What inspired you to join Bernstein?
I was drawn to taking on my current role as Senior Investment Strategist at Bernstein because it gave me the platform to do what I love most: curate alternative investments and design portfolios across our elite group of clients in the San Francisco Bay area and nationally. It was refreshing to see how closely Bernstein’s investment tenets aligned with my own when it came to avoiding over-diversification and aligning incentives with clients. Combining this investment platform with Bernstein’s dream team of financial advisors was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
Share one of your most memorable professional accomplishments with us.
Being what I like to call “cycle-tested” throughout my 15-plus year career has been such a blessing. I cut my teeth in a variety of market conditions in both public and private markets. Early in my career at a Wall Street investment bank, I advised and financed some of the most well-known leveraged buyouts at the time. Later on, I had a front-row seat to the global financial crisis running large real estate workouts with lenders. Most recently, I ran a portfolio for one of the largest hedge fund firms that focused on risk management, rather than crowding into popular trades. Investing through those turbulent markets gives me the necessary perspective to add value within Bernstein’s Investment Policy Group and design all-weather portfolios for our unique clients. I also know how to keep clients calm during turbulent weather because I have seen it all.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Although my father was the one who turned me on to finance at a young age, I credit my mother for my work ethic and commitment to family values. She grew up in East Africa and left her family at age 16 to attend university and medical school an ocean away in Mumbai, India. During that time, she was away from everything she knew and loved in life. My mother also peaked in her career by becoming the Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, in Washington, DC, but still made time to pack school lunches for my sister and me. She has a lasting influence on how I live my life such as how I strive for achievement and hold myself to high standards while never forgetting the importance of family.