.

“One of those women, who is a personal friend of mine now, was with-the-hand-at-the-small-of-your-back sort of guiding me,” Davidowitz says.

Not only did Davidowitz succeed her friend in becoming the chair of New York City Bar’s Estate and Gift Taxation Committee, but she was also recommended by her as state chair for Downstate New York for the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), a 5-year term she is now completing.

“These are positions of prestige, so I have had the benefit of having someone who took that extra interest and looked out for me,” says Davidowitz. “And I try to pay that back. I try to make opportunities for my associates, male or female, though I personally have a large female group.”

Being True to Yourself

Another way Davidowitz supports young attorneys is how she approaches performance evaluations.

She prides herself on being a good judge of character, and considers that part of any evaluation process is to guide lawyers to achieve their goals—she iterates that it is very personal, for example not everybody wants to be partner, but those who do have steps to take.

“Evaluations are more than saying ‘people think you write well,’ or ‘you are a thoughtful attorney,’” she says. “An important part of the process is guidance—career development, advice on how to proceed, or maybe a suggestion to take a step back if there is too much pressure with the family balance and workload.”

She advises being really true to yourself, and figuring out the pace that will work for you. She sets achievable goals of five-year increments to get where she wants to go—a reasonable time period to get set up for success.

For example, she focused on completing the necessary requirements, like public speaking and involvement in bar associations, to be elected as a Fellow to ACTEC.

One way she creates opportunities for associates is having them co-author articles or chapters with her, from which they receive byline credit, or helping to place other lawyers on bar association committees aligned to their interests.

Proud Lawyer, Prouder Grandmother

Davidowitz is proud of her leadership involvement in many organizations like ACTEC, being surrounded with the top minds in the field with the opportunity to give back.

She had been honored for her work and her civic contributions by 400 of her peers at the United Jewish Appeal (UJA)-Federation of New York, a philanthropic organization in which she also had served as chair of its T&E committee.

What she is most devoted to, however, is her family and her six grandchildren. “I have told anyone that the best club to be in is the grandparent’s club,” she says.

As a self-confessed “voracious reader,” Davidowitz seeks to pass on her own passion by building a little book club among her grandkids.

By Aimee Hansen

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Allison Yacker: Partner and Co-Chair, Investment Management and Funds, Katten

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Allison Yacker“From the moment I joined Katten, the attorneys most keen to invest in me — both personally and professionally — quickly became my mentors,” says Katten’s Allison Yacker.

“Reflecting on that moment, not only were those mentors some of the smartest and hardest working attorneys at Katten, but more importantly they were the ones who realized this was a two-way street.” Years later, Yacker now co-chairs the firm’s Investment Management and Funds practice and is based in New York.

Yacker offered insights on her journey to becoming a firm leader, and being recognized as a great mother and a go-to legal counsel for some of the largest global financial institutions.

Pivoting to Make Her Own Path, and Rising to Leadership at Katten

Throughout her 18 years at Katten, Yacker continues to rise through the firm ranks: from being selected as a summer associate, to becoming one of the youngest capital partners in the firm, to acting as a co-chair of the New York Financial Markets and Funds practice group and serving as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors.

“I knew Katten was a great place to work, and by the time I was a third-year associate I had solidified a terrific roster of mentors who happened to be all men,” Yacker said. “As I thrived in my career, I was determined to make capital partner by the time I was 40 and to serve in a leadership position at the firm because I wanted to prove to myself that it was possible and to help create a similar path for other women in the firm.”

And she did just that.

Yacker began her career at Katten in the corporate group, handling general securities work and mergers and acquisitions. She credits this experience with providing her the skillset that would serve as the foundation for her current practice. 

Soon Yacker was presented with the opportunity to be seconded to a major financial institution, where she gained practical legal experience in the derivatives and private funds market. Yacker relished the experience, and quickly found that the clients she enjoyed working with the most were traders and key decision-makers at hedge funds and private equity funds.

When she returned to the firm from her secondment, she quickly realized that she was one of only a few associates who could handle complex derivatives and structured products transactions for both the buy and sell sides. These types of transactions were regularly handled by the Financial Markets and Funds group, so when practice leaders invited her to join the group she knew it would provide her the platform needed to expand upon this niche. She jumped at the opportunity.

But in 2008, when the Dodd-Frank Act was enacted, she quickly realized that the complex derivatives transactions that she had spent a significant amount of time on were essentially regulated out of business. Good lawyers anticipate future risks; great lawyers identify it and pivot. It was at that moment Yacker decided to move away from derivatives and toward refocusing her practice on fund formation and investment management. There she found success faster than anticipated, and her clients quickly came and continue to rely on her to serve as their outsourced general counsel. Later on, she would pivot again – this time toward representing sophisticated investors looking to make investments in hedge funds, private equity funds, and other alternative financial products.  

