How did you arrive at your current role?
I started my career in management consulting at Accenture, where I worked on everything from engineering to process optimisation and later returned to the firm after gaining my MBA at business school. I then moved to J.P. Morgan, where I worked for 19 years. During this time, I went out to Singapore to spearhead the building out part of their treasury services offering in Asia. I joined BNY in May 2022 as Global Head of Treasury Services and a member of the firm’s executive committee.
Is it more important to have a defined career plan or to be open and flexible?
I didn’t sit down 25 years ago and say, “this is what I want to do.” As my dad says, “you plan – and then life happens.” Obviously, I’ve been thoughtful about my next steps and what I wanted to learn. But whether it’s the people and the experiences, the setbacks and the learnings – all those things have helped form who I am, as well as shaping my career choices.
What advice would you offer to women starting out in finance?
There are a few pieces of advice I would share:
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Never stop learning. I am not only interested in the technical elements of my job, but also the communication and leadership aspects.
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Build strong connections. A strong network can open doors, provide a listening ear and give helpful advice.
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Be decisive. You are never going to have all the information you need, but you do need to have confidence in, and be comfortable with, your judgements.
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Be brave. Take risks. There are a lot of opportunities, and the world is full of possibilities. You will make mistakes, but you will be able to learn so much.
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Take care of yourself. Carve out time to exercise and eat well. However you choose to wind down, you need to be able to mentally separate from work.
What is your motto in life or your greatest inspiration?
A quote I recently came across is: “Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” I love it! Just start, get out there and do it and learn. Will everything be perfect? No – but just keep going.
Driving technological innovation
At BNY, Jennifer is involved in a number of major technology-focused projects, including the bank’s transition towards a platform operating model. “I led the first wave of that,” she explains. “This was essentially about organising what the company should look like, and then sequencing the different types of products and lines of businesses into the new model.”
During her career, Jennifer has done everything from leading sales teams to running product management. But while her specific roles have varied, a recurring theme has been her focus on building products that meet the needs of CFOs and treasurers not just today, but in the next five years.
“One of the things I enjoy is listening to clients and understanding what they need,” she says. “Sometimes clients themselves don’t know what they need. They might understand the problem, but they don’t know what the solution is. This industry is changing every day – new competitors, new technologies, new problem statements – so it’s important to stay ahead of all those things.”
When Jennifer was based in Asia, she was able to see first-hand the technological innovations taking place. “It was a very interesting time to be there,” she recalls. “Many of the things that we now know very well – mobile banking, APIs and other advanced technologies – were coming out of Asia. So when I returned to the US, I had a very detailed understanding of these things and was able to bring some of that knowledge and best practice with me.”
As well as gaining technical knowledge, working across 14 countries in the region – each with its own culture and traditions – has also allowed Jennifer to hone her communication skills. “How do you motivate a team in Thailand, versus India, Korea or Japan? It’s very different across the different countries. You learn to develop a very strong sense of empathy.”
Likewise, Jennifer is a strong believer in setting up ‘listening posts’ across the business as a way of harnessing ideas. “For example, I spend a lot of time with our early career talents – our analysts and associates – who have had a completely different experience growing up digitally native. A good listening post is to ask about the insights they have into our products, because while they are not technical experts yet, they understand the importance of user experience.”
Establishing networks
When it comes to developing and leading younger generations, Jennifer is a strong advocate of mentorship and sponsorship. She currently serves as the Executive Sponsor for VETNET, BNY’s employee resource group supporting veterans and their families, and was the Executive Sponsor for BNY’s employee resource group supporting the advancement of women, Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), in 2023 and 2024.
Jennifer firmly believes that in order to ensure their voices are heard within their organisation – whether by speaking up in meetings or sharing ideas – it is imperative that women adopt a more proactive approach. Likewise, challenges in the workplace should be approached with a degree of confidence. “No one expects you to know everything. But just by being curious, you can really get to understand whatever problems you encounter.”
And while it doesn’t always come naturally to everybody, she says it is also important for women to be able to advocate for themselves. “Don’t assume that just keeping your head down and working hard is going to get you recognition. Everybody’s busy, so make it easy for your manager and highlight a few things that you’ve been doing to help improve the business.”
On another note, Jennifer is a firm believer in the value of networks and resource groups. “It’s important for everybody, but particularly for women,” she says. “Women have different challenges and different questions. By being a mentor or an advocate, you can meet people in different parts of the business. I know a lot of women who, as part of these networks, have gotten the next big job as a result.” And her final piece of advice? “Just support other women, no matter where you are in your career journey.”
