Divjyot Singh: Driving transformation at Charles Schwab

Name: Divjyot Singh | Designation: Managing Director | Company: Charles Schwab | Place: San Francisco

(June 29, 2023) Born to parents who were civil service officers, Divjyot Singh had the opportunity to experience life across India and abroad. Exposed to different cultures, languages, and values from a young age, she learned to seek out similarities among people and celebrate differences. She left India at the young age of 14 to chart out her own path and is today the managing director of Corporate Strategy at one of America’s largest financial services companies, Charles Schwab.

Currently living in San Francisco, Divjyot, who has lived in five different countries, went on to do her undergrad in Business Administration from University of Western Ontario with a major in political science. She also has an MBA in Strategy and Finance from Cornell University. “I thoroughly enjoyed my two years at Cornell; I got to take a wide array of courses, build strong relationships, go on experiential treks around the world and in the end come out of it even more certain about my passion and interest in being a key part of the ever-transforming financial services industry,” she says.

Divjyot Singh

At her current job, Divjyot heads corporate strategy for a company that “transforms how individuals invest, making it accessible and simple for the average person to grow their income through investing”. “It was this very ethos that drew me to Charles Schwab. Knowing that I can help transform how individuals see investing gives me great fulfilment and joy. From launching new products to helping shape the structure of the organisation as it continues to grow through organic and inorganic channels, my role today includes it all,” she explains.

She goes on to add, “There is no substitute to hard work and the willingness to learn and be adaptable. My life as a working professional has been spent in the throes of the ever-evolving financial services industry from the beginning of my career.” Divjyot began her career in the CFO’s office at one of Canada’s largest banks during the 2008 recession. Since then, she has worked in many different roles from corporate banking and finance to credit card strategy to wealth-tech development and growth.

“In my seven years at Schwab I have been in six different roles, taking on different functions and areas of expertise. I chose not to say no, especially when the prospect seemed challenging or outside my comfort zone. I always believe that we should shake off that initial hesitation of trying something new and push ourselves to be uncomfortable. Once there, conquering that challenge and seeing it become routine is perhaps one of the greatest feelings and a sure shot way of ensuring that you can gain a greater understanding and expertise of different spheres.”

Shedding light on the recruitment scene in the region, Divjyot says that while it might seem overwhelming to aspirants, there are a few things that sets them apart whether in India or abroad. “The first is your passion or lack thereof, will always come through to an interviewer. At the end of the day, an interview is looking for someone who is willing to go that extra mile. Even if you are not the sharpest cookie in the jar, if you can convince me why you are passionate about a particular industry, company and role, the job is yours. On the contrary, if you have not done your homework but meet all other requirements, your candidacy may just fall apart.”

As she strives to stay on top of her game, Divjyot believes that learning and curiosity should never end. In addition to taking any wealth management classes and certifications, she also recommends reading about emerging trends and meeting people from different backgrounds to learn from them.

While a typical day for her begins with a quick workout or walk, Divjyot says her workday is split between meetings and time to get work done. Her work usually ends early enough for her to spend time with her family and friend in the evening before she logs in late in the evening to send out emails or complete some work for the next day.  “When it comes to work-life balance, I think the most important thing one can do is to set clear expectations in terms of the work on your plate, for yourself, your team and your seniors. As a leader you should also have the wisdom to empower your team and trust them enough to delegate work and see them take ownership for what they are required to do and more. This also means that you have to hire correctly, and train your team to become a well-oiled machine. Building a respectful working environment is critical, and overall organisational culture can also have a huge impact on that,” she says.

Divjyot is a big believer in taking all the vacation time that is allotted to her and uses it to travel to India to visit her family and to travel the world. “Both of these are critical to my happiness. Trips to India are a must so I don’t lose touch with the realities of day-to-day life there, including how it is constantly evolving. My husband and I also love travelling to other parts of the world from Brazil to Egypt and Australia. I also love reading fiction, historical postcolonial fiction is a favourite and I’m also a big movie buff.”

She adds that she owes her success to her family. “For as far back as I can remember, my parents were very ambitious for my sister and I. They taught me to dream big and have the willingness to work hard to realise those dreams. These ideas form the foundation of my work ethic and approach to life. No matter what the challenges along the way, they acted as a trampoline, pushing me right back again.”

Divjyot also believes that there are many ways to give back to society and we all have the power to do so. “Whether it is mentoring young professionals, being a voice for diversity within your organisation or even volunteering within the community; we can all do our bit. I have been on the board of a couple of NGOs and also volunteered regularly. Of late though, becoming a part of an elderly care focused organisation has been on my mind,” the Global Indian says.

Takeaways: 

• There is no substitute to hard work, being willing to learn, and staying adaptable.
• Don’t say no to opportunities, especially when they seem challenging or outside your comfort zone. The feeling of conquering a challenge and seeing it become routine is one of the greatest feelings and learning experiences.
• Take the time off that is due to you and do what you love. It is critical to your happiness.