On Wednesday, December 1st, the Financial Management Association was honored to welcome guest speaker, Del Berrada to Stonehill. Having hada long and successful career in the financial services industry, Mr. Berrada was honored to share with us some of themore interesting challenges andexperiences. In addition,he offered a wealth of advice on the key personal attributes and knowledge skills we should employ in our careers as well as our personal lives. Accompanying Del was his wife Ann Berrada, who also kind enough to share her thoughts on several educational / life lessons.
Mr. Berrada served for over two decades (1983-2006) as a senior adviser to Fidelity Investments’ executive leadership. His primary responsibilities as Senior Vice President and Managing Director included advising leadership on matters of strategy development, organizational & operational design, and risk management. In the business environment, he was a team player, but also thrived by working hard, working smart, and maintaining a positive attitude.
Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Berrada spent a decade (1974-1983) in leadership positions in MIS and Managerial Accounting. Mr. Berrada is a graduate of The University Institute of Technology(France 1971) majoring in Accounting and Information Systems. He studied English and Economicsat Columbia University(NY 1972), and received an MBA with honors from Northeastern University (Boston 1974). His journey from Casablanca, Morocco to the United States has allowed Mr. Berrada to attend some elite institutions where he gained the necessary knowledge and tools to compete in the corporate world.
In addition, Mr. Berrada emphasized the importance of intellectual curiosity by stating that education background, practical experiences, and life lessons are critical to one’s success. Mr. Berrada also noted the importance of developing a clear vision for what one would like to achieve in the future. “By maintaining a sense of direction, one becomes less likely to get side tracked.”Most importantly, he concluded“the key to an individual’s success lies within his or her personal attributes.”These imperative personal attributes include conducting oneself with the utmost integrity, competing fairly, reinventing oneself, and balancing his or her life adequately.
Mr. Berrada also encouraged us to giving back to the community. Since his retirement from corporate life in 2006, Mr. Berrada is dedicating most of his energy to advising non-profit organizations including the YMCA and other South Shore based philanthropic causes.