There are so many ways companies can improve diversity and inclusion. We spoke to Fidelity Investments’ Tanvita Srivastava to find out more.
Tanvita Srivastava currently works as a business systems analyst for Fidelity Investments. During her time there, she has transferred across multiple teams. She has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University in India and a master’s in digital innovation from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
“My family has been a great influence on me, having instilled the importance of education and continuous learning from an early age,” she told Siliconrepublic.com. “Everyone in my family has third-level degrees, which we are very proud of. In fact, my parents have double master’s degrees.”
She also has a passion for travel, and prior to joining Fidelity Investments, she worked with Infosys, during which time she had the opportunity to work in Tanzania. This was where she made the change from developer to analyst in her career.
“After completing my master’s, I started working in the Fidelity Investments Dublin office as a systems analyst. I believe the secret to a successful career is when you are passionate about what you do and enjoy the craft,” she said. “I enjoy working with global colleagues from India, Ireland and the United States.”
But how did Srivastava come this career? She told us it arose from both her love of playing the role of the banker in Monopoly as a child, and her family’s tech background.
“My whole family has a technology background and my brother has always been a positive influence on me. I used to go through his programming language books when I was young and tried to write programs by myself. I have always been a self-starter and tried to do things of my own initiative.”
Srivastava felt a career in technology and the financial services sector would allow her to express herself and showcase her skills. “I enjoy helping people, and making the change from developer to analyst occurred after my stint in Tanzania,” she said. “During this time, I worked with the business and I really enjoyed the relationship management element to the role; I felt it came naturally to me, and this coupled with my technical background was a perfect fit.”
With a passion for working with people, it’s no surprise that she ended up as the regional lead for the Asian Employee Resource Group (AERG) at Fidelity Investments. She spoke to Siliconrepublic.com about how the group came to be.
Tell us about AERG at Fidelity Investments.
It was quite spontaneous, actually! It was an informal chat among colleagues and everyone was talking about their personal experiences and concerns. Then, Rebecca (from the National AERG) suggested we form the AERG Ireland. We will be celebrating our third anniversary in July this year.
The AERG provides a forum for its members to foster both their professional and personal development through support and mentoring.
Our mission is to enhance awareness about Fidelity’s culture, Irish culture and all our unique respective cultures also. This awareness is shared amongst AERG members and the Asian community through various events.
We help associates to transition from Fidelity Asian offices to Ireland by having one-on-one sessions and providing them with information such as schools for kids and areas to find a house etc.
This is a very positive and much appreciated programme as this can be their first time abroad. Moreover, we collaborate with other employee resource groups and try to help our employees in any way possible.
What is your involvement with the AERG?
I am the regional lead of AERG Ireland. I work closely with the AERG (US) leads and diversity and inclusion teams in Ireland to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Based on the annual feedback from our employees, I work with committee members to implement various programmes and initiatives to help our associates in any way we can.
AERG Ireland was started with 10 committee members and has now grown to 18. Being regional lead, it has made me happy to see the enthusiasm among our employees to be part of an AERG. We all put our full effort into making our events and programmes a success.
How do you feel AERG has impacted your working life?
I have been part of AERG Ireland for the past two years. Being a chairperson, I have developed both as a person and as a professional. I have grown in confidence and improved skills such as listening, teamwork, delegation and leadership.
I have taken what I have learned in my role within the AERG and transferred it into my current role as a business systems analyst. The AERG has helped me expand my network and knowledge of who works at Fidelity and how each individual really brings a unique perspective to the organisaton. I am proud to be a part of the AERG and, when I represent the AERG at any event, I understand that I am representing the community.
Last year, Fidelity took part in the Dragon Boat Race and we secured third position. It was great to see the enthusiasm and strong determination in the team. Events like this showcase our bond and are a positive experience for all involved.
Tell us about the myFidelity event and how AERG participated.
myFidelity 2018 was a one-day event that took place in our Dublin and Galway sites on 6 March. This event aimed to ‘celebrate community’ and showcase what Fidelity has to offer its employees both at work and in their personal lives.
Celebrating community is at the core of what the AERG is about, so we are delighted to have taken part in this community showcase. We had a number of volunteers from the AERG committee available to talk to colleagues about what the AERG is about and give information about upcoming events people might be interested in taking part in.
We are looking forward to getting more people involved in the AERG. The group is open to everyone and we enjoy sharing our culture and experiences with all our colleagues across the Fidelity family.
