Our top careers blogs from 2021

December 15, 2021/in Advice from crew, Career opportunities, Culture, Day in the Life /by balajivaradaraj

Our top careers blogs from 2021

The end of the year is often a time to reflect on all that’s been accomplished in the last twelve months. 2021 was another unique year and we pulled together the top five career stories for you. Whether it’s your first read or you’re revisiting a favorite, we hope you enjoy!

Vanguard’s enhanced Total Rewards package

Vanguard’s Total Rewards Package provides benefits for the unique needs of each of our crew members. Over the past year, it has become even more evident that these needs are ever-changing and different for each person. We continue to offer expanded benefits to fit various definitions of family and work-life balance, and aim to provide crew with the tools, resources, and programs they need to operate at their full potential – in both work and life.

Coming out- On repeat

On National Coming Out Day, Shawn H. opend up about how coming out is not a once and done experience—It’s ongoing.

How Vanguard supports long-term career growth

Vanguard supports the long-term career growth of our crew through an internal mobility process, as well as mentorships and upskilling resources. In this blog, Chelsea M. shares insights into our offerings as well as feedback from key stakeholders who have benefited from them.

Jun Oh’s perspective: Vanguard’s MBA Development Program

Recruiting for MBA students is an extremely competitive landscape. Decisions are based on prior work experience and role compatibility, geographic variances, industry preferences, total compensation, benefits, and more. So, what is it about Vanguard’s MBA Leadership Development Program that has both attracted and retained this high-potential talent? We took a deeper dive into this question and asked Vanguard crew members who participated in the MBA Leadership Development Program to recap their experience and share what initially attracted them to Vanguard and what keeps them feeling fulfilled in their roles. In this second installment of a three-part series, we highlight the experience of Jun Oh Y.

The call that changed it all

In this blog, Rebecca H. opens up about her journey to Vanguard and professional development opportunities she has received as a crew member.

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

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Making the leap to a second career—again

December 8, 2021/in Advice from crew, Career opportunities, Culture /by vanguardsync

Making the leap to a second career—again

Sometimes the best career moves are also the scariest. That’s a lesson I’ve learned twice. My first job out of college was as a newspaper reporter and I loved it, at least at first. After a dozen years, I’d grown weary of deadlines and wary about the prospects for my industry. Luckily, Vanguard was hiring for writers in its marketing and communications department.

I knew Vanguard by reputation because I’d specialized in covering personal finance and investing. The firm’s clear-eyed, long-term approach seemed vastly better than the feverish mentality that prevailed during the late ‘90s dot-com bubble. As a reporter, I had a front-row seat to witness the wealth destruction caused by Wall Street performance chasing and lack of diversification when that bubble burst.

Fifteen years ago this December, I landed a job as a writer for Vanguard and felt fortunate to be part of the “crew.”

The scoop on switching careers

I also felt culture shock.

I’d moved away from what I had thought would be a lifelong profession and was now working for one of the world’s largest investment firms, something I had never envisioned. How would I fit in?

Discovering that there were many others at Vanguard who’d made similar transitions helped ease my worries. (Indeed, company founder John C. Bogle himself had done a short stint as a “cub” newspaper reporter.)

I chatted with a former veteran wire service reporter who assured me that it wouldn’t be too long before I, like him, viewed joining Vanguard to be one of the best career decisions I’d ever made. In such a supportive environment, it didn’t take long before my fears melted away. It was an exciting time because there was so much to learn. I threw myself into getting up to speed, taking night classes and reading Mr. Bogle’s numerous books.

The more I learned, the more I noticed a change in my interests. I’d joined Vanguard thinking I’d always be a writer and editor. But as time went on, what really grabbed my attention was investing and learning about ways to build and safeguard wealth. One of my colleagues had experienced a similar transformation and left his writing job to become a Certified Financial Planner ™ for Vanguard Personal Advisor Services. But to me, such a big change seemed too daunting. How could I pursue a second, second career at this point?

