Working Abroad Can Broaden Your Horizons - 2019 Spring Spectrum Magazine

GOING GLOBAL MSCI’s Ross Says Working Abroad Can Broaden Horizons By Maya Francis “Having a family, your priorities are different and you’re worrying, first and foremost, that your family is having a With two stints in international offices, “Having a family, your priorities are different and you’re Michael Ross, executive director, MSCI (and worrying, first and foremost, that your family is having a the son of NABA co-founder Frank Ross), has good time and enjoying the experience. What’s healthcare had a career rich with diverse opportunities like? It was much different having a child out there than and experiences. For four years, Ross, then here.” Other considerations that international employees a finance associate at JP Morgan, traded the should consider are the exchange rates and their impact familiarity of his New York office to live on compensation, taxation, personal banking options, across the pond in London. housing and personal storage. Being a manager of a global team, Ross says, helped him “I always knew I wanted to travel and see the world “recognize the team in global team. You can have locations and so working at a global organization, I knew it was a all over but you have to manage people like they’re sitting great opportunity to see the world and see a different right next to you; you have to make sure it’s a two-way street. perspective on things,” Ross recalls. “So, I always made I think I learned to appreciate difference. Americans who sure to network if I ever saw people who worked at other don’t travel much don’t realize how differences can make office locations. I made sure to plant the seed. Working at you stronger. It’s incredible how when I was over in London, a global company made me see that there’s a whole other the perspectives of things, whether socially or professionally world out there. I raised my hand at one point and just said – they had a different perspective, which I would’ve never if anything ever happens, I’m interested. I kept persevering gotten in New York. [It demonstrates] the importance of and the opportunity to go to London came about.” a network. I wouldn’t have had my first chance if I didn’t have a network. I’m staying connected to all these people Ross credits the experience as one that helped him grow in all these different locations. Having a chance to go abroad personally and professionally, and helped to expand his enables you to build on that. And that dovetails into NABA.” worldview. “As [a younger person], it was an opportunity Ross says that the organization can help prepare members to see the world, see the financial industry, see the for international opportunities by connecting people who markets. When you live and go abroad, you realize are abroad. “There’s a strong network of black professionals there are lot of places like New York ­– there are a lots of in [international] locations. [Preparing members is] a epicenters of the workforce in different cities. You have to great way for NABA to broaden its breadth. A lot of these be willing to recognize that you’re the different one as the companies who are institutional partners of NABA, they’re expat. Even among English speakers, just because [we all] international companies. So, it would be great for NABA to spoke English didn’t mean I understood what they were mirror the success of its international partners.” saying half the time.” It’s no surprise that Ross enthusiastically endorses expat life for others. “Explore going abroad to get to expand Ross returned to New York with a VP title. He would leave your career,” he says. “It only makes you a stronger asset again eight years later, in 2010, for Morgan Stanley, this and a stronger professional for your career. Having that time with a wife, children and an executive director title. international experience helped to differentiate me from Whereas before, Ross equipped himself with a basic the next person. And it also helps because I’ve seen things travel book, moving his family required a different type of from a different lens.” ▲ preparation outside of wall plug adapters. SPRING 2019 | SPECTRUM 29