Etim Edim’s path to becoming CFO of Morgan Stanley's Technology, Operations and Firm Resilience divisions started with a realization – he wanted to make an impact.
Before overseeing the financials of three major divisions within one of the largest wealth management and investment banking firms in the world, Edim got his professional start as a systems analyst and spent most of his days as a computer programmer. After about four years, Edim yearned for more and began to explore his options.
“I quickly realized that I wanted to be out and about, talking to people and effecting change. I began researching different jobs and roles and what the best fit with my skill set would have been,” says Edim. “Ultimately, consulting really appealed to me, and I realized I needed to get back to school to hone my financial acumen.”
That’s when he decided to enroll in the Full-Time MBA program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.
“What I gained from the program was core technical skills, a broader knowledge of business, and a belief that no matter the challenge, there’s always a way,” says Edim. “I also found lifelong friends that I can confide in from a business and personal standpoint. It was a great opportunity to get to know so many professionals in a small-sized setting and it’s something that’s benefited me to this day.”
During his MBA studies, Edim landed a summer internship as an analyst with Booz Allen Hamilton. The experience validated his belief that consulting was the right career for him and motivated him to go to work for Deloitte after graduation to hone those skills in New York City. He’d later go to work for Credit Suisse in a similar role, before moving to Morgan Stanley three years ago.
“I tell a lot of students that I meet with these days that your first job is not your last job. The experiences that I’ve had have all contributed to where I am now,” says Edim. “Combining my technology background with my consulting knowledge has really helped me be successful and I’ve come full circle in being able to use everything I’ve learned up to this point.”
Promoted to his current CFO role at Morgan Stanley in New York in December 2020, Edim now oversees a global team of roughly 40 employees who support the firm's Technology, Operations, and Firm Resilience divisions (combined over $5B in spend) through financial reporting, planning and analysis. Helping the firm understand the impact of technology investment decisions requires a great deal of focus but it's a process that Edim enjoys.
“I like being able to take part in these conversations and dive into the financial weeds with my team yet be able to step back and understand the strategic implications of our firm's management decisions,” says Edim. “It’s a culmination of my previous roles and one that I hope will enable me to continue growing as a professional while making a discernible impact.”
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.