Me and Nate.

How Nate changed my point of view

And then life—as it often does—took an unexpected twist. In 2014, our son Nate was born and forever changed the way I look at everything. Nate has Down syndrome, and the first two years of his life were one health care crisis after another. He underwent open heart surgery at five weeks. Right around his first birthday, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Thanks to spectacular care by nurses and doctors in our community, Nate has made a full recovery and is now as healthy as any seven-year-old I know.

Of course, I was profoundly affected by this experience. Among other things, I had a new perspective on what qualified as scary and difficult. Making another career change no longer seemed undoable.

And becoming a financial advisor now had an additional appeal. I was especially passionate about the opportunity to help clients who have loved ones with disabilities meet their unique financial challenges. From my own experience, I know that providing for children or other relatives with disabilities is often a family’s biggest single financial concern.

So, for the second time in my life, I took the plunge into an entirely new career. Fortunately, one of the distinctive aspects of Vanguard’s culture is an openness to trying new paths. This is true at any stage, whether you’re a veteran like me or a relative newcomer. Although I had no experience as a financial advisor, I was welcomed into a Vanguard-sponsored program to prepare for the rigorous CFP® exam.

My son Nate.

A beginner all over again

Just like when I first joined Vanguard, I benefitted from tremendous support both in terms of formal training and informal coaching and encouragement from managers and colleagues.

Even with all the help, it wasn’t easy. I spent countless hours studying and had to contend with the stress of learning entirely new systems while adjusting to working directly with clients for the first time. Although I’d been with Vanguard for a long time, I was back to the uncomfortable feeling of being the “new kid” in school. If you’re contemplating a career change, don’t underestimate the challenges.

But don’t underestimate the payoff either. Today, I’m enjoying the fruits of my labors and feel more engaged in my work than I have in years. As a financial advisor, I can impact my clients’ lives for the better every day. And because I’m still relatively early on the journey, I feel like opportunities to keep learning are boundless.

It’s a time of year when many people reflect on what they’re thankful for. For me, it’s that I didn’t let fear stop me from going after a new career.

Lessons learned from two career switches

Talk to your network. Before you make a leap, it’s vital that you speak to as many people in your prospective field as possible. You should also get advice from current trusted colleagues. Best of all, find someone who made the same transition you did. I got invaluable advice from a Vanguard writer who became a financial advisor.
Value what you already know. The skills from your old job will translate in surprising ways into your new career. Asking good questions and taking impeccable notes is obviously key to success for newspaper reporters. It’s true for financial advisors, too.
‘Scaries’ will fade. Twice now I’ve been through the anxieties that go along with a career change. My experience also taught me the fears fade and the excitement builds. Better to experience temporary “Sunday Scaries” than lasting regret about not going after what you’d really like to do.

-Ted G.

Ted is a high net worth financial advisor for Vanguard Personal Advisor Services.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

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Every ____ counts

December 2, 2021/in Culture, In the community /by vanguardsync

Every ____ counts

The 2021 Vanguard Gives Back Campaign took place from November 15 through November 19. This year’s theme, Every ______ counts, emphasized the many causes and organizations that do important work in our communities around the world.
The annual campaign provides our crew with an opportunity to support Vanguard Strong Start for Kids or other community agencies and causes that are close to their hearts. This year’s activities included some friendly competition and opportunities to Learn, Act, and Give.

Learn

During the campaign, crew joined discussions featuring leaders from several of our Crew Resource Groups, where they heard about their connections to Strong Start agencies and learned how those agencies are addressing the childcare crisis. They also learned how the work of Strong Start for Kids is furthering Vanguard’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Act

There are many ways in which crew acted. For example, they participated in our Strong Start for Kids 5K. Whether as an individual or by forming a team including family and friends, crew registered to run, walk, or move for kids and logged their miles. Further, Vanguard offered unique service projects for crew interested that benefitted Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) and Promising Pages in Pennsylvania, Arizona and North Carolina. Lastly, crew had an opportunity to sign up for a variety of other virtual Days of Service volunteer activities with fellow colleagues.

