Culture Archives - Vanguard Careers

Our top careers blogs from 2022

December 14, 2022/in Advice from crew, Crew benefits, Culture, Day in the Life, Diversity & inclusion /by jblackwell

Our top careers blogs from 2022

The end of the year is often a time when we reflect on all that’s been accomplished in the last twelve months. 2022 was another unique year with lots of new and exciting highlights. From new benefit offerings, to exploring new cities and changing careers, we’ve pulled together our top five stories for you. Whether it’s your first read or you’re revisiting a favorite, we hope you enjoy!

Vanguard’s Innovative Benefits Support Your Well-Being Your Way

In this blog, we introduce Vanguard’s new FlexFund benefit. This forward-thinking offer first started in the tech industry, and Vanguard is one of the first financial institutions to adopt it.

Vanguard Dallas: Join Our Team of Advisors

In this blog, Luke H. shares what he is most excited about serving as a leader at our new Vanguard site in Dallas, Texas.

My Experience at Last Year’s Grace Hopper Conference

In this blog, Kimberly W. shares her experience attending the Grace Hopper Celebration in 2021.

Why We Changed Careers

In this blog, several crew open up about their experiences in changing careers and joining Vanguard’s Client Services and Operations group.

Join Vanguard’s Global Risk and Security Division

In this blog, Principal and Chief Information Security Officer, Manish Nagar, shares insights into the work GR&S is responsible for, his personal career experiences, and Vanguard’s new footprint in Dallas, Texas.

Feeling inspired? Make your career count with Vanguard. Search our opportunities.

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Uniting Vanguard crew through Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations

October 5, 2022/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion /by jortega

Uniting Vanguard crew through Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations

Each year, Hispanic/Latinx Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA), Vanguard’s crew (employee) resource group, brings crew together during Hispanic Heritage Month to learn about and share their culture.

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme is “Unidos: Uniting all Vanguard crew through a celebration of Latinx and Hispanic heritage and culture.” The theme recognizes the voices that have shaped the Latinx community and paved the way for inclusion. As Latinx members and allies, there is a wealth of knowledge, culture, languages, backgrounds, and experiences that unite us all.

In this blog, we hear from crew who share what Unidos and Hispanic Heritage Month means to them:

For me, “Unidos” is an everyday state of mind. Maybe it’s rooted in our culture, but in Mexico, we try to do everything together. The community we have when we interact with each other, either in the workspace or during a meal, is really strong. For example, a lunch meeting with clients, family, or friends always features “sobremesa,” which means the time you stay chatting and exchanging ideas. A good “sobremesa” can last for hours and can be a time for real bonding among the participants.
– Mayolo O.

When I moved to Charlotte from Georgia not too long ago, I looked toward my favorite hobby of volleyball for pastime and exercise. Through volleyball, I met families and friends who are Peruanos, Venezolanos, Puertorriquenos, and more. They invited me into their events and dinners, knowing that I was establishing a new life here on my own. That is what Unidos means to me. We are a community of individuals from many places and backgrounds, yet we still value and know the bonds that bring us together.
– Chris M.

Unidos for me means sharing our Latinx heritage and culture with everyone on our Washington, DC team. Whether that’s highlighting Latinx figures who’ve made significant contributions to society, or sharing traditions my family celebrates, Unidos is all about inclusion and welcoming everyone into the Latinx family.
– Chris R.

Hispanic Heritage Month, Unidos, and HOLA are important to me as they bring light to the warm cultures of dozens of countries across the globe that are represented by those living in the US. As an ally who double majored in Spanish, my participation in HOLA has proven to be a valuable aspect of my career in Finance. Not only does the crew resource group cultivate a new network of support, but it also provides the opportunity to make an impact in an area about which I’m passionate. HHM is a great celebration of independence and heritage. It enables us to break stigmas and highlight growth opportunities in our multicultural markets.
– Julia H.

Unidos for me means not only getting together with friends and family but being together as a community. As Latinx people, others often think we have a lot in common, and while we do, there are also a lot of cultural differences amongst Latinx people. So, when the theme came up, my first thought was about really uniting people, learning from the different cultures within the Hispanic and Latinx communities and celebrating both the things we have in common and the differences, while in a safe space provided by our Vanguard familia.
– Angel S-R.

