Tell me a little bit how you got to where you are today?

I have been with T Rowe Price for over 17 years. I started out as a data entry processor right out of college.  I was referred to T Rowe Price through a friend that said it would be a good company to start growing my career.  Over the years, I continued to progress through the organization, got into management and leadership positions and then that opened the door for other opportunities and different departments in the organization.

What do you find exciting about what you do?

Interacting with my clients and helping them prepare for retirement, as well as the opportunity to travel and work with clients from Atlanta, Georgia to San Diego, California.

What are the skills that you feel are important to have in your current job role? 

From a skillset standpoint, being able to connect with people and build relationships. When I walk into a boardroom, one of the first things that our Prospects or clients ask themselves is, “is this someone that I can work with, that’s credible and likeable?”.  It’s really important in my field to be able to connect and build relationships. You also have to be knowledgeable about your product and the finance industry so you are able to effectively communicate the benefits as to why a client might want to use the services we offer.  Presentation skills are also important to have. A lot of people in general, get a little frightened or scared when they’re asked to get up in front of a group and present on the topic. It took time for me to craft my presentation and become comfortable in my delivery.

Can you talk more about the value of building relationships? 

There’s not too many African Americans, in a lot of the boardrooms that I’m in. 90% of the time, there’s no one else that looks like me.  Being able to build relationships with people from various backgrounds, various socio-economic statuses and understand where people are coming from in general, has really helped me excel in my career.

Why is having a diversity of perspectives important?

I think it helps an organization make better decisions because you’re accounting for the various types of clients that you may be addressing.