ADRIENNE: My name’s Adrienne. I’m one of Vanguard’s senior leaders in the Investment Stewardship Group. When I came to Vanguard, I started the program having only consulting experience. And the reason I came to Vanguard was to really develop my own personal leadership capabilities.
My rotations were designed to hit a few key things. The first rotation, I used primarily my project leadership skills. I was able to help move a business initiative from sort of zero to 60 during that time frame that I was in the rotation. So that was one where I used my most familiar skills.
My second rotation was focused more on people leadership. And in that rotation, I sat with the leadership team and talked through people issues for nearly six months. And it was very different than project experience. But what was great about it was I was able to bridge my project orientation, my people skills– my ability to read a room.
My path since then has completely exceeded my expectations. I got to serve as the chief of staff to a managing director. I’ve been able to help build a global function that serves Vanguard investors and talks to public companies every day. And I get to serve in an external-facing capacity, which was one of my primary goals.
The other great thing is just the exposure that a lot of leaders at Vanguard get to the senior ranks of the company. It’s inspiring, it gives you great examples of what good leadership look like, and you can sort of pick and emulate that as you move along your career path, because you see what works. And you see a range of styles that work, and that’s pretty inspiring to me.
I am a people person at core. And what’s great about coming to Vanguard, whether you’re in a small office– I’ve done business in some of our smaller offices around the globe– or you’re here in Malvern, Pennsylvania, on a campus of thousands and thousands of people, is you’re going to cross paths with people that have different life experiences than you, who work in different parts of the company. And that, to me, is really energizing.
I wanted to be a great leader that has skills that apply across any part of a business. I tell a lot of people, I could have come to Vanguard even if we had been making widgets or Twinkies. I just loved the culture, and the culture was a great fit for me.
But it turns out I also love investing now. And that culture, when applied to investing, can get really phenomenal results for crew here at Vanguard but also, importantly, for clients. And so that, for me, made it an easy transition in and has been a phenomenal several years that I’ve been here at Vanguard.
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