Give

Whether it’s pledging time or money, we are proud to see our crew make meaningful contributions in the community that have a lasting impact.

Check out the photos below that crew submitted to share their Every ____ counts!

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Gratitude for friends and colleagues

November 23, 2021/in Crew benefits, Culture /by jortega

Gratitude for friends and colleagues

If navigating challenging scenarios was a course, the COVID-19 pandemic created a master class opportunity for everyone. Unprecedented is the word used most to describe the past 18 months and while it is typically used to describe responding to increased business challenges, the course of the virus and community needs, I’d like to offer an alternate way to think about it. The past 18 months have been unprecedented in the way that friends, family, and colleagues have genuinely shown up for each other. It is the silver lining that I hope doesn’t fade as we see some normalcy just around the bend.

This year, I’ve thought a little bit more about gratitude at work. In the past, gratitude at work was aligned with my team excelling in their roles, knocking a project out of the park, a colleague supporting me as I navigated a tough stakeholder management situation, or covering a meeting for me. All things that are much appreciated, but the gratitude I feel now runs deeper. Over the summer, I learned that my mom was going to have major surgery. I knew I needed some support while I’d be managing a busy career and addressing concerns about my mother’s health. A colleague reminded me that our Vanguard benefits plan includes expanded access to mental wellbeing benefits and encouraged me to sign up. I was equipped with tools and tactics to help me thrive. I feel fortunate to work for a firm that supports crew with a suite of benefits that addresses all aspects of employee wellbeing.

As the surgery date drew near, I was grateful for the distraction of a very busy work schedule but knew that I would need to take some time off. As someone who has always taken pride in being a shoulder for others to lean on, I felt uncomfortable asking for help.

Me and Mom

Over the next two weeks as I took time off work to care for my mom (and my dad as he was caring for my mom), I can safely say that I have never felt my heart so full of sheer gratitude.

I’m grateful that Vanguard supports caregiver time off so that I could be there for my family when they needed it most. I’m grateful for my friends who checked in on me all hours of the day. I’m grateful for my teams who not only called with messages of support, but also kept the business running smoothly during one of our busiest seasons. Most of all, I will forever be grateful for the talented surgeons, doctors and wonderful nurses that were there every step of the way. 90 days post-surgery and my mom is doing great!

I think back on this journey with gratitude, and I’m reminded of a quote from Albert Schweitzer and I’m grateful for the sparks in my life.

“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer

– Tamara T.

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How serving in the military helped shape my career

November 11, 2021/in Culture, Voyage to Vanguard /by vanguardsync

How serving in the military helped shape my career

I joined Vanguard a year ago and while my path to this organization was not the traditional one, my career has been guided by many of the same values that Vanguard was built on, including taking a stand for the people you serve. With a desire to serve our country, I launched my career as an officer in the US Navy after graduate school. It was here where I learned many lessons and had experiences that shaped my leadership beliefs today.

Lesson One: There are no shortcuts

During the first week on board my submarine, I had to climb into one of the smallest spaces to check the boat’s battery. It was a simple but challenging task, but if you approached the task half-heartedly, others would follow suit. At times, I observed others completing improper checks, even after they had been caught slacking in the past. I learned quickly, if I wanted others to take their roles and work seriously–whether it was checking the boat’s battery or inspecting the nuclear power plant–I would have to demonstrate how important each task was to me. No matter how tired I might feel or cumbersome a task might be, I realized that someone would always be watching, and it was critical that I lead by example. When I look back, what comes to mind is not the sleepless nights and hard work, but rather the pride of doing things the right way and inspiring others to follow suit.

