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Daria Foster: Former Managing Partner at Lord, Abbett & Co | Why Humility and Empathy are the Foundation of Successful Leadership

Aug 10, 2022

Daria Foster is the retired Managing Partner of Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC. She has more than 40 years of financial services industry experience, more than half of which has been with Lord Abbett. She joined the firm in 1990 as Director of Fixed-Income Marketing and was responsible for establishing the firm’s institutional investment business. In 2006, she was elected Director and President of Lord Abbett Mutual Funds, and she was named Managing Partner of Lord Abbett in 2007. Daria is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, serves as the Vice Chair of the New York Philharmonic, and is the Chairman of ReadWorks, a nonprofit organization committed to creating a culture of academic excellence in urban elementary schools.

 

Daria joins me on The Wow Factor to share her career trajectory from paralegal to CEO at Lord, Abbett & Co. She shares some of the early challenges her job as CEO entailed, how they were balanced by the valuable benefits of working with such a strong supportive team, and why she believes that humility and empathy are the foundation of successful leadership. Daria also shares why she firmly believes that liberal arts form the foundation of a satisfying and rewarding life and how she is fulfilling that aspect of her life now that she has retired from the world of finance.

 

“If you show your interest, people will be interested in you.” - Daria Foster

 

“The only reason we're here is for the clients. So everything needs to be done through the lens of the client.” - Daria Foster

 

“I was so grateful for the opportunities that were given to me and for the people that I worked with.” - Daria Foster

 

This Week on The Wow Factor:

  • Daria’s early involvement in student leadership roles
  • Why Daria opted for a career in finance when she finished college
  • When Daria made the move to work at Lord, Abbett & Co
  • Her experience as the first female CEO of the company
  • Whether Daria feels there was a glass ceiling in finance at that time
  • Why it is essential to be honest when you don’t understand something
  • The value of making yourself available and trustworthy because you will ultimately learn more about what's going on
  • Why gratitude is a gamechanger
  • What Daria is doing in her retirement, including her involvement with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Foundation, the New York Philharmonic, ReadWorks, and select organizations in Naples, Florida focusing on education
  • Why understanding how to connect genuinely with others is a key skill for any leader

 

Daria Foster’s Word of Wisdom:

Humility and empathy as critical skills for any leader. When you're in a position of leadership, having that sensitivity to others is so important.

 

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