Employee Spotlight: Meet Diane

“Boomerang” employees. We have all heard this term, especially in recent years. It refers to someone who returns to a company after leaving for another opportunity.

Like many companies, IFDS is also seeing this occur. Diane came back to IFDS after a short time away and below she shares her experience on her decision to return. Her story highlights how careers don't always move like an arrow, and sometimes like a boomerang, take you places you didn’t expect. ?

Tell us about your career path at IFDS.

I began my career at IFDS in 2015 in the Trust Accounting area. Trust accounting is one of the key services provided within the Business Operations?group and part of a critical division that supports transfer agency services for our clients. The Trust Accounting team is responsible for client bank account reconciliations, including the identification and reporting of open items.?I worked in this group for about 6 years, progressing to the role of unit manager of payments and reconciliation. In 2021, I decided to make a change and took a role at another financial services company before returning to IFDS last year as a Client Account Manager.

What ultimately brought you back to IFDS?

IFDS has always been a great place to work, and I enjoyed the first phase of my career here. I left at a time when I was starting to wonder “What’s next for me?”. I was asking myself what else could I do with the skills and experience I gained in my studies and at IFDS, so I felt like I needed to step outside of the niche of trust accounting to gain some perspective. I ended up taking a role in registration services for hedge funds.

During my brief time away, I kept finding myself thinking about “the good old days” missing my previous work life at IFDS. I had also always been interested in the client side of the business and was intrigued by the end-to-end aspect of what we do for our clients. When I saw that there was an opening at IFDS for a Client Account Manager (CAM) in 2022 it captured my attention. I felt that my previous role in trust accounting provided me with many cross-collaboration skills and transferable experience. For example, being able to chair meetings that provided exposure to the client side of the business and supporting internal and external stakeholder communications was a valuable experience and I believed it would help me transition well into the CAM role. So even though I was only at the other company for less than a year, I took a leap of faith and decided to apply for the CAM role at IFDS.

In the end, stepping outside of the IFDS world for a moment allowed me to better understand the company and see opportunities from a new perspective. ?

What did you miss about IFDS when you were away?

I think first and foremost, it was the people and the culture we created together that I really missed. In every profession and at every company there is something to learn and goals to achieve, but not every workplace feels like family while working towards those goals.

The supportive environment and sense of belonging made an impression on me. I felt that in my first 6 years with the company and it continues to be true today even after I returned.?

What advice do you have for people who have a desire to change roles internally where it may not seem like a natural progression?

I’d say try to think outside the box. Look for opportunities to learn and gain exposure to different sides of the company whenever and wherever you can. Ask about ongoing projects or for an informal chat and networking opportunity with people you think have interesting work experiences. Overall, be curious and discover what’s happening outside your own team – you never know the kinds of roles that could be a good fit for you.

What would you say to a former associate considering returning to IFDS?

I’d say, what is holding you back? If you find yourself in a situation where you’re always comparing your current work life to the last opportunity you had, you should trust your gut and not be afraid to “boomerang”. ?

Companies evolve along with people’s ambitions and career paths, and job fit is something that can evolve over time, so when you leave a company that doesn’t necessarily close a door forever.

If you weren't working in this industry, what would you be doing??

I really enjoy cooking and especially enjoy baking. So, it is a dream of mine to own a café. In recent years. I even started my own Instagram account dedicated to featuring the kitchen creations I would work on in my spare time. It’s a great outlet and fun to try creating the trends of the moment – like the sourdough bread craze of the early part of the pandemic.