Today Yacker represents hedge funds, private equity funds, commodity pools and managed account platforms that engage in a wide variety of strategies, including quantitative trading, private credit, distressed debt, futures, litigation finance, securitized products, affordable housing, renewable energy and carbon credits, to name a few. She also advises clients with regards to seed and early stage investment opportunities and global regulatory issues that arise in connection with investments in funds and managed accounts.

“You need to be able to work dynamically within your industry to find a practice that makes sense for you — one in which you respect and like the client base, and, most importantly, one that you enjoy,” Yacker said. “Do not be reactionary when it comes to your career, be proactive, take the reins and make the tough decisions.” 

Being Her Personal and Professional Self

In 2018, Yacker was named Katten’s Working Mother of the Year by Working Mother magazine. The article profiling her pointed out how integration of personal and professional self is only growing in importance. 

“Personal and professional—the lines become blurred when you’re predominantly working from home in New York City and raising two children who are remote learning,” she said. “It’s definitely a challenge to shift back and forth between the mom hat, the teacher hat, and the lawyer hat,” says Yacker. “When it comes to my kids, I make every effort to do so with love and respect, and of course a sense of humor, which I know resonates with my children.”

All joking aside, she remarked that her career often dictates that she be deliberate and efficient with her time, and that she create boundaries for herself and her children so that no aspect of the services she provides to her clients is impacted. To that end, she noted that she periodically goes to Katten’s mostly empty midtown Manhattan office when she has an intense work day planned, and joked that she never thought she would enjoy going to an office as much as she does now.

Positive Vibes and Being the Difference

Yacker is most energized about her work when her clients commend her skillset, style and work ethic when it comes to servicing their needs.  

“My clients often remark that they see me as a true counselor — a person that they know will give them not only insightful legal advice and the answer under the law, but also an answer that will work for their businesses,” she says. “My clients know that I am not a scrivener, and that I don’t stop at ‘no you can’t’ when they have a difficult issue — I’m here to solve their problems, to be creative, and to use the resources of my firm to find the best possible solution to any problem they have and to get the deal done.”

Yacker primarily attributes her professional integrity and intense work ethic to her grandfather, whose first job after arriving in America after surviving the Holocaust was that of a janitor who made 65 cents an hour. Through incredibly hard work, her grandfather eventually built a successful business. Both of her grandfathers were incredibly hard workers but family came first to them. To Yacker, every day that she puts in a hard day at work is a testament to her grandparents and an attempt to honor their memory.

Learning Along the Way

Yacker gained valuable insight while ascending to become one of the firm’s youngest capital partners.

She recommends that young lawyers work with and learn from as many different lawyers as possible. 

“You learn different ways of thinking, different ways of networking, different analytical abilities, and different techniques for maintaining relationships and running a practice,” she observes. “I think that’s been critical to my success.”

Yacker also says that she has always worked hardest for the people who were fully invested in her.

“Seek out mentors who are looking to invest in you personally and professionally,” says Yacker. “And take those relationships as seriously as possible. And then, give back to younger associates in the same regard.”

And most importantly, she encourages young lawyers to take ownership of their careers — not to wait for an opportunity to be handed to them, but rather to take the initiative in building a successful practice and to think proactively and deliberately about their goals. 

Networking and Outreach

Yacker stays connected with her clients and colleagues — even in pandemic times. Whether it be a virtual group wine tasting, hosting socially-distanced cocktails and meals on her terrace, or virtual tea with clients in London, Yacker tries her best to proactively stay in touch with her clients both professionally and personally.

She has found it particularly fulfilling to work on pro bono matters,  providing legal counsel through the Small Business Legal Relief Alliance to small businesses in New York that are struggling during the global pandemic. 

Yacker also sits on the steering committee and national mentoring panel of the Katten Women’s Leadership Forum, which supports the growth of Katten’s women attorneys with professional development events, networking and practical advice. 

She is also one of the founding members of Katten’s Women in Finance Initiative, which seeks to build a strong community of women within the firm with a view toward driving cross-selling opportunities and driving more business to this community.

She is an Angel Member of 100 Women in Finance, an organization dedicated to empowering women in the finance and alternative investment industries through meaningful connections, high-impact programming and initiatives that help build the pipeline of future leaders in the industry.

Also close to her heart is the new Parents Affinity Group at Katten—a virtual support group for attorneys and business professionals to connect with each other and discuss approaches to navigating work and family responsibilities. 

Crowing Achievement

As committed as she is to her professional success, she views her crowning achievement as the balance she has struck between being a successful lawyer and being a successful mother.

“My children know that mommy’s business means I have to be available to my clients almost all the time, so I work a lot. I think they respect me for how hard I work at my job, but they 100 percent know that they come first and they always will,” Yacker said. 

Yacker’s “work hard, play hard” attitude has always resonated with her sons Jackson and Ashton, ages 8 and 12 respectively. She revels daily in how resilient they are, how kind they are to each other, and how hard they work to do their best in school, even under these extraordinary circumstances. Yacker said she finds inspiration from her kids, who make her want to be the best at anything she is doing.

