Her Story
About Hema
I've been in finance for about 14 years, and I'm currently a Senior Supervisory Associate. My day-to-day work involves data analytics for trading and marketing globally across all regions. I look at pre-trade and post-trade data, making sure that exceptions for trades are going through correctly and everything is flagged. I also go through other metrics like seating and licensing, ensuring everyone who is licensed is in the right departments and keeping up with everything they need to do. Sometimes I handle ad hoc reporting that CEOs may need. My role is really focused on data metrics and ensuring everything aligns well with the firm. I started my career as a banker, working at different retail branches for 7 years as a relationship banker and private client banker. Over those years, I grew my affluent clients by helping them invest their money, grow their balances in checking, savings, credit cards, lending, and mortgages, whether they wanted to upsize or downsize. After 7 years in banking, I decided to move into management for about 2 to 3 years, where I focused on raising a team, working with them emotionally and empathetically, and helping them with their career development. I had a lot of mentors as a banker, and I wanted to be that person for others. From there, I decided to pursue my MBA in data analytics from SNHU because I felt everything is moving toward AI and companies are pushing AI initiatives, so it's good to have that skill set and not just sales. I got my Alteryx core certification as well. One of my proudest achievements was being ranked 720 out of 10,000 bankers when I really outperformed. As a working mom with a son who is about to turn 2, I focus on work-life balance with the support of my husband and a flexible manager.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Hema
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say educate yourself as much as you can, read a lot of books, listen to a lot of podcasts, and educate yourself beyond your scope, beyond what you're looking to do. I feel like as we continue to always want to excel ourselves, we want to be one step ahead. I take myself as an example - when I was a banker and I wanted to go into more business and learn more about mortgages, in order for me to capture those customers, I needed to learn the products and the services. I needed to understand the industry. So I would say definitely keep educating yourself and reach for that goal, and always, you know, this will provide you with your next steps to do it, but also be ready when the opportunity is there. I also feel like sometimes you always have to stand up for yourself, you have to speak loudly. As a woman, I feel like a lot of people in the industry do respect women, they do listen to them, they feel like they bring a lot to the table. I don't feel any different, and I feel like the industry has gotten so much better over the years. But I would say always speak up for yourself, and if you feel something isn't right, you know, always feel free to say it.
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