With a passion for process improvement and innovation, Shauna took an interest in how emerging technologies such as AI, ML and business intelligence applications could be applied to real challenges in the asset servicing space.

How has your career evolved at BBH?

I joined BBH over 10 years ago in the client services group (CSG) in Dublin, focused primarily on custody servicing. This role introduced me to the key tenets of our client first approach in providing excellent client service and saw me spend time in our New York office as a BBH LEAD program participant. After that, I was ready for a new challenge and with a drive to broaden my area of expertise, I sought out an opportunity to join the client service team in Boston and move to the U.S.

This move allowed me to gain a wider perspective of the services our operational teams provide across many product areas such as fund accounting, all while navigating life in a new city! I quickly developed a passion for recognizing cross discipline challenges and working towards implementing processes to help improve efficiency for the benefit of the firm and our clients.

In 2018, when BBH invested in a centralized Business Transformation team focused on innovation and solving for these types of challenges, I jumped at the opportunity to make my next career move and be involved in exploring how AI and ML might be applied.

AI was a completely new field for you – how did you learn?

It was a big leap for someone without a tech background, and in an ever-changing technology landscape, I’m still learning!

In addition to asking many questions and learning from fellow BBHers, I spent considerable time absorbing industry insights through podcasts, articles, and attending conferences.

A key aspect of my role is the responsibility of applying technology to our business, so another ongoing area of learning for me is how our products and services are evolving; adapting to changing regulations, client demands, and non-standard asset servicing (e.g. ETFs, alternatives).

What allows me to be successful is BBH’s approach to adopting emerging technology. We take a business lead approach, meaning we target real business outcomes and don’t just use technology for the sake of it.

What do you enjoy the most about your role?

I really enjoy being at the forefront of how we innovate internally and finding the right ways to share those solutions with our clients. Being in a position that allows us to say “yes” more to our clients through leveraging the expertise of our subject matter experts, Business Transformation team and the toolkit we’ve developed is very fulfilling. I also appreciate the horizontal view of the organization and being able to tackle challenges collaboratively versus a more traditional siloed approach.

How do your personal interests influence your life at work?

I play the piano, which requires a lot of patience and regular practice to hit the right notes – so I’m able to bring the same ethos to problem-solving at work, by working at something consistently and patiently, to produce the desired results. While I am comfortable speaking in public for work, I have stage fright when it comes to playing piano, so overcoming that fear is a personal growth goal!

As an avid reader, I’m also passionate about organizations that focus on childhood literacy. Through the BBH Cares program, I’ve been fortunate to volunteer with Read Ahead which works tirelessly to help boost literacy among kids.