Lisa Zúñiga Ramirez - CFA, FSA
Leader to Learn From: February 2022
February 2, 2022
Why we chose Lisa as a Leader to Learn From
Margie first met Lisa during her time as executive director at Reading Partners Colorado. Lisa was a Principal and Senior Portfolio Manager at Segall Bryant & Hamill, and organized regular volunteer events with her team at Reading Partners’ schools.
As Margie got to know Lisa, she quickly grew to know and admire Lisa’s kind and humble leadership presence, and her commitment to serving the community. Years later, Margie was able to recruit Lisa to support her with some of her consulting work at Mi Casa Resource Center. Margie continues to be amazed by the leader, human, volunteer, and role model that Lisa is today.
OUR INTERVIEW WITH LISA
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership?
I’ve worked with and for some amazing leaders in my career and I continue to meet great leaders on the boards on which I serve. I’ve learned that being self-aware, having the ability to empathize with others, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable are the most important traits of strong leadership. Having this kind of emotional intelligence can help you build trust and motivate yourself and others. I also think having a sense of humor is important for leaders. Humor makes everything more enjoyable and can help you get through the tough times.
How would you define your mission or purpose in life?
I believe I was put on this earth to care for others. I was blessed to be born into a large and loving family that instilled in me the value of caring for others. I have been fortunate enough in my career to be able to help my family. I was able to care for my mother who died of pancreatic cancer when I was 24 and my father who died of gallbladder cancer when I was 29.
I was blessed with a devoted husband and together we are raising two incredibly kind, caring, intelligent and loving boys who have taught us so much about uniqueness. When we received their diagnosis of ASD, there was a period of mourning. Mourning for the life I thought they would have and fear about their futures. But I quickly found my purpose. I was meant to care for them and help them live their best lives. I dove into researching autism and together, Ron and I did everything we could to help them with their deficits and reinforce their gifts. Today, our boys are thriving socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically and I can see the positive impact they are having on those around them.
What is your greatest superpower as a leader?
My superpower is empathy. I have experienced struggle, loss, unexpected challenges, recovery, deep fulfillment and everything in between. I’ve learned that you never know what other people are going through so always try to take a step back and give others grace, then see what you can do to help them.
What was your biggest challenge in 2021, and what did you do to help overcome that challenge?
If you had asked about 2020, the answer would have been COVID. Although the pandemic continued through 2021, I will spare your readers and avoid that subject and say my biggest challenge was finding a new sense of purpose following my retirement. I am a creature of habit, so after a 31 year career at the same company, not having a routine and regular feelings of accomplishment were big adjustments. To fill the void, I found myself going in too many directions and dropping too many balls. I am still working on it but have found a better balance between family time, board work and self care by changing my mindset from “do everything now” to “do what matters now.”
What advice would you have for anyone who is trying to navigate their career path?
My advice would be to network and say “yes!” I can’t tell you how many people have enriched my life during my personal and career journey and I have tried my best to reciprocate. I attended the Women’s Foundation luncheon this year and the keynote speaker (Robin Arzon) said “don’t call it networking, call it gardening”. I couldn’t agree more, plant those seeds, watch them sprout and grow, and when one of those seeds turns into an opportunity, say “yes”.
What tips do you have for balancing your work and life, and avoiding burnout?
I would say take time for yourself and get plenty of sleep. To maintain my mental health, particularly during the most stressful times in my investment career, I made sure to exercise. Lifting weights and interval training relieves my stress and gives me a great feeling of accomplishment. I love playing 18 holes of golf with my husband or fellow lady golfers and I always prefer walking over riding in a cart. I also make a point of getting eight hours of sleep a night. My productivity benefits from feeling healthy and rested; so does my family!
What is your favorite book or podcast on leadership, and why?
I have many, but one of my most recent favorite podcasts is called “Enlightened with Lisa Borders.” I met Lisa during my post-retirement “gardening” and was blown away by her story. She is an impressive leader and uses her gift of conversation to interview other amazing leaders. I also admire her work on racial equity and have learned so much from her strong leadership in this area.
Why is it important to you to give back to your community?
I believe we are only as good as the greater community. If we all strive to better the lives of others, we all benefit. When my family moved to Denver from New Mexico, racism was common. My parents discouraged us children from speaking Spanish for fear we would have accents and face the same prejudices they were facing. Luckily, my parents chose to settle in a community that cared for each other, regardless of where you came from. I felt this support throughout my life. Teachers and coaches that took the time to encourage me, counselors who guided me, scholarship programs that made college possible, nonprofits that provided me with internships, and mentors and sponsors who pulled me up the career ladder.
Today, we are experiencing a country divided and unprecedented racial and financial inequities. It is more important than ever to give back and help those who are suffering. Everyone has something they can give, whether it be time, treasure, talent or testimony. This happens to be the motto of LatinasGive!, the giving circle that I am involved with. We know that if enough of us step up, we can make change. There is power in numbers.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I believe that volunteerism is essential for strengthening our community. I encourage everyone to find a cause with a mission they care about, and get involved!
About Lisa Zúñiga Ramirez
Lisa Zúñiga Ramirez is a results-driven corporate leader, board director and financial expert. She has over 30 years’ experience in institutional investing, specializing in value equity investing. Until her retirement in 2020, she was a Principal and Senior Portfolio Manager at Segall Bryant & Hamill, an employee-owned money manager with AUM of $25 billion. Prior to Segall Bryant & Hamill, she was a Partner and Senior Portfolio Manager at Denver Investments LLC, an employee-owned money manager with $7.3 billion AUM that was acquired by Segall Bryant and Hamill in 2018.
Lisa currently serves as an Independent Director on the Bow River Capital Advisory Board, an asset management firm, and is a Director of The Denver Employees Retirement Plan and NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Colorado Chapter. In addition, she serves on non-profit boards including The Denver Foundation, Latinas First Foundation and Vuela for Health. Lisa is a CFA Charterholder and holds the FSA credential from SASB. She received an MBA from Regis University and a BSBA from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Lisa is a Denver native, graduating from Adams City High School. She married her high school sweetheart Ron in 1989 and they have identical twin eighteen-year-old sons that are Juniors at Denver North High School. The family enjoys hosting parties, traveling and watching movies. They have hosted four exchange students, one from Chile, two from Brazil and another from Denmark who have become new members of the family. Lisa’s hobbies include golfing, exercising, skiing, walking their two dogs, and learning about numerous subjects through the eyes of her boys, who see the world differently from their vantage point on the autism spectrum. You can connect with Lisa here.
