Vanguard Orion Client Center seating area

How Vanguard prepares for the unexpected

March 20, 2020/in Culture, Our mission all business, contingency sites, distancing, distributed, greg, greg davis, home, locations, people, risk, sites, social, social distancing, steps, tim, tim buckley, trading, trading from home, trading locations, vanguard /by ldoyle

How Vanguard prepares for the unexpected

Vanguard’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Buckley, and Chief Information Officer, Greg Davis, discuss Vanguard’s plan to ensure stable and strong service for our clients, while also keeping crew safe through social distancing.

Tim Buckley: Greg, one of the questions that we’ve been getting from our clients is what are we doing around business continuity? What steps have we taken to make sure that regardless of how long the coronavirus goes on regards to how severe it gets that we can continue to keep the operations going? And now to our viewers out there, if you look behind me, what you’re looking at is one of our trading floors. Usually you’d see it densely populated. That doesn’t mean that people aren’t working out there when you just see people, every other desk or every third desk. It means that we’ve distanced them properly, and I should by the way mentioned that you’ll notice a Greg and I are sitting apart here. We’re trying to practice social distancing and everything that we do. Beyond, social distancing, what are you guys doing? What steps have you taken to make sure this operation continues? How have you distributed your team?

Greg Davis: So it starts really with the fact that hey, it’s a global operation so we have trading locations in the US, trading locations in the UK as well as Melbourne, Australia. And in addition to those global trading locations, we also have contingency sites that we’re leveraging right now in each one of those locations. So we have our team split up between our main hubs and those contingency sites, and we’ve even prepared for the fact that if we need to, our people could trade from home. So we’ve installed the technology, we’ve tested the system, so we could have business as usual, even in a severe event.

Tim: And trading from home is not something you are going to jump to. I mean you guys love the collaboration that happens on the floor even when people are spread out. It’s just much easier to happen there. That said, if we have to go there, we absolutely ready to do it.

Greg: Absolutely.

Tim: Security is going to be the same absolutely whether if someone’s at home as it’s going to be the same if we’re trading from home, as if you’re trading from here.

Greg: Absolutely.

Tim: Now, I should mention Greg that the rest of Vanguard’s operations, whether they’re talking to an associate at Vanguard, whatever area of Vanguard is supporting the client, those areas have been distributed too. That we have taken steps to move associates apart. Moving between different buildings. People are working from home. They are distributed between our sites as well so. We’re taking the steps to make sure that we continue business as usual here or as close to as usual as possible

Greg: Absolutely.

Important information:

All investing is subject to risk, including possible loss of principal.

There is no guarantee that any particular asset allocation or mix of funds will meet your investment objectives or provide you with a given level of income.

Bond funds are subject to the risk that an issuer will fail to make payments on time, and that bond prices will decline because of rising interest rates or negative perceptions of an issuer’s ability to make payments.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Investments in stocks or bonds issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk and currency risk.

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Diverse perspectives in Vanguard’s Investment Management Group

March 4, 2020/in Culture, Our mission, Voyage to Vanguard all chartered financial, equity investment, equity investment group, fixed income, fixed income group, group, income group, investment, investment analyst, investment group, investment management, investment management group, investment risk, looking to join, management group, risk management, risk management group, risk manager, women looking, women looking to join /by ldoyle

Diverse perspectives in Vanguard’s Investment Management Group

In the spirit of celebrating International Women’s Day, we partnered with women across Vanguard’s Investment Management Group (IMG) to hear their #LifeatVanguard stories. In this series, crew and leaders touch on a variety of meaningful topics, including what drew them to Vanguard, resources used for learning, company culture and advice for women looking to join IMG.

