Her Story
About Samantha
I started my finance career in 2014 after earning my bachelor's degree in accounting and finance from Swansea University in the UK. I then completed my master's degree in finance from Hult International Business School in Boston in 2019. Over the past 10 to 12 years, I've built a strong career in finance, working in notable roles as an analyst and senior analyst at Sage Intacct, and also at Amazon and Apple. My most recent corporate position was as a finance manager at Octane, a private equity-owned company, which I concluded on May 1st of this year. Throughout my finance career, I've gained in-depth experience across multiple industries, with most of my time spent in tech, but I've also worked in hospitality for MGM Resorts and in pharmacy and healthcare. Alongside my finance work, I've been running Sam's Hair Co for about 8 years, a business where I make and sell hair products online. I've always had a knack for making people look pretty and being creative with my hands, which led me to start this business after graduating from college. Now I'm in an exciting new phase where I'm diving in head first as a founder, giving my full attention to my businesses. I'm launching a new venture on August 31st, a clothing business featuring locally made bags inspired by my Nigerian heritage. I'm passionate about bridging my professional expertise with my creative entrepreneurial spirit.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Samantha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a strong foundation from my parents who raised me to believe that I could achieve anything I put my mind to, and I believed them. While still a kid, I believed them. They sort of dug into me a form of delusion that anything I decide to do or put my mind to, if I give it enough effort, I can definitely achieve it. That gave me the confidence to go out into the world and do the things that I've been able to do and continue to do. My parents really shaped the way that I view the world and how I approach it. Beyond that, a lot of my success has come from the people I've worked with, the support they've been able to provide, and the managers I've worked with who pointed me in the right direction and gave me the guidance I needed to be successful.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is not to take things too personally when I interact with people, coworkers, or anyone at the workplace. There's a level of humanity and feelings that come to work, but it's important not to let emotions get heightened in situations or take things too personally at the workplace. When I first started out, it was a learning curve for me to understand that it's 50% the technical work you're doing, and 50% how you interact with people. I learned that I'm not just evaluated based on the quality of my technical work, but also on the quality of my interactions with the people that I work with.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice for young women entering the finance industry is to be conversant with new technologies and understand how they can implement AI into their workflows. A lot of things are changing, and what they started to learn in their first year of university may not be as relevant in the workplace anymore because we're entering a new phase where a lot of knowledge is becoming obsolete and many things can now be automated. I think companies are looking to adopt this and focus on talent that can bridge the gap between AI and people. Excel was great, but now it's about understanding what kind of AI software works best with Excel and how to forecast within these tools. My advice is to be conversant and open, keep your eyes open to things that are changing, and be comfortable with that technology. It's something to look out for, for sure.
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