What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job and why?
Being a portfolio manager, investing clients’ money is not one-size-fits-all. People work hard for their money and my goal is to make sure they keep it. Something that I pride myself on is matching investment choices with clients’ goals, needs, and risk preferences. There are so many ways to construct a portfolio to meet a client’s personal goals and needs, and each person is different, especially when it comes to risk preferences. There is a wide platform of investment choices I can choose from, so it’s a matter of building a portfolio to accomplish the goals of our clients, which also allows them to sleep well at night. That can be a huge challenge with many moving parts considering income needs, taxes, gifting goals, longevity, etc., but I absolutely love putting the pieces together.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
Growing up, I wanted to be in the investment world more than anything. I bought my first stock at age 11 and had a Wall Street Journal subscription at 12. When I graduated college in the early 1990s, Wall Street was not the most accepting place for a female with big career aspirations. Many times, I wondered if my goals were even realistic. Fast forward 20-plus years — after many years of investment trading — and I was offered the chance to research a potential new mutual fund. I worked on every aspect of bringing the fund to market, became the portfolio manager, and it achieved a five-star rating. Our son was only 3 years old when I started that job. It was hard trying being a mom, wife, and portfolio manager, but pushing myself every day to be there for our son and expand the fund’s research to new areas was extremely gratifying.
Looking back on your career, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Your career path is not going to be a straight road; it will be a long and curvy one. Don’t stray too far from the road — rest areas are fine to stop at — but you know what you’re good at and persistence will get you where you’re going. Also, changing plans is OK. A change in plans can be an opportunity to look outside your comfort zone and grow.