Voyage to Vanguard and first impressions

Agnes H.
Senior Portfolio Manager in the Equity Investment Group

I was attracted to Vanguard as one of the largest asset managers in the industry, as well as its mission-based corporate objective. One of the biggest differences that stands out from where I’ve previously worked is the fact that we are owned by our shareholders, so every decision made at Vanguard is based on aligning with the best interest of our clients.[1]

Tracy R.-W.
Global Portfolio Risk Manager in the Fixed Income Group

When I first became a crew member, I was most surprised by the level to which collaboration and team work was both encouraged and valued. People are genuinely helpful and dedicated to delivering the best possible products and services to our clients. We are mission driven. We are client focused. We are a team.

Learning and development

Peilei C.
Investment Risk Manager in the Risk Management Group

I’m always looking to seek out and utilize every possible resource I can. For example, on market and asset class specific topics, I will read the news and academic papers, but I also like to learn from experts such as our credit analysts, portfolio managers, and traders. On risk topics, tools, and models, I like to keep up with new developments via hands-on application, conferences, and seminars. I also enjoy discussions with my fellow colleagues to shares best practices.

Kelly F.
Investment Analyst in the Investment Strategy Group

I’ve been working on building out my machine learning acumen to supplement my more traditional econometric models. I’ve also been increasing my financial acumen through the pursuit of my Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation, which will help better frame my research questions. Moving into 2020, I want to improve my presentation skills so I can share my ideas with a variety of audiences to get feedback and new ideas to build the best investment solutions.

Living my best

Samantha C.
Regulatory and Policy Risk Lead in the Risk Management Group

A personal passion for me throughout my Vanguard career has been contributing to our corporate inclusion and diversity efforts. I was a member of the core team that developed, piloted, and scaled the Women’s Initiative into Leadership Success: Invest in Yourself (WILS IIY), which is a monthly educational series for women focused on providing an enterprise-wide perspective on core investment topics. It was a special experience for me to participate as a panelist earlier this year during our first global session with the United Kingdom office.

Ashley W.
Investment Analyst in the Fixed Income Group

I plan ahead as much as possible, especially now that I am a part-time grad student. I map out my days, weeks, and months to ensure I have time for everything that’s important to me, including going to the gym, having dinner with friends and family—and rest! It’s essential to prioritize time to recharge as you can’t go the distance on an empty tank.

Career advice

Adrienne B.
Head of U.S. Equity Investment Risk in the Risk Management Group

My advice to individuals starting their careers is to ask a lot of questions and try to learn as much about the company’s business model as possible. No matter what role you’re in and what your level, being able to connect what you do and its significance to the overall success of the business will help you do a better job and align your contributions to the objectives of the company.

Vernita E.
Head of Equity Index-Europe in the Equity Investment Group

For women looking to join the Investment Management Group, a career in trading and investing is not easy, but nothing worth having generally is. A high level of commitment, patience, resilience, and passion is required . . . have more confidence in yourself, you are that good!

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
[1] Vanguard is client-owned. As a client owner, you own the funds that own Vanguard.

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(Left to right) John Ameriks, Jean Lu, and Tim Buckley discuss Future of Work

The Future of Work

January 15, 2020/in Advice from crew, Diversity & inclusion, Our mission all buckley, co-executive of leap, diversity, expertise, future, future of work, group, ideas, inclusion, institutional investor, institutional investor group, investor group, jean, jean lu, leap, lu, tasks, tim, tim buckley, vanguard /by ldoyle

Leadership and Engagement for Asian Professionals banner art

The Future of Work

There are many anticipated advances that will change the way that we do business. Speculation and ideas about what will shape the future of investing can bring fear or excitement to the industry. Vanguard’s Crew Resource Group, Leadership and Engagement for Asian Professionals (LEAP), held a Q&A session with Vanguard’s CEO, Tim Buckley, and a Principal of the Institutional Investor Group, Jean Lu, on how cultural and technological differences make an impact on ongoing and future ways of working, both at Vanguard and within the industry.

(Left to right) John Ameriks, Jean Lu, and Tim Buckley discuss Future of Work

In the opening remarks, Jean Lu reminded everyone that approaching cultural differences can be an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Although difficult, addressing the uncomfortable aspect can provide a new perspective to everyday operations.