Lesson Two: Be the change you want to inspire

My experiences in the military taught me many things, including the impact of artificial fear, the need for psychological safety, and the importance of surfacing problems and getting to the truth, and I’ve brought these learnings with me into the corporate world. I learned to “be the change” I wanted to inspire in others, and to empower and engage others by serving rather than directing. These lessons helped me become a much better leader and are a big part of any of the successes I have had in my career.

More importantly, these experiences give me confidence. They give me confidence to stay true to my leadership beliefs when challenging situations invite me to stray. They give me the confidence to stay calm in challenging situations and to focus on the problems that really matter. They give me the confidence to open myself up to be truly curious and to grow as a result.

Lesson Three: Real joy comes out of service to others

While I have had many experiences in my career, the greatest ones were not for personal gain but for the greater good. Serving my country and crew in the military was rewarding in ways that I never expected. After my time in the US Navy and before coming to Vanguard, I worked as a management consultant for several years and I was able to see that many organizations aren’t built to serve others. That’s what makes Vanguard a special place. I am grateful to be working for an organization that not only values our clients the way we do, but also puts our crew at the forefront of our decisions.

-Dalton L.

A photo of me during my time in the Navy.

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Vanguard wins award for pro bono work

November 3, 2021/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion, In the community /by vanguardsync

Vanguard wins award for pro bono work

Vanguard is being recognized for its pro bono contributions in the Philadelphia area over the past two years by Philadelphia VIP, a nonprofit organization that offers free legal services to the city’s residents, small businesses, and nonprofits with civil matters.

Philadelphia VIP awarded Vanguard with this year’s Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Award, which honors the volunteer or practice setting that had the biggest increase in volunteer participation or number of cases represented over the past two years. Vanguard volunteers were honored at Philadelphia VIP’s virtual Awards Night held on Tuesday, October 12.

“As a life-long Philadelphian, it meant a lot to me to help individuals in need of legal services in the community through Vanguard’s Pro Bono Program,” said Robin H., who led the Financial Institution Pro Bono Day event, which was the project cited for the award. “The clients were in such dire need for legal assistance.”

A sense of purpose and community

Vanguard joined other financial institutions from across the U.S. on January 14, 2021, to provide pro bono virtual legal services to vulnerable communities. Fourteen volunteers from Office of the General Counsel’s (OGC) Pro Bono Committee assisted clients, mostly nonprofit social service agencies struggling with tax filings related to their incorporation.

Committee Lead Carrie S. shared, “Being a part of the Pro Bono Committee for the last two years has provided not only the opportunity to help underserved people and organizations, but also a sense of purpose and community during a time when we couldn’t gather in person. I’m really proud of what we’ve created and sustained as a committee and a broader OGC community.”

Enthusiasm for serving

Vanguard pro bono volunteers have had diverse opportunities to provide legal services to the community throughout the year, including:

Assisting the PA Innocence Project in screening cases for potential exoneration.
Assisting immigrants with asylum applications.
Advocating for students with educational challenges.
Filing legal name change documents for low-income transgender individuals.

“The Pro Bono Committee has created new and expanded opportunities where all within OGC have the ability to serve the community. It has galvanized the division and generated enthusiasm for serving,” said Committee Sponsor Keri M. “I am so proud of the committee and all who participated, especially now—when service during the pandemic had to move to virtual and everyone carries the weight of community and personal stressors.”

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De corazón a corazón, we are a family together

September 15, 2021/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion /by marcin

De corazón a corazón, we are a family together

Hispanic Heritage Month or ‘el Mes de la Herencia Hispana’ has arrived. Vanguard’s crew resource group, Hispanic/LatinX Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA), has selected a theme for the celebration: “De corazón a corazón, we are a family together.” In an effort to capture this theme through design, HOLA held a logo competition earlier this year. In this blog, we hear from the winner, Jamie H., about the experience and what ultimately inspired her design.

