Sue Pike ’94 has steered her impressive career in investment management by a guiding principle: never stop learning. Her commitment has been steadfast through almost 20 years at Wellington Management, one of the world’s largest independent investment management firms.
Over the years, Pike has held increasingly senior roles in operations that support both clients and portfolio managers. She is currently the Director of the Investment Products and Strategies Operational Risk Team, and serves as the de facto “chief operating officer” of the group, mitigating risk for the organization and creating opportunity for process improvements and new technology solutions.
"Really strong leaders ... make themselves available, prioritize the success of others, and share the lessons they have learned.”
“Learning is a constant in investment management,” explains Pike, who holds an MBA from Northeastern University as well as the CFA Institute’s Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) designations.
She says that one of her proudest professional accomplishments is the completion of the CFA program within three years – and taking the tests for levels one and three while she was expecting her first and second children.
“It may never feel like a perfect time to pursue these rigorous designations,” she observes. “But if you want it, don’t put it off. It will only get harder as life demands increase over time.”
“Your early career years are really about exploring interests, building skills, leaning into strengths, and addressing weaknesses,” Pike says. “It’s about getting to know yourself and what work will make you happy. And it’s learning what kind of company culture is important to you and the kind of leadership you need to help you learn and grow.”
For Pike, learning and leadership are intertwined. “Really strong leaders listen to truly understand viewpoints that are different from their own. They are inclusive and hire people with different perspectives. They make themselves available, prioritize the success of others, and share the lessons they have learned.”