Her most cherished daily moment is the time when it’s just her and her boys — whether they are on the baseball field, cuddling in bed, or laughing together in hysterics on the couch. Those are the moments she is most grateful for.

By Aimee Hansen

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Intrepid Women: Beverly Robinson, Client Service Consultant Abbot Downing

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Beverly RobinsonBeverly Robinson, Client Service Consultant Abbot Downing is a woman both of influence and advocacy.

“I’ve learned to “code-switch” conversationally, in order to convey diverse philosophies and concepts. This tactic allows me to circumvent being profiled and misinterpreted as “angry or aggressive”, and in that way, my voice for diversity and inclusion, and ideas for advocacy are heard more clearly. As an African American woman in Corporate America, I’ve learned that I cannot afford to be thin-skinned when my ideas are usurped, re-mixed or claimed by others. There’s an art to being a woman of diversity, inclusion and advocacy.

My banking career is a means to my economic well-being. However, support of the disenfranchised and marginalized is where I have the greatest impact, and receive heartfelt, profound fulfillment.

As a survivor of childhood molestation, it’s imperative that I fight for those whose voices are often stifled by domestic violence, fear, stigma and even death. I spend priceless time at our local Family Services and Rape Crisis Centers, talking with mothers, hearing their stories of survival, and offering my time and resources. Organizing programs for the national “Domestic Abuse Awareness Month”, to assist the families in moving to the next level, empowers these families and creates hope for a brighter future. In addition, I spend time on college campuses, speaking for the National “Take Back the Night” campaign, and have met and formed friendships with students who have opened up and come forward with their own stories of abuse. Many of these students have graduated to become powerful advocates. Pushing my corporation to provide professional opportunities for students of color who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) is an ongoing passion, resulting in graduates achieving internships and careers and even becoming entrepreneurs. Several of my colleagues have volunteered to become guest lecturers at those HBCU’s, forming an alliance with the faculty and students, helping to power an enduring and ever growing partnership, focused on providing opportunities for a rising generation of talent and leaders.

Because of the confluence of all the above, I became an author, sharing my story and life experiences, presenting workshops and seminars, and traveling nationally doing book tours. My audience is diverse, broad and varied.

Growing up, my upbringing was a bit eclectic. My childhood was not unusual, but not necessarily normal. I began school in Ft. Riley, Kansas where my step-dad was stationed in the Army, in an integrated environment including students who were children of soldiers. Our neighborhood was fully integrated, and by all accounts, civility and unity ruled the day. Being a leader in class both scholastically and athletically, I made friends easily. I clearly remember my first bold act of advocacy on behalf of my classmate, my little blonde, blue-eyed friend named Donna, who, when called on by our teacher to give answers to pop quizzes, was paralyzed with fear, unable to raise her hand to answer the questions asked in rapid fire succession.

As all of our hands were upstretched in excitement, wanting to be picked to answer the questions, our teacher continued to purposely call on her, making my classmate cry uncontrollably, in embarrassment.

The discomfort I felt for her compelled me to yell out the answer each time our teacher berated her, which angered and frustrated the teacher. I spoke up and answered the questions out of turn, knowing I would get in trouble. Donna’s feelings mattered to me. I didn’t appreciate the mistreatment and bullying of my friend. Conversely, my teacher didn’t appreciate my interjections, with my yelling out the answers, so she hastily took me out of the classroom, and in the presence of another teacher as the “witness”, I received corporal punishment. The other teacher seemed irritated that the punishment did not fit the crime, but did not interfere, nor raise opposition. I remained defiant. After this episode,  the teacher tapered her verbal assaults directed at my classmate, all but ignoring her. I remained prepared to yell out answers on her behalf. I learned about getting into “good trouble” early on.

My step-dad’s military career was cut short due to his poor physical health. The normality of my childhood was disrupted because he was also unhealthy mentally. He was an incestuous pedophile. We left Ft. Riley, and moved back to my hometown, where I began a new school. A segregated school. The anomaly of transferring from an integrated school to a segregated school and neighborhood wasn’t earth shattering in my young eyes, as I felt comfortable in both settings. My new school was all-Black. All of the teachers, faculty and staff were Black, and the students were treated like family. The women wore dresses, pearls and heals, and all the men wore suits and ties every single day. The pride they carried washed over us as students. They believed strongly in instilling in us a solid education. They believed in excellence and wouldn’t allow any of us to settle for less. Integration and busing came to our school four years later. Our fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Tanner, who was beautiful and brilliant, prepared us for the integration process that was to happen the following year. She gave us “the talk”, and drilled in us that although the books, equipment and educational materials that we used for study were old and dated, compared to the ones of our white peers whose schools were on the more prominent side of town, we were just as smart and capable. I believed Mrs. Tanner, and her words regarding capability settled in my consciousness to this day. I graduated from college and obtained my MBA.

