Living in New York City, Nancy has been exposed to many cultures, but it is the one at Morgan Stanley that she has found to be the most unexpected.
Nancy grew up the daughter of Chinese parents in New York City, where she spoke Cantonese at home. She went on to attend Syracuse University, where she majored in policy studies and political science, minored in global enterprise technology, and spent a semester abroad in Madrid to continue her study of politics. At the time, she assumed she would pursue a career in government or public policy. That was until a trip back to her hometown introduced her to the world of investment banking and, more importantly, to Morgan Stanley.
It wasn’t the path she’d foreseen, but it was one she quickly began to follow. “Being exposed to an environment beyond what I know is really important to me,” Nancy says. Meanwhile, her perspective of interpersonal dynamics through the lens of political science has proven surprisingly useful in her role on the Product Operations team in Institutional Equities.
You did not set out thinking of a financial career. How did you come to join Morgan Stanley?
I was exposed to the firm through a professional networking event hosted by Syracuse University. During a trip to New York City we visited a number of companies across all industries, meeting with analysts, associates and campus recruiters. What piqued my interest in Morgan Stanley was that their recruiters talked not only about the opportunities available, but about the unique culture and the people. Even though I didn't come from a finance or business background, it felt like a comfortable fit for me. Morgan Stanley looks for candidates who demonstrate ownership and accountability and who bring diversity to the firm. That really resonated with me.
What sort of career had you considered before you were hired at Morgan Stanley?
Given my major, I thought I’d wind up in a government role, or working for a nonprofit. However, I found that much of what I studied in school was applicable to a role working at an investment bank. My understanding of politics has made me good at interacting with stakeholders, which is an important part of my job. You need the ability to engage with different people and to leverage various personal connections. What I realized is that, while a big bank is transactional in nature, ultimately, it’s based on relationship building.
You've worked in a couple of different roles at the firm, starting out as a voluntary corporate actions analyst. Can you describe what you did?
My role as a Voluntary Corporate Actions Analyst was to learn the full lifecycle of a corporate action, or any event that's initiated by a public company that can affect the holdings and/or shares of that company. I analyzed the full front and back scope of those events and what it means to both the client and the firm. Examples of that are mergers and acquisitions. The role was very hands-on, making it a great first job to have at a bank. The expectation at Morgan Stanley is that you are self-motivated, willing to take the initiative, and ready to dive right in.
That expectation transcends age. Other members of the corporate actions team were more experienced. Regardless, they treated me with respect valuing my input. The same can be said for my current role—everyone’s contributions are valued from Analyst to Managing Director.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten here?
I think it would probably be: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” And what that means is, in order to progress and move forward and grow, you are going to have extend yourself a little beyond your comfort zone. Obviously, in a client-facing role, where you're picking up client calls all day, you may not have the answer to everything, which can be stressful. You have to be OK with telling people that even though you may not have the answer right away, it's something that you'll definitely get for them.
Tell us a bit about your current role.
I now sit on a team of 10 people. We start our day at 7:00 a.m. to fully prepare for market open so we are ready to go when our clients start trading at 9:30 a.m.
This makes for a hectic morning, but it helps us prepare to address client questions and manage our trading desks' expectations throughout the day. In addition to day-to-day tasks, we also have longer term projects aimed at streamlining existing processes.
What stands out to you about the culture at Morgan Stanley?
The work is intense, but there's a large emphasis on work-life balance. Recently our division has rolled out an initiative called “My One Thing.” The initiative is designed to help employees achieve more balance by fitting that “one thing” into their work week. It gives us the opportunity to say: “Hey, you know what, today is My One Thing. I'm going to leave work earlier today and take a workout class." That’s something that surprised me, and I’m not sure you’d find at other firms.
Are you involved in any volunteering through the firm?
Yes, for the past two and a half years I’ve had the chance to be part of iMentor, a mentorship program for underprivileged high school students. As a mentor, I meet regularly with one student, and over time we’ve built a real relationship. The program is designed to help students see their value and potential over their high school careers. As mentors, we are a support system throughout high school and the college application process. I’m currently planning to take my mentee to a career fair and on different college tours within the city. I doubt I would have found out about this program without Morgan Stanley.
What advice would you give someone else starting out as you did, four years ago?
Be completely open-minded. Always think of a way to make things better, even if you are just starting out, because at Morgan Stanley we really appreciate diversity of thought and ideas. It doesn't matter if you're an Analyst, Associate, Director, or a Vice President—or even a Managing Director—don't let a title or rank deter you from doing something you think is important.
