Episode 214: Following Your Curiosity with Shifra Ansonoff, Global Head of Research at Preqin

Strong leadership is rooted in intellectual curiosity about how things work and what drives people. But how do you build relationships and find your voice when you are an introvert?   Our guest, Shifra Ansonoff, a brilliant leader and an introvert, reveals what helped her reach the top of her industry and build a powerful professional network. Shifra believes the key is caring about people and helping them achieve their goals, rather than focusing on what you can get from them. When you follow your curiosity, you will find your way to success whether it’s with relationships or results.  Shifra followed her passions even as a young mom of twins, and with the help of her supportive husband, has become a global leader in her industry. She loves helping people find their voices and seeing where curiosity takes her.  Today, Shifra is the Global Head of Research at Preqin, carrying the remit of obtaining valuable data and insights on alternative assets contributing to the industry’s most comprehensive private capital and hedge fund data sets. Previously, Shifra was with Qontigo, BlackRock Solutions and Bloomberg.  In addition to being a top executive, Shifra has been an active mentor at Rutgers Business School, for which she received a Mentorship Excellence Award in 2018 and was shortlisted by Waters Technology’s Women in Technology and Data Awards for Risk Professional of the Year. She is a proud life-long nonconformist who has a lot of stories to tell us about how to build great relationships and lead a team. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Shifra. Highlights:  [02:20] Shifra’s formation story [04:37] Figuring out the right path forward  [06:06] Shifra’s career journey  [09:56] Stepping into the unknown [12:02] Overcoming fears & limiting beliefs  [14:39] Speaking up and sharing your perspective  [18:48] Staying ahead of the curve  [21:10] Focusing on the right thing at the right time  [23:15] Self care on a daily basis  [24:42] The key to building great relationships [26:22] Advice for introverts  [28:43] Lightning round questions Quotes: “I believe mentorship sponsorship should be a two-way street, and when it isn’t or it becomes transactional, it’s no longer fun.” – Shifra Ansonoff “I’ve built such meaningful relationships through the years in business and across groups of friends by just letting people know that I’ve been thinking about them.” – Shifra Ansonoff Lightning Round Questions: What book has greatly influenced you?  “Give and Take” by Adam Grant What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying?  Learning to love myself and not being my own worst critic. What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself?  Nonconformist What is one change you've implanted that made your life better?  Learning cognitive strategies that put me in control of situations. What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage?  "Invincible" by Pat Benatar   About Shifra Ansonoff: Shifra is the Global Head of Research at Preqin, carrying the remit of obtaining valuable data and insights on alternative assets via conversations with GPs and LPs, thus contributing to the industry’s most comprehensive private capital and hedge fund data sets. A 20+ year veteran of fintech, Shifra has acquired expertise in risk management, product and relationship management, and data governance.  Previously, Shifra led the global operations team for the analytics solutions division at Qontigo (previously Axioma). Prior to, Shifra was with BlackRock Solutions and Bloomberg. Shifra has been an active mentor at Rutgers Business School, for which she received a Mentorship Excellence Award in 2018 and was shortlisted by Waters Technology’s Women in Technology and Data Awards for a Risk Professional of the Year award. She holds a bachelor’s in Economics from Sarah Lawrence, and an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University. Links: Website: https://www.preqin.com/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shifra-ansonoff-274ab46/