It is an honor to have my design selected to represent HOLA for Hispanic Heritage Month. I currently serve as an Instructional Designer in Vanguard’s Retail Investor Group and have been with the organization for a little over three years. My background is in illustration and graphic design, so when I saw the opportunity to create a unique logo for HOLA, I was very excited to contribute a piece of my own!

Inspiration for this logo came from a few different places. The phrase “De corazón a corazón, we are a family together,” really resonated with me. I wanted to develop an image that showcased how we support and lift each other up by connecting and sharing with one another. One of my favorite aspects of working at Vanguard is the genuine enthusiasm among crew to learn about different histories, cultures, and experiences. We don’t shy away from difficult conversations and we embrace the chance to grow together. Each encounter I’ve had at Vanguard, both big and small, where I hear about others’ experiences has been important to me. Everything from crew opening up about their holiday traditions, to frank discussions about inequities and injustice, to spotlights on individuals and their success, I’m continually inspired to learn more and support others whenever I can. I wanted to capture that feeling of sharing and support in this logo.

Lastly, my family, friends, and coworkers are all a source of inspiration to me. I’m always blown away by their kindness and willingness to teach and open up with me. I look forward to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with them, as well as HOLA and the broader Vanguard organization.

During the month-long event, HOLA invites crew to celebrate and generate awareness of the Hispanic and LatinX heritage, identities, achievements, and barriers. Key events include a fireside chat with CEO, Tim Buckley and HOLA leaders, an educational series focused on Hispanic culture, small group discussions centered on diversity within LatinX, a virtual cooking class, and lastly a closing signature event with external speaker, Paola Ramos. Paola is a host and correspondent for VICE and VICE News, as well as a contributor to Telemundo News and MSNBC.

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Take a breath: Upcoming wellness events

May 19, 2021/in Crew benefits, Culture all /by deepikasharma

Take a breath: Upcoming wellness events

Your well-being matters

Let’s be real for a minute—the last year has not been an easy one. The global pandemic has redefined the concept of well-being at home and at work. Whether you’ve had to adjust to virtual school, working where you live, socially distanced or virtual holidays with loved ones, or any of the other ways the last year has changed how we go about our lives, we could probably all use some time to focus on what our minds and bodies need.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Vanguard, along with our well-being partners, is hosting several events to further support the well-being of crew.

Virtual Wellness Expo: How our well-being vendors support crew

Mental health is more than just acknowledging how you feel. In order to aide crew in their holistic mental health journey, our well-being vendors have come together to create a three-day expo. The event features wellness focused on a variety of topics, including:

Understanding the relationship between food and mental health.
Doing desk yoga.
Assistance in practicing mindfulness.
Getting to know each of the vendors and how they can support crew.

A special panel with our vendors will give crew a quick overview of how each of the well-being vendors can assist in their wellness journey. Two of our partners are hosting webinars centered on the topic of resilience:

The first workshop presents a path to resilience via practical, research-supported tools designed to help crew develop healthy ways of coping with their emotions, cultivate an optimistic mindset, utilize the power of social support, and move forward toward new goals more effectively. Combined, these tools can promote quicker recovery from life’s setbacks, and even inspire personal growth.
In the second webinar, crew will see how building resilience can help make daunting tasks seem doable and bring a sense of energy and optimism to difficult situations, which is especially critical for those serving as a caregiver. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this webinar will serve to provide strategies and practices crew can integrate into their daily lives.

Prioritizing mental health

We encourage taking advantage of our new services, especially if crew or a loved one:

Never really considered using mental health care resources, but are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed and want to feel better.
Considered using mental health care resources in the past, but have never tried it. One new vendor makes the process easy and can connect individuals with a resource quickly.
Had disappointing experiences in the past. Finding a good counselor can be a little bit like dating, it can take a few tries to meet the right person. Our approach tailors recommendations to personal needs, goals, and schedules.

