Peoplewatch – Profiles Of Indian Americans Making A Difference
Dr. Prabu Raman had reason to celebrate when his daughter, Akila was selected to Crain’s 40 under 40. Six months later Fortune announced her on their 40 under 40 list as well.
“We are very proud of our daughter Akila who was selected to Crain’s 40 under 40. As a couple of immigrants ourselves, we had no advantages to pass on to her, except our values of hard work and determination. Akila exhibits that every single day to earn anything she has in her life. Her mom passed on her intelligence and good looks. An example of the American dream being realized.”
Akila Raman-Vaseghi (39) is COO of the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs and specializes in risk management. She runs operational strategy for the global investment bank, and is currently focused on international expansion and growth in new products like Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance.
Born of a Korean American mother and an Indian American dentist father, Akila Sunhee Raman, has two younger sister, Amitha and Ajanta, and was raised in Missouri. Her father Prabhu Raman went to school in Chennai, and met her mother Woon Mi Raman, at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
When Akila was nominated by Fortune magazine, her proud dad announced, “As immigrants to this country with no “privileges” except an abiding belief in the unlimited opportunities and in hard work towards worthwhile goals yielding results, we are proud of our three amazing daughters.”
Akila earned an A.B. in Politics and a Certificate in Finance from Princeton University in 2004. She joined Goldman Sachs as an analyst and since then has brought important Debt IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) to the market. She has helped the firm’s most important clients mitigate interest rate and foreign currency risk with particular focus on hedging risk associated with mergers/acquisitions and debt issuance.
She has expertise in natural resources companies in sectors such as energy, power, and metals, and has also prioritized using technology and automation to streamline workflow.
Akila Sunhee Raman and her husband Alireza Vaseghi live with their daughter Aliya in New York.
Akila serves on the Operating Board for Pursuit, a social impact organization dedicated to creating transformation through training of adults with the most need to get their first tech jobs and become the next generation of leaders in tech.
Ritu Marwah is a feature writer based in Silicon Valley. A Winner of the Taste of Silicon Valley contest she is a gourmand in all things wine, food, and travel. Whether for work or play, she never tires of exploring California wine country. Ritu’s other work: Kamasutra Wine, BBNC Indian Cooking Meetup with Ritu Marwah.
Image: Ritu Marwah