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My experience at last year’s Grace Hopper Conference

August 24, 2022/in Culture, Training & education Technology /by manikantashetty

Passion is the spark that illuminates your path to success

My experience at last year’s Grace Hopper Conference

“To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge.” – Grace Hopper

Going into the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in 2021, I’d heard good things about the event, but I really didn’t know what to expect. For those who don’t know, the GHC is a chance for women in computing and technology to connect, celebrate each other’s accomplishments, and learn from one another. After attending the conference, I felt that my views had been broadened to think beyond the immediate user group for a technology capability, and instead, to think about how technology impacts the cultural and community landscape.

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper was one of the first women to receive a doctorate degree in mathematics. She joined the Naval Reserve, while working as an assistant professor, during World War II to work in computing and support our wartime efforts. She was the first to devise the theory of machine-independent programming languages, with coding based on words that are compiled into machine language. The programming language that she created using this theory was later extended to create common business-oriented language (COBOL). For these accomplishments and more, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. All that to say, she’s an inspiration to many!

“Inspiring” is how I would also describe the speakers during last year’s GHC. Women from all different walks of life and career backgrounds reached an audience of all ages and career stages. I joined a variety of sessions and learned new ideas and insights. Here’s what happened in some of my favorite sessions:

Joined a “Lighting Talk” on non-traditional paths in the technology industry that lead to working as a Product Owner, Scrum Master, or UX Designer.
Received a fun “Peek Behind the Curtain,” where Disney shared the wide array of technology they use in their parks (apps, Magic Bands), on the web, in the theater (movies, Pixar, Marvel), and through streaming services (Disney/Disney+).
Delved into the use of data science and mobile analysis to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Heard from TikTok COO, Vanessa Pappas, on privacy considerations, how they learn from peers, as well as manage misinformation and hate speech.

While all the sessions were grounded in their use of technology, it was great to see how they touched on so many relevant and timely topics. GHC delivered on its promise to connect, celebrate, and learn! And after the celebration was over, I was granted access to recordings of all the great sessions and plan to continue learning how tech can be used to make a positive impact.

-Kimberly W.

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Serving on the Women in ETFs U.S. board

July 20, 2022/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion, Voyage to Vanguard Specialized Leader /by manikantashetty

Serving on the Women in ETFs U.S. board

When her sister was interested in Nintendo, Barbies, and other toys as a child, Investment Management Group Principal and Global Head of ETF Capital Markets and Broker & Index Relations Janel Jackson was drawn to numbers. “My dad had Value Line binders full of individual securities, pricing, and recommendations on stocks that intrigued me,” Janel said. “My sister quizzed me on math problems before she let me join her in playing video games!” Janel’s passion for figures and finance helped her advance through college, graduate school, and her career and earned her a seat on the Women in ETFs U.S. board.

Women in ETFs (WE) is a global nonprofit open to everyone in the ETF industry, with a mission of developing talent, honoring the achievements of women in the industry, and investing in the ETF community. Vanguard is a gold sponsor and has an internal steering committee focused on maximizing our engagements and benefits from WE, as well as helping to create a sense of community among crew who are members.

Janel attributes her achievement to a long-term focus on the investment industry as well as on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of her goals as a board member is to widen the scale of possibilities for WE members.

“I enjoy helping people discover ways to develop themselves and broaden their networks,” Janel said. Throughout her Vanguard career, she has prioritized helping new and tenured crew members broaden and deepen their ties with one another.

Vanguard is a strong supporter of this organization and its mission. Membership among Vanguard employees has grown to almost 600.

The value of a first impression
When Janel was pursuing a career with investment management companies, committing to one that sustains a diverse culture was a priority for her. She vividly remembers one career fair where Vanguard stood out.

“I met Vanguard’s Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis and, at the time, he was running the U.S. bond index desk,” Janel said. “I hadn’t seen a lot of African Americans in money management, and to see him in the role knowing the mission and values of this organization, I was automatically attracted to working here.