From corporate boardrooms to college campuses, and from church pulpits to women’s empowerment conferences, my sphere of influence has allowed me the esteemed opportunity to listen with compassion, create viable diversity programming, to serve as mentor and trusted advisor to executive management, share life experiences, and to empower and affirm those seeking answers to life’s challenges. I learn and grow with each interaction. Advocacy isn’t the path of least resistance, and often, fighting for others while girding oneself mentally and emotionally is typically the road less
traveled. At times, my resolve and tenacity has been shaken when I’ve seen clear paths and pipelines to inclusion, but met with non-cooperation, deflection, indifference and lack of enthusiasm. It’s always a challenge understanding those who are not willing to work hard on behalf of others, unless they receive accolades – self-aggrandizement. But I’ve learned that to push forward to accomplish goals, ideologies and dreams, sometimes obstacles have to be sidestepped, and rerouting and recalibrating is necessary in order to accomplish the objectives of unity and inclusion.

I’m enjoying my journey, paying keen and sincere attention to the needs of those requiring a voice. I relish being able to push, pull and convince others to work on behalf of those in need. All of our lives improve markedly when we serve l.o[0others. I shall continue to advocate for those within our company structure, and for those outside of our corporation. And, as I say often, “courage takes courage”.

Abbot Downing, a Wells Fargo business, and Wells Fargo Private Bank offer products and services through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and its various affiliates and subsidiaries. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is a bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company

By Aimee Hansen

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Niamh Bushnell: Chief Communications Officer (CCO), Soapbox Labs

Niamh Bushnell“Communicating about things I feel passionate about feels good, even joyful.” says Niamh Bushnell, CCO of SoapBox Labs, based in Dublin.

Bushnell shares her passion for Ireland’s technology prowess, the importance of equitable AI and the challenges for women in technology. 

Tech Was The Ticket, Ireland Was the Passion

Coming out of university in the mid-90’s, Bushnell was keen to travel, use her foreign languages (Spanish, French and Italian), and work with smart, exciting people.

“So it wasn’t a love of technology itself that attracted me to the tech industry.” she admits. “I’ve always had those two sides, working with savvy tech entrepreneurs and representing tech companies, but not being a ‘tech person’ myself. What I did love, and was drawn to, was their smarts, and the universality and the dynamism of the industry.”

During 16 years based in the NYC area, she worked on supporting Irish, European and other international start-ups in entering the U.S. market. While adventure may have drawn her to tech, what compelled her to remain has been the opportunity to secure Ireland’s place in the “pantheon of technology champions.”

“For someone who loves to travel and has a global mindset, I’m also very committed to supporting local – be where you are, get involved in where you, shop where you are,” says Bushnell. “I was 16 years in NYC when I saw an ad for a leadership role in Dublin – to be the face of the indigenous tech industry there, to tell the story of Dublin as a city of technology and innovation. It read like a job tailor made for me, with a mission I could be really excited about.” 

In 2014, as Dublin Commissioner for Startups, she returned home with family, where she launched popular initiatives like the First Friday Brekkie, the publication Dublin Globe (to tell the stories of Irish tech companies), the data tracking platform TechIreland, and female founder focused activities like the €100M campaign, and the video series Female Founder Fridays.

“People think that multinational companies are the only Irish tech stories,” states Bushnell. “But there are over 2000 Irish startups and scale-ups expanding globally with technology homegrown in Ireland. I was just really fired up to tell that story.”

The Power of Tech Networking

As Commissioner, Bushnell’s strategy was to focus on promoting “the best of the best” Irish companies to achieve international traction.

“My philosophy was always that to win, our approach can’t be to love all of our companies equally. If we want Dublin’s reputation to grow, we have to focus our limited resources on promoting the very best companies, the most talented and gifted teams, the businesses with the greatest global potential,” she remembers, “Promote them first and foremost, and all Irish companies will benefit from that.”

It was at one of the monthly First Friday Brekkies Bushnell hosted in the Commissioner’s office that she met Patricia Scanlon, CEO and Founder of SoapBox Labs, a deep tech AI company specializing in speech recognition for children. They happened to both have a ring made by the same Soho designer from their stints living in New York. 

“You can tell when you meet founders how deep their ambition is, how great their vision is, and how solid their ground rules are,” states Bushnell. Scanlon’s 20+ years of specialization in speech recognition, her vision, and her approach to fundraising impressed Niamh hugely.

“Speech recognition for kids hadn’t really been touched,” explained Bushnell. “So SoapBox was going to be the specialist who would become a world leader in that space. The ambition to deliver on that was already tangible.” 

Real integrity in AI 

In her current role at SoapBox Labs, Bushnell testifies to the value of foresight and patience in developing the best technology to positively impact all user’s lives.

“Is your AI developed in a way that is equitable – that doesn’t have inherent gender bias or racial bias?” asks Bushnell. “If voice tech doesn’t recognize a kid’s dialect and gives them a lower score on a reading assessment because they don’t pronounce words in the way the AI has been built to understand them, they’re going to lose out at school.” 

