In this episode…
Shona Baijal lost her father when she was in her teens. “My mother was a qualified accountant but she gave up her career to raise a family,” she says. “When she was suddenly widowed at the age of 43, she was completely lost and bewildered.” Determined to be financially independent – and help other women with long-term wealth planning – Shona joined UBS Wealth Management straight out of uni and was promoted to managing director in 2013. Now in her 40s, she doesn’t want to slow down – so what’s next?
French entrepreneur Juliette Souliman also has a big role at a young age. She founded two start-ups before joining Octopus as its youngest ever investment professional and now runs her own fintech fund, CRED. And she’s still just 25. “My family all work in fashion; I’m the black sheep that went into finance,” she says. “I adore what I do but am I prioritising the right things and will I have regrets further down the line?”
Our finance duo discuss how to make sure you’re taken seriously as a young woman in a room full of men, how to stay sane(ish) and how to keep evolving and developing, even when you’re at the top of your game.
Top three takeaways:
• Don’t apologise for who you are. Acknowledge your own strengths and play to them.
• Seek discomfort: if you want “abnormal” returns, you need to make abnormal decisions.
• Find the right combination of people for your “personal boardroom” – and make sure your inner circle includes men.
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