“You hear firms talking about diversity and inclusion, and then you see a room of white males. Does this company really care about diversity and inclusion? When I met Greg, I thought, ‘Wow, they’re serious. I want to be a part of that.’”

Connecting and growing
Janel became involved with Women in ETFs in 2017. After getting to know other women in the group and then attending a conference a few years later, she was inspired to build her ETF knowledge and broaden her network.

“Hearing female speakers at the conference talk about their tenure and path sounded very similar to mine, and many of them were around since the inception of ETFs,” Janel said. “Even though they were working at different firms, seeing how connected they were and the knowledge around the ETF vehicle made me want to get even more involved.”

Janel will continue to advocate for a diverse mindset, equity in opportunities for everyone, and inclusivity. “There’s always going to be more than we can do,” she said. “We should all be getting ahead together.”

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My personal development journey through Vanguard Toastmasters

July 6, 2022/in Culture, Training & education /by manikantashetty

My personal development journey through Vanguard Toastmasters

As a bilingual professional living and working in the US for almost twenty years, it has been an enriching experience to adopt English as a second language and practice public speaking; however, I rarely thought about how heavily I depended on filler words to help me connect phrases. About three months after joining Vanguard, I was asked to participate with my peers on a Town Hall presentation for our department. I was anxious and a bit petrified. One of my leaders mentioned she had noticed my use of “ums” and “uhs” throughout the presentation and shared best practices for improvement. I knew this is something I would continue to focus on both inside and outside of work.

Later, I met a colleague through a networking event at Vanguard, and in his company profile, I noticed he was the President of Toastmasters International and involved with our organization’s local chapter, Vanguard Toastmasters –Voicing Great Ideas. He invited me to come to a Toastmasters meeting as a guest. I immediately connected with their mission of improving public speaking skills, while building leadership and organization skills. Once I signed up to be a member, I started participating in activities such as “Table Topics,” in which you have 1 to 2 minutes to respond to questions selected at random, and taking on roles such as “Ah counter,” where I had to count the number of times members use filler words. Through this experience, I became more self-aware, and developed confidence and poise over time. The warm and friendly environment our club offers was key to making me feel comfortable and encouraged me to improve my skills. I also signed up for the “Pathways” program, which allows members to leverage other competencies, such as project management, leadership development, and online meeting management, just to name a few.

When the pandemic hit, we were afraid of the impact it would have on our club. Thankfully, we have been able to pivot to an “all online” format, where we’ve adapted our style to meet the new norm of presenting virtually, ultimately enhancing our skills further.

I have been a member of Vanguard Toastmasters – Voicing Great Ideas for a few years now, taking on several roles. This experience has helped me advance my career. From interview preparation, to presentation mastery, Toastmasters has trained me to become a better communicator and has allowed me to meet wonderful colleagues. I look forward to our weekly meetings and to seeing all the friendly faces that have supported me over the years.

– Monica D.

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Proud sponsor for Reaching Out MBA

June 22, 2022/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion /by jortega

Proud sponsor for Reaching Out MBA

Vanguard was a proud Gold Sponsor for the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Out Women in Business (OWIB) Conference. The Out Women in Business Conference brought the LGBTQIA+ community together to educate, inspire, and connect future generations of women in business. For many of the attendees, it was the first chance to come together in-person after more than two years of being virtual. A celebration of visible community and representation, OWIB featured speakers from a number of companies, including Vanguard’s own Kate Pope, Senior Manager in the Office of the General Counsel, and Kim-An Hernandez, Principal in the Finance division.

In this blog, we wanted to capture the perspectives of our crew who were able to attend. We asked them a few questions about their experience and were thrilled with the positive feedback we received. Here is what they had to say:

“Romba’s OWIB event provided an incredible opportunity to connect, network, and share what #LifeAtVanguard means to me. Attending alongside our Out Professional Engagement Network (OPEN) colleagues was the highlight, as it was my first time meeting many of them in person versus on a screen. It also provided deeper connections and sense of community.”
– Krista D.

“I love the networking aspect of meeting people from other organizations. This is extremely helpful for recruiting and getting the Vanguard story out there, as well as learning from peers in other companies, industries and regions so we can continually raise the bar in both the work we do at Vanguard and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey.”
– Jill O.

