Neythri Member Spotlight: Rajvi Berry – First Vice President and Certified Private Wealth Advisor at Morgan Stanley

Jul 12

5 min read

Tell us a little about yourself – your early days, where you were born, your schooling, college, your major, when you moved to the US, and how you landed at your current role.

I was born in Delhi, India and my parents immigrated to Southern California when I was eleven years old in 1976. My father had retired from the Indian Air Force and my mother was a nurse in Irwin Hospital in Delhi. My parents thought that my brother and I would have better opportunities in the United States and, in those years, Indian nurses were granted green cards upon arrival, my mother was sponsored by a friend of hers to Los Angeles in January 1976. My father, brother, and I joined her on May 5th, 1976 initially in Hollywood, CA. I attended the University of Southern California and received my BS and MS in Accounting/ Taxation. I then became a CPA and worked at KPMG for my initial working years. While I did not have any exposure to various aspects of finance, I was curious to learn about additional disciplines and chose to apply for full-time business schools. I attended Booth School of Business for my full-time MBA and after graduation, I joined Goldman Sachs’, Institutional equities division, in New York.

Goldman changed the trajectory of my life as they asked me to move to Hong Kong. It was in Hong Kong where I met my husband and ended up giving birth to all of my three kids. My only regret with my career was that when Goldman asked me to move to the Private Wealth side of the business, I said “no” as I had no faith in myself that anyone wealthy would do business with me. In any case, when I was expecting my second child, I left Goldman Sachs in 1999 and became a full-time, stay-at-home mother. In 2003, my husband’s firm, Bear Stearns, moved us to the Bay Area. The great financial crisis of 2008 and then some additional familial and financial setbacks led me to return to work full-time. This time, however, I chose the private wealth side of the business, and I have been a certified private wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley San Francisco since September 2011.

Have you drawn professional inspiration from others? If so, who or what inspired you to pursue your current career and why?

I am fascinated by entrepreneurs who can assess the risks of their ventures, commit fully to their businesses, and balance their family’s needs while prioritizing their community. My current client, whom I have called my uncle since 1976, started his own private real estate conglomerate (valued at over $1 Billion now) one property at a time and continues to inspire me. His tireless dedication, fueled by his passion for his work, his commitment to protecting his investors’ principal, his support and guidance for Indian immigrants, and his aspiration to be the best grandfather, have always amazed me. Arriving at the University of Iowa from Andhra Pradesh for his MS in Electrical Engineering, he managed to bring seven of his sisters and their families from India to Southern California. He helped immigrants like my father find respectable work, enabling other immigrants in their 40s to rebuild their lives and shape their families’ destinies.

Leadership is a broad term and can mean different things to different people. Describe your leadership style and how you “lead” others.

A leader is a collaborator who is not only a quick decision-maker, but also understands the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team and can add the strengths and subtract the weaknesses and create the strongest force to complete the goal at hand.

How do you define success?

Success is a whole pie to me, including financial and career feats balanced with strong personal, community, and family relationships that grow due to the individual’s own personal and spiritual growth and resilience. I guess, said another way, it is positive energy that grows exponentially and benefits all that it touches.

What if anything would you want to “do-over” professionally? Why?

When I was hired initially by Goldman Sachs in the United States after I graduated from Booth School of Business in 1994, I was asked by Goldman to join the Private Wealth group that served clients with $5 Million of net worth or more. At that time, I had no faith in myself and could never imagine that I could have done that and hence I declined.

Again when I was transferred to Goldman Sachs in Asia, I was asked to join the Private Wealth group, and regretfully I declined again. If I could do a “do-over’ I would definitely take the risk and would thrive with that opportunity.

What are the most important qualities you look for in people? Why?

Now that I am mature, I would say that the most important qualities I look for include authenticity, positive energy, curiosity, and the ability to question one’s own long-held views. Most importantly, I respect people who have the ability to see the positive characteristics in other people.

How important is it to have a mentor and/or sponsor to grow as a leader?

I feel that mentors and sponsors come across in life as one needs or values them. Perhaps we only recognize those mentors and/or sponsors when we are ready. I have had many mentors or sponsors come in various phases of my life, and my most recent and current mentor is a Neythri member, Usha Vishwanathan, for whom I have the utmost admiration. We have clear communication, and she is honest enough to share her opinion and guide me gently even if our respective opinions differ. Of course, in addition to our clear communication, we both listen actively which helps our relationship.

What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? What advice would you give to the next generation of young women entering the workforce?

My advice to the next generation of young women entering the workforce, and to my 25-year-old self, would be to network, network, and network with other women professionals as much as other males do. Find something fun and interesting that you share with other women and strengthen your female relationships. I truly feel that men in the past have always stuck together by attending sporting events or golfing together and have strengthened their own network of referrals and advisors. Women have had to balance their careers with their family needs. Ultimately, however, if there are obstacles along the way, women in the past were far more alone, without their own friends, referrals, and advisors. I truly believe that Neythri with its mini-groups/salons strives to create an environment where everyone can find someone to whom they can share their dreams and overcome their obstacles together.

What’s your favorite way to relax and unwind?

Yoga at Yoga Flow, and walking.

If you could instantly become an expert in any skill or subject, what would that be and why?

I would like to help people figure out how to recognize their life partner and purpose of life as those two factors can differentiate lives well-lived.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Be a little better than your own old self.