Women's Leadership Blog

Featured Woman Leader of the Month - Carla Cooper, CFA

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Carla Cooper is a seasoned finance professional who was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to share her insight with Future Women Leaders.

Question #1: Tell me a bit about your background.

I have an undergraduate degree from Princeton. I joined Prudential Securities after college and spent three years there. Because I had a liberal arts major, and no finance background, my first four months at Prudential were really a tough challenge - a brutal four month financial education. Many of my peers had finance backgrounds and seemed to be so far ahead, but I knew that I would be able to overcome those challenges. In college, I wrote a 140 page thesis on a complex political topic - I knew I could do anything.

Early on, I really wanted to prove myself - prove that I could handle the challenges of the job. As a result, I ended up pursuing the CFA because I felt it would provide me with the skills I would need to do well at Prudential. And this is key - a lot of people advised me not to pursue the CFA, noting that my time would be better spent doing something else. Ultimately I made my decision based on what I believed would be the right step for me. One lesson I took away from my experience at Prudential is that it is important to look at what the organization values and take steps that will lead you to succeed in that environment.

Question #2: Why did you decide to get an MBA?

I wanted a flexible degree that would provide me with options in business. I decided to attend Kellogg because I felt it was a well-rounded school, which was an important aspect for me since I was considering getting out of finance. I spent my first summer in business school working in marketing - in some ways it was a horrible experience, but in other ways it was fantastic. I'd like to note here that difficult experiences really sharpen your thought process - there is usually something to be learned. I wouldn't seek out difficult experiences, but I wouldn't avoid them either. After that summer, and after spending time hearing about what friends in finance were doing, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in finance.

Something to consider when evaluating a job prospect - you can accept a job for the person you will be working for, if not for the job itself. After business school, I went to work for the co-director of Equity Research at Robert W. Baird & Co. and I became his right-hand woman. At Baird, I worked my way up from an Associate position to a Senior Analyst role. I spent about 10 years in sell-side research with Baird before I decided to transition to Baird Investment Management (where I have been for 4 years).

Question #3: What are the biggest work-related challenges you have faced? How did you overcome them?

• My Prudential experience (described in Question 1) - when I chose to pursue the CFA
• I had a challenging boss early in my career, and in terms of lessons I took away from that experience: have a thick skin - don't take things personally. If someone is being difficult, understand that there is another story underlying their behavior - might not be you
• Also - I had two kids while working as a Senior sell-side Research Analyst - no easy feat (I am blessed to have a supportive spouse). Something to consider - don't let others dictate to you what makes a good mom; it is important for your kids to see you as a happy person - so do what makes you happy

Question #4: Tell me about the mentors you have had in your life (male/female).

• My first boss at Baird - I really learned how to think things through and improved my interpersonal skills
• I had a great mentor at Prudential - someone who rescued me from the challenging boss I described earlier. She was smart, had a great presence - was strong and definitive and a great role model partly because she was a woman

Question #5: Anything you wish you had known when you were in earlier stages of your career?
Rules of the corporate or business world are sometimes unspoken - i.e. not as crystal clear as "these are the things you need to do to get an A." Sometimes you need to take risks or seek out guidance
Always weigh the costs and benefits of your actions. Don't be risk averse, but people can sometimes forget that the downside is higher than the incremental upside that they are focused on
Just have to figure things out as you go.

Question #6: What are leadership qualities you value most in others?

• Directness
• Good blocking and tackling
• Someone who is consistent versus someone who is on once a year
• Engage with the people/work/process/everything and has some commitment to periodically stepping back and reviewing the strategy/goal

Question #7: What is your greatest achievement?

• I was really proud that I was a top ranked Senior Research Analyst at a firm I really respect.
• I was proud to have stayed on track professionally at the same time as I was raising a family
• You have to love what you do because there will come a day when being with your kids will become really attractive

Question #8: Who inspires you?
My husband inspires me because he is so level headed and is always thinking about how to solve problems. I am also frequently inspired by what I read and by people I meet.

Question #9: Do you have a mission statement or a tenet that you try to live by?

• You aren't learning anything if you are talking; make sure to listen!
• What goes around comes around
• Golden rule - treat others as you would like to be treated

Question #10: Do you have work/life balance?

• I have work/life balance - but I am always on the go; I don't get to sleep much, but that is ok with me
• I have three regular volunteer commitments - which I enjoy 
• Exercise is definitely my stress release