When did you join Pender?   

December 2015  

What do you do?   

Each day is varied. Obviously, there’s the investing part but there’s also an operations part. I do a wide range of tasks—everything from researching new ideas for the funds, monitoring investments against market dynamics, buy and sell decisions, hedges and asset allocations, confirming trade settlements and reconciliations, preparing marketing presentations, and training new analyst hires or interns.  

How did you get interested in fixed income?   

My under grad is in Engineering. I enjoyed engineering because it’s a tool where quantitative language produces real things. One of the projects I worked on was for a large U.S. bank. I had to develop a user interface for its trading platform. To successfully do that I had to learn the product and the financial market. At some point during the learning process, I thought, ‘Wait a second, what am I doing on this side? I should be on that side!’ In investments, people can tell a story with words but if you take out the words and study the numbers, it can be a different story. I like fixed income because it’s storytelling—with numbers. 

What drives you and gets you out of bed in the morning? 

None of my days are the same. I love researching a file, gathering intel, and creating a report to determine if it’s an actionable investment. I sound like a C.I.A. agent!  

What attracted you to Pender?   

Initially I didn’t know much about Pender. I just wanted to work in fixed income. The work culture here is so supportive that I never feel limited. I started as a fixed income analyst and because I showed an interest in stressed and distressed credit, I’ve been able to evolve the scope of my role. Pender has also encouraged my evolution and supported me in attending the Distressed Asset Investing & Corporate Restructuring program at the Wharton School. I’ve attended conferences in the U.S. and been encouraged to reach out and learn from people both within and outside the firm. At Pender, if there’s something you want to learn and it’s aligned with Pender’s mission, then you have the freedom to pursue it.   

What about mentors within the company?    

At different stages, I’ve been mentored by different people. The most prominent has been Maria [Pacella, Pender Ventures] who has been my mentor for a long time and helped me develop greater confidence. Her motto is, ‘Do the right thing’ —for stakeholders, investors, colleagues. I implement it in every decision I make. If I’m in panic mode, I ask myself, ‘What would Maria do?’ Geoff [Castle] has taught me to see the bigger picture. Everyone here keeps me pretty sharp! 

If you had a personal billboard, what would it say? 

“Value drives return” 

What are some of your hobbies? 

I love tennis and eating good, spicy food and being around people who have a good sense of humour.  

What is one of your greatest talents? 

That might be for others to answer but I am able to synthesize information to a very basic level making it easy for others to understand.  

What talent would like to have? 

Better time management.  

If you had the power to improve one thing in the world, what would it be?  

If people could talk less and do more.  

Can you name one of your heroes?    

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a former president of India. He came from poverty and rose to lead the country.  He was an aerospace scientist. He had high moral values, compassion for others, and made his life useful to his country and to humankind in general.  

“You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” It is one of the most famous A.P.J Abdul Kalam quotes. Always remember that everything is possible if you dare. The only thing that can stop you is your fear of failure.