“At first, I thought I didn’t have an issue with working from home and dealing with the pandemic. I was wrong. You don’t realize the mental toll it takes on you, from the isolation to lack of boundaries between work and home. I took advantage of Vanguard’s new services and was able to talk to someone who could help me work out the tornado going through my brain and focus on having a clearer mind.” – Anonymous crew member.

Vanguard offers a variety of resources and programs to support crew health and wellness goals. We’re invested in our crew and in creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

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Embracing and manifesting cultural differences in leadership

May 5, 2021/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion all /by kunalwagchoray

Embracing and manifesting cultural differences in leadership

Your identity plays a significant role in how you lead. Recognizing and acknowledging your cultural background within your identity shapes your leadership style. Embracing the fact that there are celebrated business leaders from every culture, we can internalize and appreciate there isn’t only one way to be successful. This is the first step to accepting and evolving your personal gifts as a leader. For example, as an Asian female raised by traditional Taiwanese parents, I honed the skill of compromise early in life. Growing up in the U.S., I had many opportunities to practice finding common ground between Eastern values emphasizing collectivism and Western values emphasizing individualism. I am wired to hold and optimize opposing concepts in the same space. As a business leader, I have used this skill time and again to solve seemingly intractable problems with multiple stakeholders.

One of the most important practices in leadership is self-reflection. Through the self-reflection process, you find out all about yourself – the good and the bad. If you don’t accept all you are, you can’t use all you have. There are many aspects of yourself that are there for you to bring to everything you do. Your cultural background is an integral part of who you are. Self-reflection opens the door to discover places you may have overlooked in yourself. This helps you to love your uniqueness. There is, after all, no one like you. You have a perspective that only you can offer and contribute to others.

As leaders, we need to look for opportunities to leverage our identity in whatever we do for our business. It could be as simple as tapping into our personal and professional networks to source diverse clients. Who we are is who we know, and that’s powerful. When we combine our individual networks, we cover a lot of people! For example, Vanguard’s Leadership and Engagement for Asian Professionals (LEAP) Crew Resource Group partnered with ASCEND (a US- based, nationwide Asian professional organization) to co-produce an informative webinar featuring two of our own leaders on investing in these uncertain times. Organizations like this help to expand our network and reach new clients.

Our cultural identity is a wonderful tool to further business goals. As managers, we are charged with creating the right environment and equipping our team to drive business results. It is corporate culture that creates those outcomes. Research proves there are better solutions and more creative, collaborative results when you have a diverse group of people. Bringing our identity to the table is not only the right thing to do, it is also an appreciated one that is good for business. Our clients care about the culture in the corporations they are affiliated with. In my role leading a team of investment consultants who advise our Institutional pension clients, I not only represent, but also discuss our corporate diversity and inclusion efforts.

Embracing your cultural background is not just letting people know who you are, it also includes finding out who they are and how you can work best together. It’s often easy to hide your true self, creating an artificial line of demarcation between work and personal. Too often your personal identity is not accepted as part of your business identity. Getting to know others can allow you to see more of who you are.

Being vulnerable and open to sharing your personal story and inviting others to share theirs becomes a powerful and expansive give and take. Leaders should tell their story, as well as listen to the stories of others. There are plenty of appropriate avenues through informal conversations, blogs, and social events, whether virtual or in person. Just remember that while listening, you should be willing to really hear what the other person is saying.

A good tool for understanding your leadership style and learning about those of others is the Deloitte Business Chemistry types. Like Myers Briggs, it talks about different characteristics within four primary categories: Driver, Pioneer, Integrator, and Guardian. This tool provides greater insight into your style, and also helps us understand the behavior of those with different styles.

Remember that whether you’re conscious of it or not, all parts of you, including your culture, show up in all you do. For example, I am a Pioneer and an Integrator. This makes a lot of sense to me. Being part of an immigrant generation is a crucial part of my identity. When my family came to this country, we had nothing and had to pioneer new ways to do things. As a middle child, I was always keeping the peace, trying to integrate everyone and find compromise. The person I have become because of my background and culture is reflected in my business dealings. Today, my leadership sponsors the Open Architecture effort, connecting investment professionals and information technology. In addition, I find innovative ways to craft win-win pricing proposals for clients and Vanguard, and I bring a differentiated perspective to building our pension advisory business.

