Clear Street Career Growth & Development

Describe your career journey so far. What skills and experiences have you acquired along the way that have helped you get to where you are now?

I’m currently Managing Director, Program Management at Clear Street but my career began 28 years ago at Morgan Stanley as a software engineer, where my first five years were spent sharpening technical skills, writing clean code and designing reliable systems. But I was never satisfied with just knowing how to build. I was curious about why. That curiosity drew me into design and business discussions, soon leading me to own projects end-to-end.

That perspective opened the door to leadership. I grew from leading teams of five, to 10, to 20 and eventually 300 engineers globally. I learned leadership wasn’t about directing people, but creating opportunities for them to grow. I often handed off stretch assignments or parts of my role so others could take ownership which helped them develop and freed me for new challenges. 

When I transitioned to a startup, I leveraged my strengths — organization, curiosity and program management — to drive Clear Street’s growth. Though my team is small, my impact is company-wide. I focus on responsibility, learning and results, approaching challenges as stepping stones with grit and curiosity.

What support did you receive from individuals or resources that helped you step into a leadership role?

The most valuable support I’ve received throughout my career has been trust. I earned it by making integrity my foundation, by being transparent with both successes and failures and always explaining the reasoning behind my decisions. That consistency gave my managers confidence in me, even in uncertain situations.

One defining moment came early on when a system I owned failed during a critical release. Instead of hiding the issue, I immediately called my manager, explained what went wrong and laid out options to fix it. That honesty didn’t cost me credibility — it built it. From then on, I was trusted to take on larger responsibilities.

Support didn’t always come in the form of formal mentors; it came from managers who gave me room to make decisions, peers who collaborated and teams who followed because they believed in me. Trust, once built, became the strongest resource in helping me step confidently into leadership.

How do you encourage other women on your team to become leaders themselves? Are there any stories you can share that showcase how you’ve done this?

I believe leadership isn’t tied to titles. It’s built through authenticity, curiosity and courage. I encourage women on my team to see themselves as leaders early, by asking questions, speaking up and taking ownership. I remind them that challenges are not roadblocks but opportunities to create impact.

One example is a teammate who was frustrated by repetitive, manual tasks. Instead of accepting them, I encouraged her to automate the process. At first she hesitated, since it wasn’t in her comfort zone, but she took the challenge and built a solution that eliminated the work. That project not only saved time but positioned her as a leader in automation across the team.

Moments like this prove that leadership grows when people are trusted to stretch themselves. By giving women confidence, support and opportunities, I help them discover the leaders within themselves.