As one of the department heads of the Institutional Investor Group and a co-executive of LEAP, Jean discussed her experiences receiving difficult questions about diversity and shared that when we speak up, we become advocates for diversity and bring value and new ideas to light. She referenced a quote from Verna Myers, Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, who noted, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance,” to highlight the importance of what we can do to increase diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality in the workplace. Jean later added, “Diversity matters because embracing different cultures give us a competitive edge. It’s my fiduciary duty to share my perspective, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Tim Buckley also made it clear that diversity plays an integral part in the future of Vanguard. Tim elaborated, “If we listen to each other, we can learn from each other and build on ideas.” As an example of this type of collaboration, he described how Vanguard’s economics team brings together regional expertise from Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, and the U.S. to ensure our research and analysis presents a global picture of the trends investors need to know about.

One trend our economists have an eye on is how technology will impact the future of work. With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, Tim reminded the room of the distinction between tasks and jobs. Many rote, repetitive tasks can be automated, which means that jobs will rely more on human creativity and problem solving. At Vanguard, we’ll need both technical expertise and what our researchers call “uniquely human tasks” to serve clients well. Jean added that the “. . . need for tech acumen and expertise will only increase. Our ability to go deep is important.”

LEAP holds events throughout the year to participate in meaningful and impactful conversations. John Marcante, co-executive of LEAP, shared that LEAP impacts the workplace by “providing a network of support, development, and empowerment,” and urges that we “Get involved. Dig deep. Ask hard questions. It takes courage. That’s what leaders are made of. It’s about talking about intersectionality.”

—Bridget K.

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"Best of 2019" overlaying image of Vanguard coffee mug on table

Our most popular blog posts from 2019

December 18, 2019/in Accolades & Recognition, Advice from crew, Career opportunities, Client services, Crew benefits, Culture, Day in the Life, Diversity & inclusion, In the community, Our mission, Training & education, Voyage to Vanguard all 12, advisors, career, college, experienced, experienced professionals, family, finance, financial, financial advisors, interview, investment, life, new leader, personal, personal life, professionals, share, time, vanguard /by ldoyle

Our most popular blog posts from 2019

The end of the year is often a time to reflect on all that’s been accomplished in the last twelve months. We pulled together the top four career stories from 2019. Whether it’s your first read or you’re revisiting a favorite, we hope you enjoy!

12 Vanguard interview tips for experienced professionals

We sat down with five Vanguard recruiters to hear how they coach candidates through the interview process. In this blog, we share 12 ways that experienced professionals can prepare for a Vanguard interview—whether in person or over the phone.

When working in finance isn’t always for finance majors

Annsley opens up about her voyage to Vanguard after college. “To say I was hesitant to join the finance industry is an understatement. Much of my college education was focused on classes like organic chemistry and biomechanics. But my friend assured me that my passion to help people live a better life directly aligned with Vanguard’s mission. With his support along with my family, I took a giant leap of faith, and I couldn’t be happier that I did.”

What a career as a financial advisor looks like at Vanguard

Vanguard’s financial advisors are using time-proven investment methodology to offer investment solutions that lead our clients confidently toward their business or personal financial goals. In this series, our financial advisors share their personal experiences in pursuing a career in this field and the impact they’ve had in driving successful investment results for clients.

Family comes first

Kristen shares a personal story about how Vanguard allowed her to focus on family during a difficult time. “While my personal life was turned on its head, a new leader was assigned to my team. I was experiencing changes both at Vanguard and in my personal life. My first one-on-one was conducted through video conference from my parent’s house. It was during that conversation I finally said the words out loud…my mom had cancer. Not knowing how my new leader would respond, I waited. He took a moment and said, “Family comes first,” a concept I heard Vanguard was known for but never experienced firsthand.”

Inspired? Make your career count—search our opportunities.

