Before that, Stephanie spent three years with Scotiabank, working closely with the prime brokerage group on hedge fund onboarding transactions, and four years in corporate banking with HSBC. Currently, she leads an expansion initiative for her family’s business, growing it into a long term success story. She intends to return to the financial industry to focus on her career upon the completion of the expansion project. In the meantime, Stephanie is serving as the Chair of the Next Gen Program with CFA Society Toronto.

What motivated you to pursue a diverse academic path (e.g., GPLLM, MBA)? How did each degree or credential contribute to your professional perspective beyond technical knowledge?

After completing my MBA studies, I immediately enrolled in the CFA Program, reflecting my strong commitment to the finance industry. I was also fortunate to receive a scholarship for Level I of the CFA Program, and I completed all three exam levels on my first attempt.

While working on structured transactions, I saw the importance of acquiring critical analysis skills and legal knowledge to help me better understand these complex transactions. Given this, I enrolled in the Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) program at the University of Toronto. It was not an easy task to work and study simultaneously. However, my drive and time management skills helped me achieve both, and I was profiled on the cover page of the university’s Faculty of Laws’ program brochure.

You’ve worked across global financial hubs and different areas of finance and investing during your various roles. Did each role add a layer of skill or perspective to your toolkit?

Each role gave me valuable complementary experience and transferable skills to expand to the next level. At RBC Capital Markets, I developed expertise in alternative asset manager due diligence. I managed the credit onboarding of trading facilities and portfolio management for asset managers and hedge fund clients. I also helped build out the Portfolio Management and Analytics team during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the founding members. This experience built and expanded my people management, strategic thinking, and team-building skills, which are highly relevant in capital markets.

My role with Scotiabank’s Global Banking and Markets provided me with good exposure to the asset management industry. I partnered with prime brokerage and trading desks and managed the credit onboarding for new hedge funds, pension funds, and broker-dealers.

At HSBC Corporate Banking, I built expertise in syndicated loans, structuring and executing acquisition financings, and loan facilities in diversified industries. I also gained relationship management skills, working with multinational corporations on their financing, trading, and treasury needs. 

Has developing broad skills and knowledge (such as soft skills, legal understanding, risk management, mentorship, and leadership) helped you open unexpected doors? 

Certainly! Developing a diverse skill set (technical and soft skills) has been pivotal in unlocking unexpected opportunities in the industry. My ability to integrate credit analysis with in-depth alternative fund due diligence allowed me to take on leadership roles, including at RBC Capital Markets, where I led a team of six members. My legal skills from the Global Professional LLM degree provided a strong foundation to analyze complex hedge fund structures and cross-border transactions. My strong mentorship and leadership skills enabled me to develop high-performing teams and drive efficiencies. Additionally, my volunteer engagements, including serving as one of the committee chairs at CFA Society Toronto and speaking at key events, have expanded my professional network, strengthening my career trajectory.

What would you say are the key skills you cultivated? Are soft skills and leadership capabilities just as critical astechnical know-how? How can emerging professionals develop these skills in their roles?