Throughout my career, I have found adaptation to be an evolutionary necessity, but rejecting who you are in the process is a mistake. My cultural heritage and personal background are strengths that I leverage daily.

-Jean L.

Jean is a co-lead of LEAP and a Principal and Department Head in Institutional Advisory Services, where she leads a team of investment professionals. She embraced and manifested her own cultural differences to rise through the Investment Management Group Division leading teams in the Fixed Income Group, Risk Management Group, and Global Investors Shared Services. Jean has been an active member of LEAP since its inception – as co-lead for the Leadership and Professional Development sub-team, sponsor of all three LEAP Leadership conferences, and an active member of the Advisory Board.

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Recognizing Autism Awareness Month in IT

April 28, 2021/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion Technology /by kunalwagchoray

Recognizing Autism Awareness Month in IT

To me, Autism Awareness Month is about recognizing the unique perspectives and abilities that various people are able to contribute that are not always recognized. Autism Awareness Month also serves as a time to reflect and consider ways to make both our workplace and world a more inclusive environment for those with Autism and related differences.

The Information Technology (IT) Inclusion Council is an internal volunteer group focused on making the IT environment at Vanguard more welcoming and inclusive of different backgrounds and perspectives. It often holds events to celebrate, recognize, and support different forms of diversity.

On April 1st, the IT Inclusion Council held an Autism Awareness panel featuring crew members from across Vanguard and an external speaker. The event provided a great opportunity for the panelists to draw upon their unique experiences to answer questions from the audience and share their stories.

During the event, some common characteristics and diagnoses with regards to Autism were shared. Chris L., the event panel moderator, summarizes the educational aspect of the event with the following quote, “It’s important for all of us to create an environment that is inclusive of people with autism, and that can start with autism education.” Also, when asked about how to respond to a new autism diagnosis based on her personal experience, panelist Julia S. responded, “Usually, people say they’re sorry. But this is a good thing. You know more [now]. Stuff is going to make sense now. You may have a sense of community now.”

I look forward to being involved with future IT Inclusion Council events focused on promoting the awareness of and celebrating various communities!

-Chris L.

More about the panelists:

Tom N. has been the headmaster at Hill Top Preparatory School for 14 years. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Hill Top serves bright, neurodiverse students in grades 5-12. Throughout students’ high school years, the school focuses on college preparation and experience in the world of employment.

Michel B. has worked for Vanguard for 16 years and is an IT assurance advisor in Global Resource Strategy and Controls (GRSC). He lives in Pennsylvania, with his wife, daughter, and adult son, who is diagnosed with moderate autism. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, and educating his friends and colleagues on autism.

April D. is a senior project manager on the Sourcing Governance Team in GRSC. She came to Vanguard in 2016 through the MBA Development Program. Before joining Vanguard, April earned an M.B.A. from Indiana University, a J.D. from Ohio State, and practiced law for ten years. April lives in North Carolina, with her husband and two children, both of whom are on the autism spectrum.

Tracie L. has been at Vanguard since 1998 and has worked in many different technology roles. She currently works in Global Investment & Financial Systems, supporting Corporate Finance on the Oracle Cloud Transformation Program. Tracie grew up and lives in Pennsylvania, with her three sons. Her middle son is autistic.

Julia S. is an infrastructure engineer within Workplace Services in Global Technology Operations. She’s been with Vanguard since 2018 and is passionate about data and automation. She lives in a 145-year-old rowhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, three blocks from her fiancée. Julia is an autistic mom of an autistic teenager. Their all-autistic household has strong feelings about autistic representation in media and autistic self-advocacy (“don’t talk about us without us”).

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