Communicating Finance and Strategy with Confidence with Liz Thomas

How does one start a career in investment strategy? For that matter, what IS an investment strategist? In this special episode, host Liz Thomas gets on the other side of the mic in conversation with Brian Walsh, a.k.a. “Dr. Money,” Head of Advice and Planning at SoFi. Brian and Liz discuss her career evolution, from early career pivots, to what she does as an investment strategist, to how to communicate ideas in finance effectively. Liz Thomas is the Head of Investment Strategy at SoFi. Prior to SoFi, Liz was the Director of Market Strategy at BNY Mellon Investment Management. As an analyst, she worked at both BMO Global Asset Management as well as Baird. Liz earned her BBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and her MBA from Marquette University.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the On The Money newsletter, and follow Liz @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode: 00:00 Introduction 02:10 Growing up in Wisconsin 03:32 Money lessons and values 06:10 Finding finance in college 07:42 Early career 10:27 Pivotal career moments 19:10 What is an investment strategist? 24:31 Career advice 28:07 Career at SoFi 31:55 Experience as a female in a male-dominated industry 35:18 Liz’s financial information diet 40:50 Keeping a level head through market volatility 44:28 Investment role models 48:01 Communicating ideas in finance 51:44 Closing Thoughts

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