“The way technology is built these days hugely impacts people’s quality of life – including their physical and mental health – and it can impact them socioeconomically too.” says Bushnell. “Equity is a big piece. Our voice technology has been proven to show no bias when it comes to accents and dialects. That’s massive. We built it with the ambition to deliver a level playing field for all kids, so we’re super excited that independent validators and customers are confirming that.”

As technology becomes more deeply integrated into our lives and education, especially at a young age, it’s more important than ever that it offers a positive and accurate experience for all users. With voice technology, this means developing solutions from the ground-up that actually work for all kinds of children.

“So that’s the compelling vision I’m now happy to be communicating,” smiles Bushnell.  

Challenge for Women in Tech

Having held several roles promoting the tech industry, Bushnell has talked to many women about their experiences. 

“What is one-hundred percent true, but kind of unbelievable still, is that women founders who are technical by background are often not taken seriously for their big vision and big ambition,” says Bushnell, especially if they’re proposing game changing, first-of-its-kind innovation. 

“Women founders who are scientists, who are engineers, who are PhDs, who have spent their whole careers building innovation and have the patents to prove it, these women say that when they go into a room and position a big vision of something that is going to change the world, they are often not believed by the men or the women (if there are any) sitting on the other side of the table.”

These women need extra grit and resilience as they move step by step through the process of knocking down the hurdles placed before them. Bushnell agrees that women have a huge responsibility to support other women in breaking down the barriers we collectively face. She also says it’s about time that women get over the need to be liked by everyone. 

“I think you’ve gotta really be comfortable with being a leader and being respected” she says, “but it’s also okay to be unpopular for decisions you make. It’s also okay to be wrong about decisions you make and put up your hand and say so. I think women care a lot more about their reputations at every stage of their journey than maybe they should.”

Despite the observation that society has a harder time accepting and encouraging women through failures, she encourages women to learn to embrace racking up some failures along the way. 

“We just have such a hard time faking it until we make it,” says Bushnell. “and business is nothing but that. You never really have any of the answers! You do good research, pay attention to the trends, listen to your instincts, but in the end, you have to take risks.”

One of her greatest experiences was in the TechIreland role when her team had little resource but a big vision. She loved taking risks, dusting herself off, and developing the tenacity to get up again and learn by doing. 

“You can have loads of failure but if you have tenacity, the chances are you’re going to figure it out as you try and fail, as you go along.” she muses.

“There’s a lot of freedom when you’re comfortable with risk, and with freedom comes creativity. Don’t worry if every single step isn’t going to come out as you want it to. Often times you don’t even know what the ideal outcome is, until you start.”

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Trisha Sircar; Partner, Privacy, Data and Cybersecurity, Katten

,
Trisha Sircar“I will say I’m incredibly lucky that I’ve had the support of many women in my industry,” says Trisha Sircar, Partner at Katten.

The terrain of data privacy and cybersecurity is evolving as quickly as our relationships to technology, so there’s rarely been a more challenging or rewarding time to be an authority in this field.

Organic networking from one of the world’s largest insurance companies to Katten

After beginning her legal career in litigation at a law firm, Sircar moved to in-house at a global insurance company. In 2014, two years into her eight-year tenure there, she segued from employment law to data privacy and cybersecurity, exploring from both legal and business vantages, usually for Fortune 500 clients.

“We’d take a deep dive into how organizations measured their data privacy and cybersecurity from a macro and micro perspective,” Sircar says. “It was very interesting to see how different clients — healthcare, pharmaceutical, hospitals, universities, media, tech, professional services firms, retail, and others — use, collect and retain data, and manage their privacy and cybersecurity risk.”

Within her last remit as counsel and compliance officer, Sircar helped implement the company’s global privacy compliance and records and information management program, as well as manage internal policies and procedures pertaining to privacy, data and cyber security across more than 50 global locations.

Through her work, Sircar developed a longstanding client relationship with Floyd Mandell and Karen Artz Ash, Katten Partners and Co-Chairs of the Intellectual Property practice.

“I had very close ties with Katten throughout my career,” she says. “I saw Floyd and others on his team as mentors and friends that I could always turn to.”

Sircar was focused on establishing her career in-house and did not plan to return to private practice, but soon found herself accepting the invitation to join Katten in January 2020.

“I knew their business model, their reputation, and I knew that I could trust them as a partner based on the multiple matters that we handled together,” she says. “I always tell my mentees and associates on my team that you should keep an open mind and be open to opportunities. So I kept an open mind, and I’ve been very happy with the decision.”

 

New World, New Questions, New Challenges

In her role at Katten, Sircar is largely confronting the issues that have arisen and solutions to be forged under the context of a public health crisis.

“I’ve recently worked on updating business continuity plans for clients that envisaged a terrorist attack in advance of 9/11 or natural disasters before Hurricane Sandy struck, but many of our clients never thought to foresee a pandemic,” says Sircar. “So we are creating a new playbook. It’s something that is dynamic and going to change day to day, every day.”

A salient focus right now is education privacy, both in creating safe and secure practices for sustaining education in a remote environment and navigating, where feasible, re-entry into the classroom.