“The energy, diversity, and passion in the room created such a refreshing sense of belonging and connection. I especially loved hearing stories from all these talented and courageous women from different backgrounds. Hearing each person’s “hustle” or goal they’re working toward was most impactful to me. It was energizing being surrounded by a community of like-minded people. I’m so proud to be part of a company that values this community and works to lift up these voices.”
– Mary O.

Vanguard crew gathered at recruiting booth at Out Women in Business 2022 event.

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A legacy of educators

May 25, 2022/in Culture, Our mission, Voyage to Vanguard /by jortega

A legacy of educators

As the granddaughter of an engineering professor and nursing teacher, education has always been top of mind for me; it’s integral to who I am as a person and my family values. My dream career throughout childhood was to become an art teacher; visions of paint splattered denim overalls and school murals of ‘Starry Night’ fueled the many educational pursuits of my youth, leading to my choice of a small, creative liberal arts school for college.

Fast forward several years later… Imagine my surprise to be working at a financial services company! Armed with a dual degree in Art History and French, I remember anxiously Google searching, “What is a mutual fund?” prior to my Vanguard interview. That day, I was pleasantly surprised to hear my interviewer share that, “We have world class professionals here to teach you finance. What we’re looking for are candidates who know how to speak to people.” With that comment in mind, I took to the familiar task of learning. Studying for my Series 7 and 63 licenses were the first requisites prior to starting my first role – a challenge that while at first intimidating, ultimately fueled my desire to further my acumen in the investment industry. Shortly thereafter, I pursued my Certified Financial Planner® designation in order to further my credentials and to feel confident in the complex tax conversations I was having with clients. Together, these steppingstones culminated in my current role as the Service Recovery Supervisor in our Education Savings Contact Center, where I am able to continue learning, growing, and investigating unique client situations daily.

This position also gives me the distinct pleasure of serving in a role with a mission that resonates with me deeply: to improve the lives of our account owners with investments for education. One of the most common investment goals (second only to retirement), is saving for education, and an ambition that I connect to on a personal level. And though very different from where I envisioned myself, I love coming to work every day to help resolve issues for those seeking to meet their education goals – whether saving for college, looking to help a grandchild through their K-12 schooling, or even chipping away at student loan debt.

This year my husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby boy, and with eyes to the horizon, we opened our own 529 account for him in celebration. The balance is still modest for the moment, but I feel confident given the same reassurances we give our account owners day-in and day-out: every little bit will count, and we have the benefit of time on our side.

— Lauren H-F.

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How Vanguard has supported my career as a first‑time Mom

May 11, 2022/in Crew benefits, Culture, Day in the Life /by jortega

Sperry_Talli_17- final 2017 professional photo (2)

How Vanguard has supported my career as a first–time Mom

As I sat down at my desk to write this blog, I landed upon a “puff” baby snack. Rather than feeling frustration at the crumbs, I was surprised to find myself smiling- because I’m learning that balancing work and motherhood can be messy… but beautiful too.

Leading an ultra-high net worth wealth management business and sponsoring the launch of a private investment product, all with an infant on my lap, was not how I pictured my career. Given my degrees in the arts, a career at an investment management company didn’t even seem in the realm of possibility. So, the idea of doing it all while holding my baby would never have occurred to me- outside of a random fantasy about living a functional version of Diane Keaton’s Baby Boom boardroom scenes.

Yet, my arts background has made me comfortable with and invigorated by ambiguity—I find joy in the strategy needed to launch a business solution—as it provides me with the opportunity to create. So, when I got the beautiful surprise of my first child shortly after I’d been given one of my biggest career opportunities leading a heavily investment-focused project, I was excited… and then I panicked about whether I could balance my new normal.

Thankfully conversations with my bosses and mentors helped me realize that I could be a good mom and keep my career going. I’m still amazed that amidst the biggest assignment of my career, I was able to take a fully paid four-month maternity leave and return to pick my work up right where I left off.

