Mythili Ayyasamy, Director – India Operations (IO) at Fidelity Investments India, is a versatile leader who continues to inspire our associates with her approachable and ‘people-focused’ leadership style, customer-centric attitude and unwavering passion for diversity and inclusion. In this interview, Mythili shares nuggets from her career journey, leadership style, and personal perspectives.
Tell us a little about your career journey.
I lead a compliance function that is a part of the India Operations group at Fidelity Investments. My team is responsible for ensuring the regulatory requirements of 401k clients are met, while ensuring an exceptional customer experience. I bring 20 years of versatile experience in operations and project management. Before joining Fidelity, I led a variety of services in retail banking, finance, and accounts operations across multiple geographies, including stints in customer locations.
I am a passionate advocate of the continuous enhancement of services through technology and operations strategies aimed at benefiting customers and associates while ensuring synergies across a global team. Additionally, I am personally committed to supporting and promoting diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts of organizations where I work.
I have also worked with teams on remodeling operations services to accommodate social causes such as generating jobs in rural areas. During my career journey, I have had the opportunity to lead teams across geographies focusing on services for clients even while pursuing clear objectives and team coordination. This was at a time when the world was not even familiar with video-based meetings!
What was your reason for choosing Fidelity?
The nature of my prior role was such that it demanded 24×7 attention as the teams I worked with were spread across different geographies and time zones. The role also demanded frequent travel and months away from my family. This hectic lifestyle made me look for a role where I could do some exciting work while at the same time maintaining healthy work-life integration.
It was during this search that I came across Fidelity. I was vaguely aware of Fidelity as a brand at that time since I had had a bit of exposure to the US retirement savings industry. As I researched more about the Firm, the long tenure of its employees stood out to me as a differentiating factor. For me, it was testimony that the Firm takes good care of its employees and is committed to their career growth.
I was impressed by the history of the organization, the leadership team, and its overall brand reputation. The customer obsession Fidelity displays at all levels, its world-class facilities, and commitment towards the wellbeing of its employees were also factors that strengthened my decision to pursue a career here.
Tell us a little more about the work you do at Fidelity.
I am a part of the India Operations team that caters to Fidelity’s financial and retirement services operations. The services we offer range from simple transaction-based work to complex offerings that are analytical in nature and require deep domain knowledge.
As a team, we are focused on ensuring excellent service delivery and thus helping the organization achieve customer delight every single day!
As a Director – Operations, I provide strategic consultation to business partners in solving key business challenges through optimized operations solutions and by extending leadership support on critical initiatives. From a leadership standpoint, my priority is to create an engaged and highly skilled workforce capable of maximizing value for our customers. I also lead transformational process and product innovation efforts, helping build scale for the Firm.
As a team, we add immense value to the way in which Fidelity serves its customers. We are a true extension of the businesses we serve, teaming up with our peer groups in Covington and Westlake to plan, collaborate, and deliver with common goals across locations. We are a team of highly passionate individuals who possess immense domain and analytical skills.
Beyond my team management responsibilities, I also contribute towards various upskilling, coaching, and mentoring initiatives within the Firm. I am an active champion of D&I efforts and regularly participate in various D&I-related forums and Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
What are the attributes that define you as a successful leader at Fidelity?
Our work culture represents a powerful fusion of global connectivity, career mobility, and cultural vibrancy, with a clear focus on motivating people to innovate and experiment.
This focus challenges us to look beyond our comfort zones and unearth great ideas.
I am empowered as a Fidelity leader to constantly challenge the status quo and come up with solutions that will contribute to the business.
At work, I feel empowered to practice my authentic leadership style and help encourage my team members to bring their best selves to work. At Fidelity, we provide our associates with various forums to share, collaborate on, and implement ideas. When initiatives are co-created based on the ideas shared by team members, it promotes a greater sense of ownership and motivates others to come up with even brighter ones.
While we are committed to the continuous improvement of the quality of our deliverables, we are also keenly focused on upskilling our associates, to keep them challenged and thus help them grow. I am proud to be associated with an organization that proactively supports the career growth of its associates by providing them several avenues and opportunities to enhance their skills.
I also appreciate how the Firm is invested in caring for its employees and listening to their voice. A good case in point was the extensive support Fidelity provided while transitioning to work-from-home, where the Firm went to remarkable extents to ensure its employees were well taken care of on all possible aspects, incorporating their feedback actively in the process.
What has been your most memorable moment at Fidelity so far?
Winning the Circle of Excellence Award in 2019 in the ‘Leadership Excellence’ category at the Fidelity level was one of my most memorable moments. The Circle of Excellence Award recognizes individuals who create world-class experiences for clients and their employees.
What is the best advice you have received as a professional?
Never give up! This is a motto I strongly believe in. While there will be challenges at work, it is how you turn such obstacles into opportunities that would make all the difference.
What advice would you give others as a woman leader?
One aspect of being a woman leader is that you are expected to perform multiple roles with the same ease. However, things are changing, and we don’t need to chase perfection in all aspects of our lives. We can choose the areas we are passionate about and excel in them. It’s okay to share your responsibilities with other members of your family, ask for support wherever needed, and pursue your passions with purpose.
What are the attributes you would look for in a person you want to hire for your team?
Some of the primary attributes that I would look for while hiring for my team beyond the functional skills would be:
- Collaborative
- Positive attitude
- Holding themselves accountable
- Flexibility
- Curiosity to question and learn
Your favorite quote.
Jack Welch said: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” This is one of my favorite quotes to date.
