Women in Management Club Hosts Monday Speakers

On the first Monday of each month, Women in Management hosts a distinguished speaker. In November, Yale undergraduate alumna Seema Hingorani, head of public equities at the Bureau of Asset Management in the New York City Office of the Comptroller, discussed her professional experiences with current SOM students. Megan Richer '12, shares some of Seema’s wisdom.

Seema’s message was one of authenticity and self awareness: stay true to yourself. Throughout her career trajectory from business school to her current position at the New York City Office of the Comptroller, where she manages $100 billion in pension fund assets, she has sought out positions that would make her happy and has surrounded herself with people who would foster her personal growth and learning.

When searching for her first position out of business school, Seema sought to become a fundamental, long-term investor. After receiving her MBA from Wharton, she took a position at T. Rowe Price, where she excelled in equity research. Later she became a senior analyst at the large hedge fund Pequot Capital and then a Portfolio Manager at Andor Capital, where she was the first woman to run a hedge fund portfolio. Seema eventually left Andor Capital to start up her own hedge fund, and then became the global director of fundamental research with Pyramis Global Advisors, a Fidelity Investments Company in Boston with $150 billion in assets. In each of her career transitions, the questions that have guided her are: "What would make me a better thinker, business person, and investor?" and, "Is this going to make me happy?"

Seema’s career advice to us was built upon her commitments to authenticity and self awareness:

• Go somewhere that you will be happy. Do not chase an "ideal" job or succumb to peer pressure.
• Find a natural mentor wherever you go. When you find that person, keep in touch. Check in, in order to help him or her be invested in your career progression. You only need one person at each step along the way to be your champion and to care about your career progression.
• Be open. If you’re not open to things, you won’t "bump into" opportunities.
• Do due diligence. Pick up the phone and research the field you are interested in. Make connections with people in that field and keep the dialog alive. By doing due diligence, increasing your network, and staying in touch, you reduce the fear of taking risks.
• Assess your options. Work for people who will invest their time and resources in you, in a place where they believe in mentoring, training, and teaching you.
• Take risks. Trust that you have a great foundation from your Yale SOM MBA and beyond.

The December WIM First Monday speaker was Sandy Urie, president and CEO of Cambridge Associates and SOM alumna. This month, WIM also co-hosted Nancy Pfund, managing partner of DBL Investors, with the Entrepreneurship and Energy Clubs.