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Vanguard's mission statement featured on lobby wall

Transforming the world of advice

November 15, 2019/in Advice from crew, Career opportunities, Our mission advisor, learn, transforming, transforming the world, vanguard, world /by ldoyle

Transforming the world of advice

“Vanguard has been transforming the world of investing for over four decades and we are in the early years of transforming the world of advice.” – Claire M., Principal, Personal Advisor Services

Watch this video to learn more about how our advisors make a difference in their clients’ lives and put investors first.

Click here to learn more about financial advisor opportunities at Vanguard.

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Making a difference across multiple regions

November 5, 2019/in Diversity & inclusion, In the community, Our mission charlotte, charlotte community, community, doing great work, giving campaign, grants, grants program, great work, hometown, hometown grants, hometown grants program, impact, local, local community, organizations, program, serving, vanguard, vanguard gives, work /by dbasavapatna

Making a difference across multiple regions

Vanguard believes that being a global leader also means being a local leader. Through volunteer Investment Committees, The Vanguard Group Foundation is making grants in the regions around the world that we call home. The Vanguard Gives Back Hometown Grants Program is charged with funding pressing, local human services needs and working with nonprofit partners that contribute to the vibrancy of the community. The program is fueled by crew volunteers who commit two years of service dedicated to learning about the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, and the local community landscape.

In this blog, we asked three Vanguard leaders to write about their experiences in serving as site leads for the Hometown Grants Program. The combined efforts of these leaders and their teams have placed $2.3 million into local organizations over their two-year commitment. Here is what Amanda M. from Arizona, Ed F. from North Carolina, and Steve H. from Pennsylvania, had to say:

Vanguard has long had a culture around community that you are no stranger to, what drew you into this particular opportunity with Hometown Grants?

Ed: Hometown Grants enabled me to take my passion for impacting our local community to a much deeper, grass-roots level. Having previously been involved in Vanguard Gives Back initiatives in Charlotte, including leading our workplace giving campaign and our volunteer efforts, Hometown Grants provided an opportunity to start-up a hyper-local focused program from scratch, which is pretty cool. While we were provided with some loose guardrails and guidelines, we were also given a significant amount of autonomy to figure out the best strategy that would have meaningful impact in the Charlotte community.

Steve: In 2012, I had the honor of serving as the lead for the crew fall charitable giving campaign. Not only did that experience tap into my longstanding passion for service, it opened my eyes to the incredible impact Vanguard can have in the community. I was very excited about the Hometown Grants program because it was yet another way to harness the energy and passion of Vanguard crew to make a meaningful difference in our communities, but I was also intrigued by the entrepreneurial nature of this new venture.

What skills have you developed through your participation in this initiative and how have you applied these skills both inside and outside of the office?

Amanda: Debating which organization to fund can be a sensitive and emotional topic. My peers and I all have preferences on which charitable cause is the most important and those often differ from the priorities of others. Plus, when you find so many organizations doing great work, it can be hard to reduce the list to a manageable few. Learning how to listen with empathy and understanding was critical to ensure each team member was heard and team health remained strong. Outside of work, it has given me a platform to talk to my kids about philanthropy. Now, when we debrief our day at the dinner table, I am talking to them about organizations I went to visit or work that is being done in the community. It’s been rewarding to talk to them about the importance of giving back and about some of the neat initiatives that are happening in our neighborhood.

Ed: Most importantly, I gained a deeper understanding of the Charlotte community and the critical issues our city is facing. Upward mobility remains a challenge even as Charlotte continues to have one of the highest rates of highly educated new residents moving to our city. I have met and learned from some very influential non-profit partners who provide critical services in our community often with few resources or limited budgets. I am looking forward to continuing my work post-Hometown Grants, whether it be through volunteerism or board involvement. Hometown Grants also enabled me to hone my leadership and finance skills as we have conducted research, reviewed non-profit financials and tax-filings, and conducted on-site visits to select the non-profit agencies we partner with.

What has been the biggest takeaway in serving as a site lead for the program?

