My story
A little about me, my experience and why I am here
Hi - Welcome. This is my story.
I am Piya. I am an undercover “finance-sis”. There are a few of us around, “experts” in investing who wander around in broad daylight unnoticed. No suit, no gillet, no slick back hair. I have worked in the heart of the money management industry for nearly a decade, helping drive the decision-making process of what to do with investments worth billions of pounds.
As a young woman in the investment industry, the sad truth is that my presence alone flies the flag for diversity. In other words, just doing my job (as me) is still “a big deal”. This imbalance naturally makes finance intimidating for women and even those who work in the finance industry can be “behind” managing their own finances. I was a culprit. Several years ago, it took a bank cashier to push me to look at my own finances; “Madam, you might want to think about moving some money out of your current account”. It struck me that I was taught to work to make money, but not how to manage it when it came. I stopped to take my own advice and started putting my own money “to work”. My finances grew and the penny (literally) dropped. I wanted to spread the word and be the teacher I needed all those years ago. I enjoy teaching people how to invest the way I would have wanted to be taught – in a simple, fun and inclusive way.
My values when it comes to teaching
I have already made thousands of pounds using simple principles. Now I help people to change their trajectory by using education and empowerment. I focus on educating people about investing and shifting their overall mindset when it comes to building wealth. I do this with several beliefs in mind:
The first is that value should be thought about in a broader sense than money.
The second, is that the pursuit of financial gain does not need to be at the expense of a great life.
The third – a finding from my own research on happiness – is that financial health should be viewed through the wider lens of wellbeing.
The fourth is that education should help you become more independent, rather than dependent on advisors and managers
Money is a means to an end in my life. I like cooking, travelling and hanging out with friends. Still trying to stand up on a surfboard.
My experience in industry informs my views and teaching
I am not a financial advisor, instead trained in Economics (at the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics). I learnt investing in a practical way, just like many do: “on the job”. I interned in several banks (JPMorgan, Societe Generale and HSBC) before working at Schroders and then later at an FX hedge fund as an advisor to portfolio managers. I have done the Investment Management Certification (IMC) and take the responsibility of financial education seriously, using my experience of working in industry as an anchor.
While it is difficult to build a name for yourself in the industry (this takes years or decades of an outstanding “track record”), I have been recognised in the industry having been a finalist in Investment Week’s Young Woman in Investment Awards and featured in the Rising Star Awards. The media have covered by economic research and views including: CNBC, Bloomberg, CityAM, Forbes and Hargreaves Landsdowne.
Follow me
Feel free to follow me on Instagram using the handle incoming_bypiya where I will be posting shorter views. On Substack, I will post slightly more in depth work, I hope to shed light on topics important in investing, including the broader economic context, financial literacy and gender issues as well as my experience.