Tulasi Krishna, Director, Asset Management Technology, Fidelity Investments India, talks about her 16-year stint with the firm and the enriching learnings, diverse perspectives, and compelling experiences she has amassed as a technologist.

Describe your journey so far.

I completed my schooling in Delhi and moved to Bangalore for my undergraduate studies in Jyoti Nivas College. Thereafter, I pursued an engineering degree in Information Science at the B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, and was placed in Fidelity through the campus recruitment program. Just remembering those days evokes a lot of good memories, and the whole experience makes me nostalgic even today. I cannot believe I have already spent 17 fruitful years with the firm since that day!

What made you choose Fidelity as a preferred employer?

As an aspiring fresher, I did not know much about Fidelity at that time except that Fidelity had opened an office in India. Thanks to my extended family in the US who heaped words of praise about Fidelity when they got to know that Fidelity was one of participants in the campus recruitment drive, my interest was piqued. The more I got to know about Fidelity through my own research, the more my resolve grew to ace the interview and join the firm. This was in early 2007, and now 17 years later, I can vouch for the fact that every good report I had then heard about Fidelity is now a lived experience for me, and there is no looking back. I can say with conviction that Fidelity’s core values are foundational to the impeccable reputation that the firm holds in the industry. I find it a privilege to work for a company whose core values align perfectly with my own value system.

How would you describe your journey with Fidelity so far?

My first role was in the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT), which is at the epicenter of research on new and emerging technologies, especially in the financial services space. I was blessed to have good mentors, and being the youngest recruit in the team at the time, I got a lot of sound advice pertaining to both technical and non-technical aspects that proved to be immensely helpful in my career. Later, I got an opportunity move to the Asset Management business group. Being a novice at the time in Java and its design patterns, I had a long and good learning curve before me in my new role. This curve was shortened thanks to my enthusiasm to learn all about the technology and the willingness of my peers and leaders to guide and challenge me at the appropriate junctures.

One of the best things that happened to me was my unfamiliarity with the financial domain when I started out at Fidelity. This served both as an opportunity and a personal mountain to conquer. Over the years, as I progressed through my career journey, I realized how my work was helping contribute to the success of users of our systems at Fidelity. This propelled my desire to contribute even more and explore further technical depths, while owning and leading work in areas that I might not have had the chance to discover otherwise. There was never a dull moment in this journey nor a dearth of opportunities, so long as I had the enthusiasm to constantly raise my hand whenever I saw those opportunities in front of me and take them on.

Over the years, I have played a variety of roles such as an individual contributor, technology lead, people manager, and quasi-technology architect, and have also moved across business verticals. I believe all this was made possible thanks to the nurturing ecosystem at Fidelity, which is vibrant and comes alive for associates through the universe of learning opportunities provided, memberships or allyship opportunities offered by special interest groups, and the constant support of senior leaders.

Throughout my career, I have experienced Fidelity’s inclusive approach to everything it does, and I am privileged to work here!

What are the attributes that are required to be a successful leader at Fidelity?

Trust and respect are two attributes that stand out for me at Fidelity. The firm’s culture that embodies these values inspires employees to take charge of their careers and empowers them to always do what is right for the organization. I fondly remember a stage in my career when I had returned from maternity and was entrusted with a higher responsibility, which only strengthened my awe of this firm.

Can you share your most cherished moment at Fidelity so far?

It is tough to point out a single memory! There have been so many moments that have filled me with a sense of fulfilment and happiness all through my career journey here at Fidelity. Some examples include when, as a technology lead, I once led and delivered a complex platform to support cloud migration, or how I have been able to inspire my teams to flourish and achieve desired outcomes above and beyond their goals, or even when I once led a business unit-wide initiative to adopt inclusive technology language. The most amazing aspect is that even when things have not worked out for me in my work for one reason or another, Fidelity’s ecosystem has always provided me unwavering support. Personally, each experience has helped me become a better version of myself.

What is the best advice you have received as a professional?

“Be honest with yourself and accept that change is the only constant.” I have been a benevolent recipient of various nuggets of wisdom such as this from various people during my career, which have immensely helped me grow as a professional over the years and enabled me to reach where I am currently.

“What you resist, persists. What you accept, transforms.” – This is a nugget I would share with others.

What are some of the attributes you look for in a person you would want to hire for your team?

I strongly believe in the adage, “Hire for attitude and train for skill.” In my observation, the probability of success of an employee increases exponentially if the right attitude is ingrained in that person or acquired. The ecosystem and support provided will augment the right attitude and thus benefit the associate and the company overall.

What is your favorite quote/saying?

I love the song ‘Nānāṭi Batuku Nāṭakamu’ (the everyday life is but a drama), by Tallapaka Annamacharya, who was a 15th century musician and composer. The song says that life is a drama, and we are merely players who play our part. So, let’s always aim to play it well!

Views expressed are as of the date indicated and may change. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions provided are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Fidelity Investments.

Links to third-party websites may be shared on this page. Those sites are unaffiliated with Fidelity. Fidelity has not been involved in the preparation of the content supplied at the unaffiliated site and does not guarantee or assume any responsibility for its content.