Lata Vyas brings a passion for working with people to her role as BBH’s Alternative Funds Product Head in Europe. By encouraging her teams to focus on collective success, Lata fosters collaboration and creative thinking, which drive positive client experiences.
You call Alternatives your professional “calling” – how did you find yourself in this role?
I thought IT would be my chosen career path as it was fashionable at the time I was starting my career in Mumbai, India. I realized I wasn’t cut out to be looking at a PC all the time and ended up being an IT trainer, as I liked working with people.
When the opportunity came to move to the financial sector with Reuters, I found myself drawn to the bigger canvas that opportunity offered me. That’s where I found many of the skills I’d developed in IT were of huge benefit to client management, particularly around preparation, and understanding the client needs and matching them with the right offering and experience.
It wasn’t until I moved to the UK, and returned from an extended career break, that I discovered Alternatives and knew I’d found my calling. Close to 20 years of working in the private markets sector and I still enjoy it!
How has your personal background shaped your professional experience?
I had to ‘unlearn’ many innate cultural things when we moved to the UK. The part of Mumbai where I grew up had a more American focus than British, so learning the UK way and combining it with my own style took some time. Fortunately, I’m curious by nature, so outside of being immersed in the culture, I’ve researched, asked questions, and talked with lots of people -- all of which helped me settle in.
Moving country, taking a career break, and re-entering the workforce as an older employee and in a totally new environment, being an immigrant, a woman, and a woman of colour, often means having to be fearless to get your voice heard. So, while I’m very respectful of seniority, I don’t shy away from speaking up when I have something worthwhile to contribute. I value the opinions of others and am a big believer that diversity of thought gets better outcomes and provides learning opportunities. Hearing others’ perspectives is interesting and a different way to educate oneself. For me, that’s what it’s all about – constantly learning.
Why is Alternative Funds your “calling”?
I love the broad range of engagement I have in my role. I enjoy working both externally with clients as well as internal colleagues, and I’m driven and dedicated to getting the best results I can for them and for BBH. I love finding out what they do, how they do it and why they do it. Then I love being able to add value in the different areas where I know BBH’s expertise and products can make a real difference to their outcomes. I’m always looking at how we can do better, what we could do differently and how we can make that happen. BBH has enabled me to do this and helped me progress my career, while I focus on getting results and building the expertise of our people. That motivates me.
How do you approach leading teams?
I’m inclusive and collaborative, passionate and energetic. For me team achievement is paramount – I value collective success. We hire smart people, so I like everyone to have input in the result. That way everyone’s committed to achieving the agreed outcomes.
I focus on regular communication, providing guidance when necessary, and encouraging people to stretch themselves to develop new skills. I trust people to do their thing, and that when someone says they’ll do something, they mean it.
Staying curious, being fearless and leading with empathy have all served me well. They’re not just leadership skills -- they’re great life skills too.
What advice would you have for your younger self?
I’d say ‘Lata, don’t second guess yourself – your voice at the table matters and you’re capable of way more than you think.’ It’s okay not to have all the answers or not be 100% sure of the outcome. Most of all, I would remind myself to stay tenacious and curious – be open to learning and it will serve you well.
