Her Story
About Heather
Heather Kvasnak has built a 29-year career in financial services and mortgage lending. After college, where she majored in English, she started with an entry-level position as a closer for mortgage lending at Merrill Lynch, which her father helped arrange through a former colleague. Her career evolved through continuous learning and promotions, leading to her advancement to Senior Vice President at Bank of America in her early 30s. She worked with a team to achieve the highest satisfaction rating through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, viewing success as a collective team journey where everyone feels good about the result. Kvasnak prefers a hands-off leadership style that encourages individuals to explore and discover solutions independently, drawing from her own hands-on learning experiences and in-person mentorships. She now focuses on mentoring others and passing on her knowledge while maintaining a commitment to work-life balance, recognizing that lateral moves or steps back can be the right choice for personal and professional well-being.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Heather
01What do you attribute your success to?
Success is when the people around you feel good about the result. It has to be a team journey to achieve a goal. I worked with a team and we achieved the highest satisfaction rating through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Hands-on learning and being in the office for organic growth of knowledge and in-person mentorships contribute to my success.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It is really important to find a mentor. Find a champion. Find ways to interact in person, or at least don't hide behind the computer, pick up the phone and call, talk. Build a rapport and a relationship. Always be inquisitive. Don't just tackle something, find the solution first. It's okay to sit in the discomfort and learn when something feels scary.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Project management and product management are fantastic opportunities. They are highly transferable across different industries and expose you to almost every single facet of how a business can run. For more introverted women, data science, being a developer, solution architects are in high demand with technology evolving.
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