Our guest for this episode of In the Suite, Cheryl Nash, is a changemaker, a champion for others, and a culture driver of diversity and inclusion. Cheryl is Chief Executive Officer of Tegra118, a company that works with wealth and asset management firms and their advisors to deliver better outcomes and experiences. Tegra118, a joint effort of Fiserv and specialist private equity firm Motive Partners, announced on February 19, 2020, was spun off of Fiserv’s business unit to advance wealth managing offerings for current and future clients. Read the official news release.
In speaking with Cheryl about the genesis and meaning of Tegra118, I was fascinated by her answer: Tegra stands for integrity and 118 is the number of elements in the universe. Tegra118 is on a bold mission to create the platform of the future and reimagine the way the world interacts with wealth is bold, and with Cheryl Nash at the helm, she will make it happen. No doubt.
With over 35 years in the financial services and fintech industry, Cheryl’s personal career trajectory took on a life of its own when she started to say “YES” to every challenge, stretch assignment, opportunity, and each new position she was offered.
Except for development and QA, Cheryl has had a wide range of positions which explains her depth and breadth of first-hand knowledge and expertise in the industry. Cheryl has been hand-selected to serve on many industry boards such as the Board of Governors for Money Management Institute (MMI), Envestnet Institute on Campus, and Tiburon CEO Summit Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
When she thinks about her career and how she became CEO, she believes her experiences enabled her to grow year after year, role after role. She learned a lot and surrounded herself with good people. Most of all, she always said yes, even if she wasn’t sure she could take a task on.
Cheryl genuinely aims to support her employees and mentors. She gave her employees a list of staycations they can do and drives they can do. She wants to help her teammates understand they can take time off while working remotely. It doesn’t always have to be go, go, go.
Cheryl loves to see women succeed and move up in their careers, but she also recognizes that it’s nearly impossible to handle it all alone. You can’t to it all yourself. It’s okay to consult with others. It’s okay to have mentors and people that you actively learn from.
What sets Cheryl apart is her kind heart and her ability to stand up and speak up about diversity and inclusion. As a CEO, a woman, and a human, Cheryl decided to write a letter to her employees sharing the importance of listening to their Black employees and their families. She wants them to feel see and heard. Cheryl says it is a business and humanity imperative for leaders to address head-on.
Action is more powerful than talk. Find out who leads the diversity and inclusion initiatives at your job. Ask them questions. Cheryl shares that leaders must actively do more and learn more.
Cheryl has a clear passion for humanity and serving those around her. Take a listen to the episode to understand the three steps below to help you grow to the best of your ability, even if it means getting uncomfortable:
- Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone and Say Yes: As Cheryl climbed the career ladder, she wasn’t always comfortable taking on the role, but she always said yes. Even if you’re not 100% there, try it. Surround yourself with people who can help you. Put your efforts into learning and into getting to know others who’ve done the job before you. Who can you learn from?
- Inclusion Matters: We have to come together to care about our people, our teams, and our families. Reach out and listen. Seek to understand how people are feeling. What can your company to do address current issues? Do you have a diversity and inclusion initiative or branch at your job? Who can you contact?
- Find a Mentor: As humans, we’re always learning and growing. It doesn’t hurt to have a trusted circle of friends, mentors, and people that you can consult with and learn from. Do you have a mentor? Do you mentor anyone? Identify a few people in your life and career.
Show Notes
There is no better time than now to advance, empower, and lead Diversity & Inclusion within the workplace. Our guest today, Cheryl Nash, CEO of Tegra118, has pioneered this effort for the last 35 years and changed the lives and careers of countless professionals in financial services and fintech.
In this episode, Cheryl Nash shares about wealth tech. As Chief Executive Officer of Tegra118, an established and trusted leader, she drove the strategic vision for our award-winning wealth tech solutions. You will learn how she ‘grew up’ in this industry and how she has held roles in nearly every business functional area, giving her true insight and appreciation for the contributions of the talented individuals. She deeply values the enduring relationships she has cultivated over the years and committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s expected in wealth management with future-forward technology innovation. As a passionate advocate of diversity and inclusion, Cheryl is dedicated to doing her part to drive positive change by educating, empowering and championing others.
At Tegra118, they are driven by a single purpose: to build the future of wealth technology. As an industry leader for over three decades, the company has partnered closely with clients to deliver solutions that are relevant to their needs, today and tomorrow.
Cheryl’s unique perspective is informed by both deep industry expertise and a broader view of the fintech space and this inspires her and team to be relentless in their pursuit to advance the wealth and asset management. The foundation of all that they do lies in their proven, flexible technology, which grows with their clients as their needs change, to transform the way people interact with, manage, and grow their wealth.
Join the conversation to hear more about:
- How to be deeply admired and endeared in the financial services industry (04:20)
- The way to create a culture of belonging, acceptance, inclusion, and empathy (11:30)
- Leadership comes from you actually taking action and executing (15:20)
- Sometimes we want to take the chance, but we’re not yet ready for what the position calls for (19:03)
- Practical ways to climb the career ladder (21:30)
- Building the future of wealth technology together with clients (27:19)
- Experience of being at the forefront of innovation (31:31)
- On developing location strategy (34:20)
- How to bridge software technology and financial services with the real world (39:02)
- We need to acknowledge that change is really hard for people (45:29)
- Being an incredible advocate for women (49:29)
- Think outside the box (52:39)
- Proper understanding of what a commitment would be like (53:39)
- Awareness of diversity and inclusion and organizations being open (57:39)
Referenced Materials
A Message from Cheryl Nash
Cheryl Nash LinkedIn
Tegra118
Fiserv
Money Management Institute (MMI)
MotivePartners
Malcolm Gladwell
