When Heather Brilliant left college with an economics degree, she wanted to be a lawyer. However, she started working in the world of finance in Chicago, and has never looked back.
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Once the head of equities at Morningstar’s Chicago head office, Heather has since moved to Australia to take up the role of chief executive of Morningstar Australasia.
Responsible for more than 150 staff, it’s a big gig. It’s also one that requires working within a framework of a global organisation as well as understanding the nuances of a local one.
And by all accounts, she is nailing it. You only have to speak to Heather once to understand she lives and breathes her job. She loves to understand things back-to-front, and has the rare combination of an analytical mind, combined with a natural curiosity and wonder of learning new things.
I was thrilled when Heather agreed to join our education show, The Investment Series as a guardian this year. Her know-how and international experience will add much to the educative process.
Heather is a mum to two small boys, and like the rest of us, juggles work-life balance. She freely admits she is a better mum because she works, and spends a lot of time on planes at odd hours to get back to her boys in time – I get the sense that this is a lady who does not waste a second.
She is passionate about the end investor getting a result that makes a difference, and is leading the charge in talking about designing new products to suit investors’ different life stages, and giving more education directly to them via the huge Morningstar network.
Heather is one to watch: her drive, grace and good nature will see her go far, and I get the feeling that in Australia, she has only just begun. I know Mark enjoyed talking to Heather just as much as I did.
Click here to watch Heather’s interview.
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