As both an attorney and aunt, Sircar appreciates the complex considerations at play in the transition to remote learning, including the importance for schools to perform critical due diligence on software, applications and technology platforms with regards to how they protect students’ privacy, and to pay close attention to how these platforms collect data on students.

Schools need to address whether they provide sufficient disclosures to students, parents and guardians, and teachers, and employ adequate information and cybersecurity protocols so parents and guardians are clearly aware of what is going on in virtual classrooms and what support is available, according to Sircar.

“Whatever we can do to promote safe and secure practices for schools during this environment, whether they are participating remotely or in a hybrid model, is really important,” Sircar said.

Sircar clarifies there is no easy, one-size-fits-all solution. Not only are schools under state-level laws, but guidance at the district and school levels differ and fluctuate too.

Many business clients are also navigating creative changes in their client or consumer relationship and interface in the present pandemic world.

The way of overseeing businesses’ privacy policies and processes, and compliance with global privacy law, is also impacted — from managing increases in cybercrime to what to do when you can no longer run to the IT guy down the hallway.

 

Real Diversity is Visible

Despite the tech-related nature of her legal realm, Sircar attests that neither her gender nor Indian ethnic background have been personal barriers.

“My last manager was a female. Her manager was a female and the hierarchy above her were all females,” she says. “I have been fortunate to have had incredible mentors. And Katten is truly supportive and amazing in terms of their work/life balance and maternity leave policy.”

“I have interviewed with companies and law firms that I know have strong diversity and inclusion programs, and it’s not just window dressing. I see their impact at a substantive level,” says Sircar.

She recommends to do the research before interviewing, ask the hard questions and pay attention. At a senior level, she suggests reaching out to networking peers to share thoughts on the leadership culture of a firm.

“When I hired Katten at my predecessor company’s lawyers, I saw the hierarchy, and there were females and minorities in those high positions that I’d be working with or reporting to,” says Sircar. “But I think law firms generally have more work to do to achieve parity.”

On that note, Sircar finds her pro bono work with entrepreneurs in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, which helps to foster more diversity in law, to be essential.

“I think it’s really important that as lawyers and leaders, we don’t always look to what we deserve or what we should get,” states Sircar. “It should be more of a culture that embraces giving back.”

 

Mentorship and Support

“Katten really supports mentorship, not only at an internal level between partners and associates,” notes Sircar, “but also externally with students — from high school to college to law school.”

While she’s often gone the path on her own — from Australia to New York to law school to partnership — she emphasizes to her mentees to be willing to ask for support.

“Reaching out for help or advice does not subvert you from your task of getting to what you want to do,” says Sircar, “and it could have gotten me there faster. Be open to others’ opinions. Don’t be afraid to ask uncomfortable questions, but also be prepared for the tough answers.”

“It’s really important to get different perspectives from different people, from different backgrounds and different facets of the legal profession.”

 

Guardian of our Times

In addition to being perceived as a role model to other women and making her family proud, Sircar is proud to stand as an authority in a field of law that has an impact on everyone in this interconnected, global digital economy.

“I assist my clients in understanding and managing the evolving privacy and cybersecurity risks that they face when they create their services and products or market them, while protecting and securing personal data and confidential information,” she says. “Working in an industry that really affects everybody and holding all parties accountable to that, that’s another thing I’m proud of. I get to do a job every day that helps society by promoting and ensuring an ethical approach to the usage of data, individual privacy and sound cybersecurity hygiene.”

By Aimee Hansen

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Afua Richardson-Parry, Senior Medical Manager, Pfizer Ltd.

Afua Richardson-ParryAfua Richardson-Parry had always strived to be a hands-on person, prone to learning new things in keeping with the pace of a dynamic and changing healthcare ecosystem.

She didn’t set out to be a “Jill of all trades,” but rather to be adaptable and flexible. However, this drive shaped a sense of focus that sharpened when she came across a quote that really spoke to her; “Know your strength, staff your weakness.”

“That has changed my perspectives on teamwork and delegation in both ‘work’ and ‘play’ contexts,” she says. “Knowing what you’re best at and what others can and should do instead of doing it all yourself allows you to be your best.”

Keeping a Focus on Patient Needs

Richardson-Parry pursued pharmaceutical sciences because she was interested in research and exploration into how the body works and possible interventions to combat diseases. “I can say that now with almost 18 years in the industry, my desire to make an impact in healthcare has and continues to be positively fulfilled,” she says.

After earning a post-graduate research degree, Richardson-Parry began her career at the UK Department of Health – specifically the executive branch dealing with medicines regulation and licensing (MHRA). She then moved into the pharmaceutical industry, working within regulatory affairs and rising quickly into senior executive roles with increasing responsibilities.

Now a senior manager within medical affairs, compliance, governance and strategy at Pfizer, she appreciates her role as one that brings her close to healthcare professionals—and more importantly patients—through various educational initiatives. She views this as a great professional achievement – seeing the fruits of her passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients through collaborative partnerships that help to optimize their health.