Now in my mid-forties, I often find myself cuddling my infant daughter (and at times feeding her puff baby snacks, thus the crunch as I sat down today) during work meetings about Vanguard’s Family Office Wealth Management business, Family Legacy Services, and Private Equity …and I love it. The quirky mix warms my heart. I’m forever grateful to work for an organization that never denied me career opportunities, even as I balanced the joyous shock of my dream-come-true life event of becoming a mother. Vanguard has never wavered on its commitment to help me learn and grow, and to present awesome career opportunities as I lean in.

As a working mom, who cares passionately about her career and utterly adores (and never wants to miss a moment of) her daughter, Vanguard is the place I want to be. A life of baby puffs and big presentations works for me.

— Talli H.

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Women’s History Month 2022

March 30, 2022/in Career opportunities, Culture, Day in the Life /by nitesh

Women’s History Month 2022

Each year on March 8 we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) to honor the achievements of women, in a variety of fields, throughout history and across nations. March also happens to be Women’s History Month in the United States.

In recognition of both International Women’s Day (IWD) and Women’s History Month, Vanguard’s Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS) hosted events and programs focusing on a bold theme: “Break the Bias.” The mission behind this year’s theme was to demystify and confront one major bias against women in corporate environments across all industries: the gap between women and men being perceived as strategic thinkers.

Through live speaker events, career progression programs, and company-wide discussions, crew engaged with each other across virtual platforms. Many also participated in a #BreakTheBias campaign by posting photos striking the IWD pose to show their commitment to calling out gender bias and stereotyping.

Lastly, WILS also took this opportunity to recognize and celebrate “women we admire” through a spotlight series. Take a moment to read the insights these crew members shared about their personal career experiences in being strategic thinkers and best practices for breaking gender biases.

Nitu G.
Product Architect in Europe

Nitu opens up about the importance of building a collective vision: “As architects, a lot of our work requires shaping the longer-term strategic architecture vision. For me, formulating a strategic vision can only happen when you take the time to talk to stakeholders and subject matter experts, and take a genuine interest in understanding what they do, what our clients do, and the challenges they face. It’s important to keep focused on understanding the bigger picture and uncovering the core challenges so that you can then collaboratively and strategically figure out what needs to be achieved. Collaboration is the key to shaping your own thinking and that of others. I always remind myself that having strategic vision is meaningless unless it can be driven forward. The best way to do that is for everyone to be part of the same journey and build the vision together.”

Danielle C.
Co-head of PAS High Net Worth Advice and Advice Support Group

Offering guidance to those interested in strengthening their strategic thinking skillset, Danielle shares, “Strategic thinking comes down to how you approach making decisions and considering trade-offs. A few tips: 1. Start with growing your experience working with data. Then, determine how to use data to tell a compelling story. 2. Frameworks, like hypothesis trees, are helpful to tell a story and show how you came to a decision. Read books and articles on decision-making and hang onto memos and presentations on the subject, as you never know when they will come in handy. 3. Think about altitude, time, and scope. 4. Finally, verbalize your thought process. Don’t keep all that great strategic thinking locked up inside your head! Communicate clearly and transparently to your peers, directs, and leaders. This helps bring your stakeholders along.

Ayana P-B.
Head of Emerging Talent and Diversity Recruiting Strategy

Touching on this year’s IWD theme, Ayana shares, “The “break” in break the bias implies interruption. To interrupt patterns of behavior takes humility, courage, and an openness to both learn and teach. For women on a path to develop strategic thinking and break the bias, I’d encourage you to speak up and shine your light to the fullest! Show your expertise, share your knowledge, actively listen, and dynamically engage. You can and will make an impact and add tremendous value by being your authentic self, not questioning your seat at the table, and showing up prepared to lean in.”

Michelle L.
Senior Portfolio Manager in Vanguard’s Investment Management Group

When speaking about women in investment management, Michelle says, “It’s no secret that investment management has long been a male-dominated profession. The first bias we need to break is that women can have and build successful careers in the investment management industry. As a representative of WILS for Vanguard’s Investment Management Group, a strategic area we continue to focus on is our outreach to young women and girls on careers in investment management, as societal biases start very early. It’s empowering to help young women and girls see opportunity in investment management among their bright futures, particularly where bias or lack of role modeling may have chartered a different path for them.

