Writing Your Own Story

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Jean Hynes , CEO and Managing Partner at Wellington Management , is well-known for her leadership and commitment to empowering and enabling more women to pursue careers in asset management. As one of only five female CEOs among the 20 largest asset management firms, Jean is an inspiration, a trailblazer and an advocate for the next generation of women leaders.

Vista’s Betty Hung recently sat down with Jean to discuss the lessons she’s learned along her storied career – starting as an executive assistant and rising to become one of the most influential executives on Wall Street. Please enjoy a few highlights from their conversation.

Betty: Today you lead one of the largest firms in the asset management industry, but not too long ago, we were college roommates at Wellesley. Take us back to that time and share a little bit about your personal background and upbringing.

Jean: I remember teaching you how to do laundry in college, and I think that speaks to my background. My parents were Irish immigrants – my dad was a bricklayer, and my mother was a homemaker who raised six children. So, I did a lot of laundry growing up. My parents worked hard, and all their disposable income went to ensuring their children received the best possible education. I’m thankful for all they sacrificed to send me to Wellesley and to open doors for my future.

Betty: I went away for my junior year, and while I was gone, you took a field trip where you were introduced to several senior women in finance. Talk about the impact that trip had on your early career.?

Jean: We took a bus trip to New York City where we met with several firms and investment banks. We also got to meet Lulu C. Wang, who was at Jennison Associates at the time. I had met her briefly before at an event at Wellesley, and when I went to talk to her during the trip, she actually remembered my name. That stuck with me. And I told her that out of all the stops we’d made on that trip, she had the most interesting job. I wanted to do what she did – I wanted to be an investor. So, I started down that path with an internship and eventually found my way to the stock market as a researcher.

Betty: Tell us about your first role at Wellington and how you were able to move from that position to an investing role.

Jean: I took an administrative position because it was in the research department, and I knew that’s where I wanted to be. And while half my job was administrative tasks like opening the mail, the other half was working with analysts on models. During our Morning Meeting, I would write up the notes. And I made sure that I wrote better notes than anyone else. That’s how I got noticed and how I was able to transition into an investing role.?

Eighteen months into my tenure at Wellington, I found myself working alongside Ed Owens, who was running the Vanguard Healthcare Fund. From day one, Ed took me to every meeting because I had proven that I could write. He taught me how to become a great researcher, and I wrote his client letters – it was a match made in heaven, and Ed became my mentor for the next 20 years. He allowed me to grow at my own pace and taught me how to be a great researcher.

Betty: Fast forward a few years, and you were asked to move to London to help launch Wellington’s new office. By that point, you had an entire family to think about. How did you get comfortable making that move?

Jean: I asked my daughters if they wanted to move to London, and they all jumped on board immediately. But like I said earlier, I grew up in a large Irish family. So, I had my cocoon in Boston: my family and an established social circle. I was so excited to move, but as soon as we arrived in London I remember being scared and wondering if we made the right choice. In the end, it was the best decision our family ever made. We became closer as a unit, and in terms of my career, it set me down a path of independence and put me on the leadership journey that led me to where I am today.

Betty: Along that path to leadership, both of us have sat in many meetings where nobody else looked like us. How did you find the courage to use your voice – to speak up and even disagree when necessary?

Jean: I mentioned Ed earlier, and I credit him with creating an environment on our team where debate thrived, and dissenting opinions were welcomed. From my earliest days at Wellington, I was encouraged and expected to participate in those debates. And I knew my facts. We had meetings where you would be called upon and expected to know the answer to any given question about a model or an earnings estimate. I came prepared, and I spoke up. ?

At Wellington, I like to say that we’ve industrialized debate at scale. All points of view are welcome, and we’re not complacent about protecting that culture of debate. We think bringing out all sides of a story is what makes our culture magic. ?

Betty: What advice do you give your daughters as they pursue their own career paths?

Jean: I love going to work on Monday mornings. I've loved being an investor, and I've loved being at Wellington. My number one piece of advice is to do something you love, whatever that is. It doesn't have to be finance, and it doesn't have to be investing, but find something that stimulates you, where you’re always learning. And make sure you're working with people who share your values – you’re going to be spending a lot of time together.

This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for length and clarity and is part of an ongoing series featuring leaders at the pinnacle of business, finance, and technology. To subscribe to future editions of Vista's Insights for Edge, click here.