Evolving leadership: Staying ahead of client expectations

Read the UK version of this article.

Tell us a little bit about your new role and how you got here,

I have a deep understanding of global technology and financial services through my more than 25 years working in the industry across four continents and 11 countries. And I’ve spent more than 10 of those years behind the scenes helping to build the platform our global private banking and wealth management clients use today. 

I joined SEI in 2008, starting in technology and platform delivery roles before becoming Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the SEI Wealth Platform^SM  in 2014. My role as CTO expanded across the enterprise in 2021, and I became the Global Head of Private Banking and Wealth Management in 2022. I’m excited to use all of that knowledge and experience from a new perspective—and build upon our position as a trusted strategic partner helping our clients face new challenges and transform their businesses for new growth opportunities

What has been the bravest decision you’ve made in your career?

Moving away from technology and taking my current role was a huge decision because I love technology. I remember the exact moment very well. I was walking to the garage at work when our CEO Ryan Hicke called me and said, “I’d like you to run Private Banking.” While the decision was difficult, I didn’t hesitate. It was Ryan’s focus on internal mobility and moving out of areas of comfort that spurred me to accept the position, but also my SWP experience, that made me feel confident I’d be able to do the best job for the team and our clients.

What has been your greatest achievement at SEI?

There are many things I’m proud of during my career at SEI. The culture that we’ve created to stay ahead of change is at the top of the list. When I look at how much technology has shifted since we launched SWP 15 years ago in the U.K., the way our clients thought about technology back then was very different from today. We can hardly imagine it now, but at that time, a mobile solution wasn’t even on the table for clients (arguably taken for granted today), and we are always looking to what is next. Likewise, at the outset, it was more likely that every client would take every component of the SEI Wealth Platform, whereas today, our solution delivery is flexible and customizable.

That’s as a result of our constant evolution. We frequently challenge ourselves to step back and rethink the best way to design, develop, and deliver new and necessary solutions for our clients. So today, we are thinking through the rest of this decade to ensure we’re building ahead of our clients’ expectations. This is in part because we’re so comfortable with the discomfort of ongoing change. We’ve made it part of our DNA so that we can remain at the forefront of the industry.

How do those achievements shape how you think about your new role?

Today, I’m focused on how we best serve our clients in the future and continue to accelerate growth to meet the industry’s needs. That means we need to start with our people.

If we don’t have the right talent, we won’t have the right culture. But this isn’t just about great hires. We continually invest in upskilling and reskilling our workforce, while simultaneously employing new talent to keep ahead of change. We know this adds huge value to our clients who outsource to us because it means our team is the one who is upskilling for their benefit. This is a big focus for us, and this is why we’re launching new initiatives to promote continuous learning across SEI. 

Talent is linked closely to culture. We have worked hard to build and maintain the right culture and I’m laser-focused on continuing that work. We want our culture to create a sense of ownership and an environment in which everyone is accountable. We want every employee at SEI to be proud of their work and where they work, as well as live our values of courage, integrity, collaboration, inclusion, connection, and fun. 

How does that translate into how you lead through change?

I believe there are a number of factors that are crucial to implement successful change, and those factors apply internally as much as they do when we help our clients with their change programs. 

It starts with having a clear vision, openly articulating the journey that we’re on, and sharing the goals and objectives with employees. A commitment to transparent communication is key. It’s vital to ensure you are communicating with the team often—especially during times of change. And making yourself visible and available to people both builds trust and enables you to catch potential issues early on. 

I’d then say it’s about creating an open culture in which you’re genuinely seeking feedback—both positive and negative, so you can collectively grow and learn. And finally, it’s important to be connected and transparent all the way to the top, establishing a culture of measuring what matters and clearly calling out how we are keeping pace toward our goals. 

What can we expect to see in the future?

Our clients are going through a period of even more change and uncertainty, and my ambition is that they recognize us as the strategic partner to turn to for help navigating and embracing that change. We will add the most value for our clients by leveraging the breadth of our technology and investment capabilities to solve for their needs. I’m excited to bring the best of SEI to our clients to support their growth and help them build brave futures.

Services provided by SEI through its affiliates and subsidiaries.