The individuals on the list are Anu Aiyengar from JP Morgan, Rupal J. Bhansali from Ariel Investments, Meena Lakdawala-Flynn from Goldman Sachs Group, Sonal Desai from Franklin Templeton, and Savita Subramanian from BofA Securities.
Five Indian-American women have made it to Barron’s fourth annual list of the 100 Most Influential Women in US Finance for attaining noteworthy positions in the financial services sector and making significant contributions to shaping its future.
The list comprises Anu Aiyengar from JP Morgan, Rupal J. Bhansali from Ariel Investments, Meena Lakdawala-Flynn from Goldman Sachs Group, Sonal Desai from Franklin Templeton, and Savita Subramanian from BofA Securities.
Aiyengar became the global head of Mergers and Acquisitions at JP Morgan in January, after serving as co-head of the division since 2020.
In navigating challenging markets, she provides clients with equal measures of expertise and steadiness.
Barron’s reported that her fondness for crunching numbers, drafting legal contracts, and building relationships with clients has been the driving force behind her career in mergers and acquisitions.
At 55 years old, Rupal J. Bhansali is the Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of Ariel Investments’ global equity strategies. She believes that the current state of the market requires investors to reposition their portfolios because what worked in the past is “unlikely to work in the next decade”.
She has a deep conviction that managing finances is her true calling and is enthusiastic about motivating women to pursue a career in the financial industry.
Desai, who is 58 years old, made history in 2018 by becoming the first woman to hold the position of Chief Investment Officer in Franklin Templeton. She is responsible for managing over $137 billion in assets.
With experience at the International Monetary Fund, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and Thames River Capital, Desai joined Franklin Templeton in 2009. In 2018, she made history as the first woman to serve as the firm’s chief investment officer, managing $137 billion in assets.
Lakdawala-Flynn, the Co-Head of Global Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs Group, is known for her diverse roles. She not only co-chairs the global inclusion and diversity committee but also leads teams responsible for delivering customized wealth management solutions for private clients worldwide.
Barron reported that Lakdawala-Flynn’s career in finance started after a sports injury. She was a passionate gymnast and aspired to compete in the Olympics. However, she had to stay back at George Washington University one summer to recover from a knee injury. During that time, she interned at Friedman, Billings, and Ramsey Group, where she worked on the institutional equity sales desk.
Subramanian leads US equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Securities. Her role entails proposing US sector allocations for equities, forecasting the S&P 500 and other major US indices, and promoting the company’s quantitative equity strategy to individual and institutional customers.
Barron’s is a prominent financial news outlet that delivers extensive insights and opinions on stocks, investments, and global market trends.
