Arta Spotlight: Live Long & Prosper

Caesar is joined by Wells Fargo and S&P Global Board Member Maria Morris as she chronicles key moments in her decades-long career that illustrate her drive and financial savvy. Maria has been breaking glass ceilings from an early age. She advises listeners to trust their instincts and be their own advocates as she shares her journey from a young professional at MetLife, Inc., with no industry experience, to becoming Executive Vice President and Head of Global Employee Benefits three decades later.A seasoned leader and innovator, Maria steered MetLife's $16 billion acquisition of American Life Insurance Co. and expanded the Global Employee Benefits business to dozens of new countries. She explains how she builds a symbiotic leadership team and stresses the importance of lateral career moves that provide new perspectives on customer engagement. Highlighting the unparalleled impact of developing sponsors, Maria emphasizes that successful sponsorship is about building relationships based on personal and professional bonds.Maria reflects on the key financial principles instilled in her by her Italian immigrant father and shares how she began deferring compensation in her final years at MetLife. Retiring after 33 years, she secured the financial freedom to reinvent herself without financial worry. Celebrating the accessibility of investment banking today, Maria underscores the importance of curating data and seeking financial advice from trusted sources when deciding where to invest.This episode offers not only inspiring anecdotes from Maria’s leadership roles at MetLife but also uplifting guidance for professionals at any stage of their careers looking to take the next step.

08-12

41:59

Caesar sits down with Rahul Roy-Chowdhury, CEO of Grammarly and former Google executive, to discuss the pivotal moments that have shaped his illustrious career. Rahul’s journey is a testament to the power of introspection, bold decision-making, and the pursuit of meaningful impact.Rahul shares how he transitioned from academia to tech, driven by a desire to make a tangible difference in people's lives. Despite initial success in AI research, he found more fulfillment in the tech industry, starting as a software engineer and eventually leading the Chrome browser team at Google. His story highlights the importance of tuning out external noise and listening to one’s inner voice when making major life decisions.The episode also covers Rahul’s move from Google to Grammarly, motivated by a mission to improve lives through better communication. He discusses the challenges and rewards of leading a smaller company during a transformative period, particularly in the context of AI advancements. Rahul’s leadership style, focused on clarity, transparency, and responsibility, has been crucial in navigating this transition.Beyond his professional achievements, Rahul emphasizes the importance of aligning financial decisions with life goals, valuing experiences over material possessions, and fostering a sense of gratitude and responsibility in his children. His personal finance philosophy revolves around simplicity, consistency, and focusing on what truly matters.Tune in to hear Rahul’s reflections on his career, financial beliefs, and the lessons he imparts to his children about money and responsibility. This episode is a rich blend of personal anecdotes, practical advice, and deep insights into leading a purpose-driven life.

06-18

35:23

Gokul Rajaram has worked as a leader at some of the most iconic companies in the world: Google, Facebook, Square, Pinterest, Coinbase and Doordash. In conversation with Caesar, Gokul dives into the motivations behind his journey from being one of the foremost ad experts in the world to being a leading tech investor and advisor. Gokul promotes the superpower of learning how to be helpful. After sitting on more than a dozen executive boards over his career, Gokul advises listeners not to be motivated by status, but instead to focus on lending your expertise to growing businesses. Instead of focusing on profits and promotions, he explains how over the years he has made the mission of the company – including serving consumers or small businesses – his North Star. In the abstract space of fintech, he stresses the importance of feeling excited about the product you are building for customers. He also underscores the need to work with high-caliber professionals who challenge you, because when you’re the dumbest person in the room, that’s when you learn. In his professional leaps and bounds, Gokul has focused on regret minimization. Rather than staying in his lane as the product director of ads at Facebook, he sought out new and unique leadership roles in product development. He invites listeners before a career jump to consider the worst case scenario, and no matter the outcome, whether you will develop new skills and grow your network. When it comes to investing, Gokul argues money making should not be front of mind. Instead, as an angel investor, he embraces the opportunity to support growing businesses and to learn. Investing is a way to stay relevant and engage in developing technologies more tangibly. Gokul provides a motivating story of putting purpose over profits, and shares how he’s helping give back to the community now that his mindset is paying dividends.

05-15

36:55

Brandon Bouier, founder of the Data Investing Community and early Arta member, sits down with Caesar to share insights from the pivotal moments that defined his remarkable career journey. From leaving a stable government job during the 2009 recession to transitioning into the tech world, Brandon’s path is a testament to the power of embracing the unknown and living without regrets.Brandon recounts his bold decision to move from Las Vegas to Seattle for a new opportunity, despite his family’s concerns. Unwilling to live with the nagging question of “what if,” he took a leap of faith that would expose him to the world of technology and ignite his desire to pivot from government work to the private sector.The conversation delves into Brandon’s initial struggles with imposter syndrome and how encouragement from colleagues at the White House’s U.S. Digital Service finally gave him the confidence to make the leap into tech. He also shares invaluable lessons he’d impart to his younger self about taking responsibility for one’s life path, staying patient and focused on goals, and maintaining financial discipline.Brandon credits his ability to take calculated risks, combined with the support of his wife’s direct approach to discussing finances as a team, as key factors in his success. His story serves as an inspiration for being thoughtful about risks while remaining unafraid to defy conventions in pursuit of one’s dreams.