Amanda: There is always a need for more work to be done in the community than there are hours in the day to support or dollars to fund. It is not hard to find an important cause that will improve our community. The hard part is prioritizing which organizations to focus on. It took a lot of time to research, really get to know these teams and the impact they are trying to make. Then ultimately determining where we could have the biggest impact. And there is no “right” answer. It is only part science, the rest is art.

Steve: In the past two years, the work of the Hometown Grants team exposed us to countless organizations that are making an incredible difference in communities. There are so many worthy, effective, innovative charitable organizations out there doing great work, we could have funded many more groups than we were able to. But I believe our team did a tremendous job of honing in on the key organizations that both had amazing impact and could best benefit from the dollars we had. The most rewarding parts of the job were when we heard the profound gratitude from these groups for our contributions, and the excitement they expressed about how they were going to put the money to work. You feel the very tangible benefit of all the hard work the committee put in.

More careers blogs about Vanguard in the community

Why you should raise your hand for that volunteer opportunity at work

Serving in both my day job and night job

It’s the season of giving at Vanguard

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Advertising…at Vanguard??

September 18, 2019/in Culture, Day in the Life, Our mission Mid-level specialist /by fanwar

Advertising…at Vanguard??

Meet Bonnie D. She is an Advertising Manager who did not expect to find herself in the financial services industry. Now after having spent a number of years in creative roles at Vanguard, one thing she says she never takes for granted: “I laugh every single day.”

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, learn more about our MBA programs at www.vanguardjobs.com.

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Remembering Vanguard’s heritage through our History Center

August 7, 2019/in Our mission blog, business, center, center collects, collection, crew, first index, fund, fund reports, history, history center, investment, preserve, reflect, reports, started, story, time, vanguard, vanguard's history /by fdoerr

Remembering Vanguard’s heritage through our History Center

May 1^st marks 44 years since Vanguard opened for business. In this blog, we take some time to reflect on the past four decades with a virtual tour of Vanguard’s History Center.

Vanguard was started as a bold experiment – a firm built solely for the benefit of investors, not outside owners. Since the mid-1970s, we’ve remained steadfast to our investment philosophy and guiding principles. When a company has existed for over forty years, it’s bound to have accumulated some interesting artifacts. These can be fun treasures, like celebratory photos, or service awards, but may also include business data, fund reports, and employment documents. Unfortunately, over time, these relics can get lost, thrown away, or just physically fall apart.

The Vanguard History Center is changing all of that.

Established in 2014, the History Center is Vanguard’s corporate archive. They acquire and preserve items that tell the Vanguard story: both its origins, and its evolution. In addition, the Center collects original records that reflect our broad range of products, services, and other offerings. A staff of archivists gathers and conserves items, in addition to promoting awareness about Vanguard’s heritage, answering reference questions concerning Vanguard’s history, and delivering educational presentations about the Center’s work.

The collection currently includes business reports, marketing materials, advertisements, photographs, and objects. Assistant Archivist Kate F. observes, “One of the most valuable items archived in my opinion is documentation from the early days of the world’s first index mutual fund – the First Index Investment Trust – which was launched by Vanguard in 1976. These materials possess a wealth of intellectual value and are of central importance to telling Vanguard’s unique story.”

And thanks to donations from current and former crew, the collection is always growing. Here are just a few of the items crew can find there:

But this work is about more than just finding cool pieces, although it can be neat to see a handwritten letter from Jack Bogle to the crew. It’s about sustaining knowledge management, and ensuring we have all the resources and research to support any business need. The Center has provided fund reports for advisors, investment commentary for research projects, and resources to onboard new or transitioning crew. Archivist Emily C. explains, “Like a museum, the History Center collects items. The end goal, however, isn’t to craft flashy exhibits or displays. We’re building a resource. Crew use the body of information we collect to fulfill information needs.”

The collection connects crew around the globe with our culture and rich history.

It captures crew stories and achievements. And it reassures both clients and crew that we have a process in place to preserve those things that may otherwise disappear forever. The History Center’s motto is, “Preserving the past to support the future.” It’s a great reminder of the progress we’ve made, the goals we’ve achieved, and the evolution of our business. Most importantly, it demonstrates that we have never and will never waver from that mission we started way back in 1975.

