Q: Growing up, what did you aspire to be?
A: Growing up I liked to build things so I thought being an architect would be something that I would enjoy doing as a profession.
Q: You have a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. What do you like about math and how much of what you learned in college have you used in your career so far?
A: One of the main appeals of math is that there is one correct solution, and you need to work through the problem logically to figure out what that solution is. The process of breaking down a math equation into its components was great training for taking a process and figuring out a more efficient method by analyzing its components.
Q: How did you end up in the investment management business?
A: My father was in the investment management business, so when I was looking at potential careers in college, he was able to put me in touch with professionals in different parts of the financial industry. After getting insight into different financial roles, the investment management business appealed to my interest in building things (in this case, portfolios).
Q: What do you like most about your current job?
A: I enjoy coming up with efficient automated processes to handle complicated and time-consuming tasks. I find it rewarding to know that coming up with a solution that frees up time for members of the team to focus more on analyzing and trading securities improves their work experience and the outcomes we deliver for clients.
Q: Are there certain industry trends you are particularly excited about?
A: One of the exciting trends occurring now in the municipal bond market is the large amount of technological innovation. One of the main perceptions about the municipal market is that it is inefficient relative to other fixed income asset classes. The technological innovations focus on removing those inefficiencies through the development of better pricing tools using large data and artificial intelligence as well as giving managers the ability to analyze and process significantly more offerings during a trading session than they had done previously.
Q: To what do you attribute your success in your career and how you got to your current role?
A: I’ve always looked for a better way to do something. Looking for opportunities to make improvements helped me to develop and expand my responsibilities and leadership role.
Q: Is there one piece of advice you’ve received during your career that you still rely on today?
A: You don’t need to hold off making a change until you find a perfect solution. You should focus on incremental solutions that improve the status quo.
Q: Any passions or hobbies outside of work you would like to share?
A: I had been a casual golfer and hadn’t spent much time trying to learn how to improve my game. But during the pandemic lockdown, I found getting outside and practicing my swing to be relaxing and a nice way to take a break. I was able to spend a lot of time practicing, and now I’m more confident on the course and really look forward to playing the game.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Fixed income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks, and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Portfolios focused on a single state are subject to greater risk of adverse economic and regulatory changes than a geographically diversified portfolio.
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