04-08

41:19

In this week’s episode, Caesar hosts Diya Jolly, Chief Product Officer at Xero. Early in the conversation, Diya shares her wisdom on the importance of following one's internal compass, emphasizing that true direction comes from within rather than succumbing to external pressures. She points out several times in her career when her family and loved ones encouraged her to do something different than what she wanted to do. Despite it all, Diya stayed her course based on her instincts and created a path that fueled her interests and further developed her skills.Combining logic and creativity, Diya followed her gut and entered the engineering world because she wanted to build things. Sticking to her passion, Diya secured roles at leading tech giants, notably Google. Diya candidly recounts her initial hesitation to join Google, a decision she nearly passed on. However, she embraced the opportunity, resulting in a remarkable tenure exceeding seven years, during which she ascended to multiple leadership roles.Diya also opens up about the impactful role that money plays in our lives and careers, sharing relatable stories from her own experiences.This episode highlights the importance of embracing the journey towards greater ambitions rather than solely fixating on the destination ahead. 

02-14

33:47

Karim Temsamani, the CEO of Cardlytics and previous President of Google in Asia, joins Caesar for an eye-opening conversation about personal growth, career changes, and the mindset he had that pushed him to make these pivotal changes throughout his life.Karim shares what factors went into his decision-making for every career shift, from taking his first position after college in a country he wasn’t from to eventually working and running various businesses in nine countries. Karim stresses that he believes no one should make a career change strictly based on the financial aspect. While money and your financial situation can play a role in career decisions, he wants people to understand that the best way to make career changes is based on interest, the ability to work with great people and family, and the opportunity to learn something new. Karim shares that his decision to leave Google in Hong Kong was made based on wanting to try something new and be closer to family. This episode tells the story of different factors that should influence career changes and how money isn’t everything.

01-22

37:06

CEO and Co-Founder of Coda, Shishir Mehrotra, sits down with Caesar for an eye-opening conversation about career choices, investments, and how these choices can impact the bigger picture. Shishir shares the most pivotal moments in his career that led him to where he is now as a mentor, CEO, and investor. From starting his first company, Centrata, to turning down an offer at Google for Microsoft, to eventually finding his way back to Google and YouTube, every step he took was a lesson learned. The conversation shifts from Shishir’s career path to how he got involved in angel investing and what he teaches others about investing in companies and investing in career choices. He stresses the importance of considering the big picture and pursuing investments and careers that you’re passionate about because they tend to yield the best results. Shishir’s ability to envision the future and challenge conventions has helped lead him to where he is today. This episode tells the story of breaking the mold and how great things can come from one great conversation.

01-08

38:15

In this episode, Caesar is joined by Ryan Tabone, who was a key innovator in the development of products including Chromebooks, G Suite, and Google Finance. Today, Ryan serves as Chief Product & Technology Officer at Lightspeed Commerce.Ryan reflects on his time at Google, discussing the amazing projects he had the opportunity to work on, the importance of continuous learning, and the decision to pursue a career he was passionate about - even if it meant making financial sacrifices.He also shares valuable advice for his younger self, highlighting the significance of starting to invest early, finding balance in life, and embracing risks and failures for personal growth.Beyond finance, Ryan speaks about his personal ambitions for the future, including a passion for AI and creating his own distillery. He emphasizes the importance of appreciating the good in life and working with colleagues who bring value.To follow Ryan, visit his LinkedIn profile.

12-04

33:20

In this episode, Caesar welcomes Sam Malik, whose early life in India set a foundation for a journey marked by resilience and ambition. Sam shares her unconventional dreams growing up, influenced by her mother’s profession and her own aspirations to play in the WNBA.Sam takes us through her bold decision to leave college and pursue a new path that presented both daunting challenges and life-changing opportunities. She opens up about the hurdles of adjusting to a new culture, the longing for home, and how these experiences redirected her focus.To follow Sam and keep up with her journey, follow her on LinkedIn.

11-13

35:28

Tamar Yehoshua, who has served as VP across multiple divisions at Google, Chief Product Officer at Slack, and now as a venture partner at IVP, joins Caesar for an illuminating discussion on career, personal growth, and finance.Tamar reflects on the pivotal moments in her career, discussing the fine line between taking risks and playing it safe, and how intuition often guided her choices. She shares her strategy of joining teams led by people from whom she could learn, starting with her leap from Intel to a startup in 1999.The conversation takes a turn to her transition into venture capital, highlighting how her extensive background in product and engineering provides a unique perspective in her new role. Tamar talks about her need for a change after her experiences at Slack and Google and how relationships within the venture capital industry have shaped her journey.This episode is a story of embracing new learning opportunities and the excitement that comes with change.To follow Tamar's venture into the world of venture capital, follow her on LinkedIn.

11-13

25:10

Caesar sits down with Sabrina Ellis, whose strategic insights have shaped her roles at industry behemoths like Google and now as Chief Product Officer at Pinterest.Sabrina opens up about her approach to decision-making, emphasizing the joy in following one's passion and the wisdom gleaned from her father on welcoming new opportunities.Highlighting her transition from Google to Pinterest, Sabrina offers an intimate look at the significant career decisions she's faced and how she balances the demands of a high-powered tech career with family life and personal happiness.Additionally, the conversation explores the role of diversity in building innovative teams and products and underscores Sabrina’s commitment to philanthropy through donor-advised funds and responsible giving.To learn more about Sabrina:Check out the Pinterest executive team page and the recent body type technology announcement on the Pinterest newsroom.

11-13

35:13

Hosted by Caesar Sengupta, the CEO and Co-Founder of Arta Finance, Arta Spotlight: Live Long & Prosper offers an illuminating look into the thoughts and insights of some of the most successful founders, entrepreneurs, and investors.The topics covered in these podcasts are conversational and for informational purposes only. These podcasts are not intended to serve as investment advice and are not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular security or investment. All opinions expressed by Arta employees and third parties are not necessarily those of Arta Finance. See additional disclosures here.

11-01

02:04