#32 - Reflection and Resilience (feat. Peter Akwaboah, COO for Technology & Head of Innovation at Morgan Stanley)

In this year-end episode of Investing In Integrity, we’re joined by Peter Akwaboah, the Chief Operating Officer for Technology and Head of Innovation at Morgan Stanley. It’s alright to “slow down,” Peter says. “The pandemic taught us we can take time out and calibrate; things will survive and still run.” As we wrap up a year marked by so much uncertainty and kick off 2023, Peter reminds us that “it doesn’t matter what we do – taking care of yourself is the only way we continue to have mileage for the marathon.” Peter’s career proves that reflection and self-care aren’t just compatible with professional excellence, they’re conducive to it. He delves into his work spearheading innovation at Morgan Stanley, stressing the importance of clear principles, strong interpersonal relationships, and thought leadership in making a difference. He also explains how Morgan Stanley builds firm-wide resilience to weather global issues such as geopolitical challenges from China, mounting cybersecurity threats, and Russia’s War on Ukraine. First an IBM engineer, Peter talks about pivoting from technology to finance and the changing landscape of FinTech, and also explains how the Great Recession of 2007-2009 changed his perspective not only about finance’s impact, but his own values and principles. He also digs into diversity, equity, and inclusion, highlighting the differences he saw between firms making statements versus taking actions in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. This conversation managed to be both eerily timeless and unmistakably present, packed with wisdom spanning decades applicable to some of the biggest issues in finance and society today. We hope you enjoy our final episode of 2022 – Happy New Year! Episode Segments 0:00: Episode Introduction 3:10: Peter’s Background 4:40: Triple Jump & Academic Excellence 6:45: Two Inflection Points in Peter’s Career 9:50: Peter’s Three Leadership ‘House’ Principles 14:20: Peter’s Innovation Role at Morgan Stanley 16:20: How Morgan Stanley Innovates 18:30: Morgan Stanley’s Global Growth in India 20:45: FinTech ‘Eating The World’ & Future of Big Banks 24:55: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion - Transparency & Taking Action 29:05: Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Cultural Nimbleness 32:40: Lessons from the Financial Crisis of ‘07-09 36:10: How to Balance Reflection & Execution 38:30: Rapid Fire Questions