Emily shares, “The coolest thing I’ve discovered isn’t in the collection, but about Vanguard – seeing just how deep the crew’s passion for Vanguard and our mission runs.”

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

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Serving families who have served for us

July 19, 2019/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion, Our mission, Voyage to Vanguard acp, active duty, corporate, corporate partners, crew, goal, mentors, military, military spouses, military spouses summit, organization, partnership, serve, sign, spouses, spouses summit, vanguard, vanguard crew, veterans, white house /by kkilgarriff

Serving families who have served for us

I left the military three years ago, nine years after taking my first Oath of Office. Transitioning from serving in an organization that was so core to my identity turned out to be no small task. Over the next two years in business school, I often wondered if I would be able to find that sense of service in my future workplace. When I came to Vanguard after graduation, I quickly found my answer.

VetsConnect Joins Forces with ACP
Shortly after coming aboard, I was asked if I would be interested in working to stand up a new partnership with American Corporate Partners (ACP), a nonprofit aimed at pairing corporate leaders with veterans transitioning to the private sector. The goal of the partnership was to respond to the broader desire of the Vanguard community to more visibly support our nation’s veterans. The VetsConnect / ACP partnership would act as a gateway to connect Vanguard Crew with service members outside the organization.
I had familiarity with ACP, as I had taken part as a protégé (mentee) myself during my transition out of the military. This opportunity would now allow me the chance to give back on the corporate side of the relationship. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

Crew Respond in a Big Way
Our first priority was to create a community of corporate mentors here at Vanguard. Initially, we were hoping to identify a total of fifty crew members who would like to take part. Within the first day of sign ups we had exceeded our initial goal, and by the end of the week we had more than 90 mentors involved. In fact, after benchmarking against other corporate sign up rates, Vanguard crew were 23x more likely to sign up to mentor a veteran. This tremendous response was an incredible testament to the authenticity of the culture, and I was able to witness firsthand something I had heard a lot about as a new hire: Vanguard’s commitment to mission and willingness to give back.

White House Military Spouses Summit
Several months later, ACP was invited to attend a Military Spouses Summit at the White House. Representing Vanguard, I traveled to Washington DC along with representatives from 45 other businesses to discuss the unique employment challenges that military spouses face. At present, there are more than 600,000 military spouses and 16% (4x the national average) are unemployed. They face a myriad of unique challenges, including a lack of license and certification transferability across state lines and fragmented resumes due to constant relocation and deployments. Our goal was to ask how corporations and non-profits could help. How can we do more? What opportunities exist? The chance to work with corporate partners to address (and continue addressing) these questions is an extremely rewarding experience. For me, it represents an evolution of my desire to serve, aided by the mission and crew of Vanguard. Although I no longer serve on active duty, I’m extremely proud to say that I work at Vanguard, where we serve families who have served for us.

– Bill F.

ACP: https://www.acp-usa.org/

Additional testimonials from ACP protégé’s and Vanguard mentors

“The program helps our organization as it helps veterans – win/win. The matching of protégé to mentor is quite good and the seamless accountability is a big plus!”

“I think the connection is great. I wish I had the same kind of opportunity when I departed active duty back in 2011 and could have skipped some of my early mistakes in my civilian career. You don’t know what you don’t know and it’s easy for veterans just to take the path of least resistance without being challenged by someone who is already there.”

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

More career blogs you may have missed

A conversation with Chief Information Officer, John Marcante

June 26, 2019/in Advice from crew, Day in the Life, Our mission, Voyage to Vanguard career, information, vanguard /by manjunath

A conversation with Chief Information Officer, John Marcante

In this video feature, Vanguard Chief Information Officer, John Marcante, and IT Delivery Manager, Kelly Rumbaugh, sit down for a conversation to discuss their journeys to Vanguard, what excites them about innovative technologies as well as advice for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the industry.