Linda A.
Head of Financial Planning and Analysis and Corporate Accounting in Australia

For women looking to become stronger strategic thinkers, Linda encourages, “Be proactive. Understand the business strategy, understand the challenges faced by your leader, peers, and crew within the organization. Apply a risk culture mindset, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to bring different perspectives and insights, and don’t be afraid to voice your ideas.”

Danielle

Michelle

Nitu

Ayana

Linda

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Making technology accessible for all

March 9, 2022/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion /by nitesh

Making technology accessible for all

As a developer, I find myself thinking about web sites and application design a lot. One aspect of development is accessibility, or making sure that all users have equal access to resources found on the web, and can accurately perceive, operate and understand all content. Accessibility is not as simple as testing with a screen reader and calling it a day, true web accessibility means ensuring that those with challenges to visual, hearing, motor, cognitive, and color perception abilities can use the applications successfully and with minimal frustration.

My exposure to accessibility technology started much earlier than most. My father’s cousin used a wheelchair for her adult life and had limited control from her neck down; she was able to move one finger. She was one of the most intelligent women I knew, a college professor with degrees in Criminal Science, and a fantastic taste in movies!

My father was her unofficial tech support, so I was always aware of how important her computer and other tools were for her to go about her daily life. I thought watching her speed through Dragon Naturally Speaking, a speech recognition software that allowed her to move her mouse around on the screen and interact with her computer via her voice, was so cool! In fact, I referenced that experience in my college application essays. So, from a time pre-dating my career, I have associated technology with helping to improve lives.

While in college, I was introduced to Vanguard through my College to Corporate summer internship. Even though my role through that program had nothing to do with software development (which I was majoring in) or accessibility, it was still a lot of fun! I learned so much about Vanguard’s corporate culture, including the firm’s client-first mentality, how caring colleagues are, how supportive managers are on finding balance between work and life, and encouragement to take advantage of Vanguard’s many amenities. I was amazed to learn that one of my coworkers had recruited her son to come work at the same company when adults I knew spent so much time complaining about work; the contrast was vast.

Given the welcoming culture I experienced, returning was a no brainer. When I eventually found my way to a developer role at Vanguard, I attended an internal course for one week that provided a broad overview of the many systems, tools and technologies, and programs that we need to be aware of. I spent a half day learning about what was a relatively new program at Vanguard, their Accessibility Office. I was fascinated by the idea. My manager at the time suggested that I reach out to them and become an ambassador.

Since that time, the Accessibility Office, and its ambassador (now champion) program, has continued to expand, and I have enjoyed being along for the ride. Along with trainings, I have also attended events for Global Accessibility Awareness Day and other accessibility related concepts. Just this year, I have signed up to become certified through International Association of Accessibility Professionals. For me, accessibility closely aligns to Vanguard’s mission – to take a stand for all investors (among other things). It’s important we make sure that all our tools are accessible to everyone.

In addition to my participation in the Accessibility Office, my role as an ambassador has offered me opportunities in my day-to-day job to introduce others on my team and beyond to accessibility concepts and help them integrate accessible implementations. We started small, with reviews of various applications, and the creation of prioritized backlogs to ensure that we could continuously improve our client experience. One occasion that stands out is when we adjusted the color contrast on pie charts on our pages. Upon implementation, one of my colleagues expressed gratitude for our work, as they personally are color blind. This was unexpected and truly demonstrates the positive impact we are having on the lives of others.

As I became more experienced with accessibility, I started to act as a subject matter expert for not just my team, but other teams in my product family and program as well. I am always happy to help when my fellow crew members reach out to me and ask for the best way to make an input, table, or chart more accessible, because I truly believe that every little bit helps! In the last few years, I have started giving overviews to my department about what accessibility is and how to implement it in their daily lives. I have received countless, positive feedback from participants, who were excited to jump in and start making their applications accessible to everyone.

The latest step in my accessibility journey took place in early January of this year when I accepted a role in the Accessibility Office. So, not only has accessibility shaped my childhood and early career, but it continues to shape the future of my work. Vanguard’s accessibility journey is far from finished, and I am looking forward to helping Vanguard continue to strive to give ALL investors the best chance for investment success.

-Noel K.

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