“I have had the privilege of working with and supporting leading experts, academics, healthcare professionals and clinicians, such as doctors, pharmacists nurses and specialists through a series of online and digital educational resources to enhance clinical practice and patient care,” Richardson-Parry said.

Working With Others to Learn More, Achieve More

Over the years, Richardson-Parry has had the opportunity to mentor and be mentored in personal and professional life settings. She has found being able to coach or encourage someone in the right direction is rewarding. Equally, being championed by fellow colleagues has tremendously bolstered her understanding of the business and corporate world. “In addition, I believe my career has progressed because of having a sense of purpose and focus. I live to better understand why I am here and what I am supposed to bring to this world. Also, having a strong conviction in my values and beliefs is just as important to me as being confident, hard-working, positive and resilient. Above all I have a personal desire for growth in every season of life.”

In addition, she cites former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Dr. Martin Luther King and Michelle Obama as some of her goal role models – both for their outlook on life and their sense of optimism even in the face of adversity and challenges.

Closer to home, she has found value in company networks that are designed to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment, which she finds essential for business as well as personal growth. “When women connect on professional and relational aspects, it can help ensure that they are well-represented in leadership, while having the freedom to balance family life and other social initiatives”, Richardson-Parry says.

She recently has been able to co-lead colleagues in the UK in continuous dialogue about race and ethnicity at work. She confirms that diversity and inclusion is a key focus of all levels of senior leadership at Pfizer. Through her local networks and workstreams in the UK, she joins a group of dedicated colleagues who are passionate about raising awareness about race and ethnicity at all levels of leadership.

“With a group of passionate allies, we are leading the conversation to effect lasting change so people feel confident to talk about racism and injustice, as well as create opportunities where all colleagues can thrive and progress in their careers, whilst bringing their best selves to work.”

Richardson-Parry, in collaboration with colleagues at Pfizer, continues to build lasting partnerships within academia and among clinicians through digital educational resources that may help them to manage patients with chronic disease and within the context of the current pandemic.

While she initially held the view that the corporate pharma world might tend toward being business- and transaction-driven, with little opportunity for the patient’s voice to enter key decision making, she soon learned that was far from the case. “Throughout my career in the industry and especially in my current role, I can share plenty of examples that attests to a strategy that puts patients right at the heart of everything that we do.”

by Cathie Ericson

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Pamela Yoon, Vice President & Portfolio Manager, RBC Wealth Management/RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Pamela YoonPamela Yoon finds her business incredibly rewarding, although also challenging.

“I encourage newer professionals that the first few years will always be tough so you have to adjust for playing the long game,” she says. “It’s like training for a marathon and while it can be hard to stick with, it pays off.”

Building a Successful Business From Scratch

That long game has worked for Yoon. She joined the banking world right out of university without knowing much about it. In her 23-year-old mind, she saw starting as a teller as the traditional route to success. But a friend recommended that she try something different; he had an opening for a junior assistant position and even though she didn’t know exactly what it was, she knew she would catch on quickly. Yoon didn’t grow up in a household where they discussed financial markets, but she found the field fascinating and never looked back.

Yoon studied how the most successful people in the office made their way and realized that at the time, all the assistants were women, and all the brokers were white males. However, she loved the client interaction and asked the office manager if she could be considered as an investment executive. He rebuffed her, and her friend recommended that she join him at BMO Nesbitt Burns, which at the time had the best rookie training on the street. “I was persistent and aggressive to get hired even though there were no job openings,” she says.

After starting from scratch in 1996, today Yoon has built a $200 million business. It wasn’t easy, she says. Born in Malaysia, she came to Canada for university and is proud she could build a successful business despite no family connections or friends with money, which is a challenge in a business built on relationships. Her solid client foundation has helped her realize success as the field has pivoted from one that used to be primarily transaction-based to a fee-based holistic wealth management approach that covers full financial planning.

Now she is able to concentrate on growing her business from current clients and referrals. “I wish I had done something else first to build a network, as my start was a little slower than many, but with my current experience, I can now grow much faster.”

Helping Women Assert Their Role in the Business

Despite that early experience, the challenges and obstacles she sees are largely in women’s minds, Yoon says. “They might tell you that a certain role is not for you, as happened to me early on, but you have to push back.” She especially finds that in a business like hers where you are judged by performance, you don’t have to deal with glass ceilings or bosses denying raises because everyone is on par. “If I produce more than a man, I have that option.”

It’s one of the reasons she finds it puzzling that there aren’t more women in the business. In addition, she feels that women’s skillsets are well suited to success. “They have more of the emotional intelligence that is important in this business to help people plan, and they ask good questions to help families make hard decisions around their money, Yoon says.

Giving Back to Aspiring Students

Yoon is still very active at her university, where she graduated with a degree in economics. For the past six years has hosted a forum in her board room (which will be virtual this year) where students are invited to tour the firm and ask questions. There, too, she sees the disparity as it is almost always a ratio of 20% female and 80% male.

