This month’s professional spotlight features Gabriella Mengstab. Gabriella is an Account Manager at a leading global asset management firm. Learn more about Gabriella and her work below.

Could you briefly explain some of your responsibilities in your current career role.

As an Account Manager in one of the leading global asset management firms, I am responsible for developing the strategy and execution plan for distributing the firm’s asset management capabilities through financial intermediaries.  I am tasked to grow the firm’s intermediary distribution relationships across the Wirehouse, Regional Broker Dealer, Independent Broker Dealer, Private Bank and National Consultant channels.  One of my major goals is to secure shelf space for the firm’s products, and develop value-added programs, campaigns and services that support the firm’s asset management capabilities.

How did you come to decide that this was the right career path for you?

I have always had a passion for following the financial markets and current business news. As a child, I had the opportunity to observe my mother work in the business world. She had her own import and export business as well as a real estate construction company. By growing up around the business atmosphere and going to work with my mom on many occasions led me to develop a strong liking for the industry as a whole. I watched my mom plan and execute various strategies, negotiating contracts and bidding for different jobs. Even though I took a strong liking to the world of business, I was still undecided on what area of business I had the strongest interest in. An economics and financial markets course my sophomore year in college, not only taught me extremely valuable information, but made me realize that finance and investing were the sectors of business that suited me best so I decided to major in Economics. Upon graduation I joined an asset management firm and I have worked in many different areas, which led me where I am today. I started in operations, which taught me the building blocks of the organization and how new accounts were opened and traded. After being in operations for two years, I knew I wanted to be client facing and have a more direct impact on the business. I’ve always been super competitive and my biggest strength is my ability to get along with people and convince them on issues I feel passionate about so being in sales or some sort of business development role was a natural fit for me. At the same time, I also knew how hard it was to transition from back office to front office without any financial sales experience so I decided to get a job in product management. In my role as a product manager I got to learn about our product offerings, product development and enhance my knowledge of financial markets. Additionally I got to interact and support different account managers as well as develop my network and my relationships.  It was through my networking and my relationship with my mentors and people I supported that I was finally able to land a job in account management after applying on three different occasions. I’ve been in Account Management for 5 years now in two different firms and I am still as passionate about it as I was my first year. What I love about it is the fact that it is forever changing and no day ever looks the same. It is intellectually stimulating and I am constantly evolving, adapting and learning which makes it exciting and fulfilling.

Is there a philosophy that drives your career?

Everyone holds different values about work and needs different things in their job to feel satisfied and fulfilled. For some, that might be money, fame, power, social interaction or creative expression. For others, it could be intellectual challenge, helping others or independence. I’m driven by competition–competition with others and competition with myself. Not only am I motivated to be the best at what I do, but I’m motivated to outdo myself whenever I get the chance. I’m also motivated by the thrill of the chase, challenge of the hunt and satisfaction of the kill. I enjoy prospecting for new clients, learning everything I can about a prospective client, developing the perfect pitch, and then closing the deal. I’ve always been goal oriented and driven by results- I like when I have a concrete goal to meet, and enough time to figure out a strong strategy for accomplishing it.

What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment?

As I reflect upon my personal and professional life, there are many proud accomplishments. I can point to the cultivation of an ethical character, the evolution of relationships with friends and family, the purchase of my home, the completion of a triathlon and half marathon, and developing and growing billion dollar accounts. But I am particularly proud of my work at my previous firm where I took an account from 1 billion to 7 billion in 2 years. One thing that my mom taught me from a young age is to never take NO for an answer and never to be stopped by it. It is a word I have become very comfortable with and a lesson that has helped me succeed in many different occasions. In 2014 I was promoted from a junior account manager to lead account manager on several small accounts. One of the accounts had tremendous growth potential but had been the most challenging account in terms of asset gathering and business development. We didn’t quite have the product line up that they were looking for and most of our offerings were too exotic and complex for their clients. In the first 4-5 months after getting the account I spent majority of my time trying to learn everything I can about the account and developing key relationships with some of the top executives at the firm. This process allowed me to put together a comprehensive plan, which included the development of product that aligned with the client’s investment philosophy and was appropriate for its customer base. I worked on this project with product development, research, sales and business executives and we were able to raise $600 million at the inception of the product launch. This experience sticks out in my head because it taught me that with enough passion, determination, creativity and persistence anything is possible. In the words of Nelson Mandela “It always seems impossible until it’s done”.

What’s one piece of advice you would give someone looking to transition into your line of work?

I would say get to know people in the industry and network network network! The financial industry tends to me very competitive so it’s important that you’re assertive, direct and don’t be afraid to ask what you want. This is also a very fast paced and dynamic industry so it’s important to keep up with current financial market events globally. Lastly get a mentor/sponsor early on to help guide you and direct your carrier.

Outside of all of your hard work and efforts toward building your brand, what do you do for fun? Hobbies?

Besides playing volleyball, wakeboarding, biking and anything outdoor related I spend my free time volunteering. Three years ago I got on a board of a nonprofit, Young African MBAs whose mission is to empower Africans and bridge the gap of management talent in Africa. Being on a board of this organization has been one of the most positive and enriching experiences and has made a profound difference in my life. The most important lesson I learned so far from this experiences was the power to win friends and influence the actions of others by expressing genuine interest in their issues. Being on the board of this organization has made me understand my community, develop my leadership skills, and increased my self-confidence. Lastly it has helped me strengthen ties to the African community, broaden my network, and connected me to so many inspiring individuals with common interests and career aspiration.