She also serves as a guest lecturer in behavioral finance and last year announced the inaugural “Pamela Yoon Award for Economics,” which is open to anyone pursuing a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) or CMT (Chartered Market Technician). “I truly feel that I want to give back and create a legacy.”

Despite her many professional obligations, Yoon stays busy and balanced. A weightlifter and road cyclist, she is also a self-taught chef and enjoys spending time with her two teenage sons.

She finds her work very rewarding. “I want to empower more women to take control of their finances,” she says, adding that Vancouver, Canada, where she lives, is a region that’s very real estate focused, so she is trying to educate people about the possibilities in the stock market. “I see many get lost, and so it’s important to explain the market in plain language and give them confidence to approach their financial life with full confidence.”

by Cathie Ericson

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Shani Hatcher, Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors

Shani Hatcher“The best thing about my job is helping people. It is humbling that I can be there for my clients during difficult times, I don’t want them to feel alone. I, too, am an individual and a mother dealing with the pandemic, so I tell them we can get through this together,” said Shani Hatcher, a San Francisco-based financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors.

“I want my clients to make informed investment decisions and to let them know it’s okay to feel helpless or angry. This is a time to be compassionate regarding the expectations we have for ourselves.”

Hatcher loves her job and sharing her knowledge to educate others. She began her career in financial services immediately after she graduated from Duke University in 2001 and took the Series 7 exam, also known as the General Securities Representative Exam shortly afterwards. In 2005, she joined Wells Fargo Advisors as a client associate to a team of financial advisors. Shani reveals that her path to where she is today consisted of choices that gave her good work-life balance in order to raise her children as a single mother.

“Spending time with my kids was as important as financial success,” she added. “I loved my assistant job because I was well compensated and it was relatively stress-free. I had the ability to be active in my children’s lives.”

Her approach to wellbeing and family time, particularly during the current pandemic has become extremely useful.

“I think that we need to try to treat ourselves and others with compassion,” Hatcher said. “I believe, despite the pandemic, we should expect the same level of motivation and productivity to occur. That said, it’s advisable to adjust our expectations and to be open about our feelings, particularly with our kids.”

Relationships, both personal and professional dominate thematically for her, as she truly enjoys getting to know people.

“The old paradigm that a financial advisor is merely a stock picker is far from what we do. We utilize a more collaborative approach. It is about knowing your clients—really listening to them articulate their goals and fears in order to propose the right investment plan,” she added.

Hatcher also sees the value in mentorship. She believes mentoring relationships can be practical and cites her mentor as helping her to get a pay raise while inspiring her to make the leap from client associate to financial advisor. Interacting with other female financial advisors who are successful gave her the confidence she needed to leave her salaried role for a commission-based position.

Timing is Everything

Born in the San Francisco Bay area, Hatcher was selected to attend a private boarding school in Pebble Beach for high school. She then attended Duke University and started interning at Merrill Lynch during her junior year. During her first post- graduate job, she obtained the licenses needed to become a financial advisor. Due to the dot-com bubble and September 11th terrorist attack and resulting market decline, she pivoted to become an administrative assistant to a team of investment managers at RBC. That role led to another administrative role at Citibank and in 2005, she launched her career at Wells Fargo Advisors.

Hatcher knew when the time was right to take her career up a notch.
“I always looked at my career development from the perspective of whether I was content or being complacent. I trusted that it would become clear when the time was right to become a financial advisor. I knew that there was a demand for more representation of not only women but also African Americans in the industry,” she said.

When her children were a little older and she found herself not feeling challenged in her role, she knew it was the right time. This coincided with the Women’s’ March in Washington in 2016, which made her feel empowered and confident in the timing.

She added that she is a member of a multi-generational household, like many of her clients. She knew the importance of planning towards the future and understood the dueling financial goals of the Sandwich Generation, as was managing her mother’s retirement plan while still funding her own retirement and saving for children’s college education.

Changing Role of the Corporation

Hatcher believes that Wells Fargo Advisors tries to mindfully ‘walk the walk’ on diversity and that she is proud to work there.

“I’ve been lucky to have both female and African American managers,” she said. She believes that the firm is working hard to have more diversity at every level of management.

She added, “People tend to discount how corporations can impact change, yet in the past few years, we have seen how companies can stand up for important issues and support their communities through donations and partnerships with great non-profit organizations.”

On Black Lives Matter, Shani comments:

“It is an emotional issue for me as a mother of a black son. For me, it is very real–it’s not a concept or a theory. I had to have ‘the talk’ about how to interact with the police when my son started walking home across town when he was only 11-years-old.

“For me, there is a real sense of helplessness that I can’t protect my son 24/7,” she said. However, Hatcher is hopeful that change is happening and will continue to gain momentum as attention to racial inequity and social justice increase. She noted that Wells Fargo has worked to provide resources to address the issues and providing safe spaces for people to talk about their experiences and feelings about race.

She added, “I am thankful that the difficult conversations are being had. I believe that the only way progress can be made is by raising awareness and all of us uniting together in the fight against injustice.”

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