"Your Difference is Your Strength - Embrace It" - Bank of America Executive Shim Sameer Talks Leadership, Her Career Journey, and "Shimergram"
“It’s not a world for any, if it’s not a world for all” Period. It’s really not complicated. To me, empowering women has a domino effect — you empower families, you educate families, you shatter perceptions, you pave the way, and you move the world forward.” Today’s woman dreamer, Bank of America Executive Shim Sameer (Head of National Operations & Northeast Preferred and Consumer Banking/Investments) has been passionately leading the way for women professionals. A lifelong learner with a true passion for building a powerful team, she shares her inspiring career journey, her top three leadership tips and the inspiration behind her popular instagram platform, (@shimergram). Enjoy her story!
1) You are currently Head of National Operations & Northeast Division Preferred and Consumer Banking & Investments, and have been a woman leader in the business world. Tell us your story! How did you find your passion?
I am of Indian origin and came to the U.S., specifically Providence, RI, shortly after getting married almost 20 years ago now. I had just wrapped up my master’s degree where I had a very active school life — extra classes, competitions, community events — you name it, I was there.
After graduating, in only a couple of months, I felt unchallenged. So while I didn’t yet have a driver’s license or any work experience in the U.S., I decided to find myself a job. The only place accessible to me at that point was a small café outside our apartment building. So, one morning I dressed up, picked up all my certificates and visited them looking for an opportunity. Although they thought I was overdressed and potentially over qualified, after some negotiation, the manager offered me a job — I would wash tables, pizza pans and also manage the cash register for $6-an-hour.
My acquaintances in my short time in the U.S. all thought it was a bad idea, thinking it would be a “step down” to my family in India and their social status and that it would be unappealing to my techie husband. But to me, this was a way to learn and even earn a little money. Besides that, I sincerely believe there is no shame in any honest work.
That was my starting point. And through the many years that followed, while navigating through various unfamiliar cultures, learning to be a new mom, scaling new heights, managing my life as a daughter when my father got really sick, I persisted. I also since got another job — this time in the financial services industry with Bank of America — where I have spent the past 16 years growing in my career from starting out as a teller to now being a senior executive. Needless to say, it’s been an amazing journey, and I am so grateful to have found an employer that would let me walk in and be who I am and provide me with a strong support system to help me grow. All the while I haven’t forgotten what it was like to earn $6-an–hour, and that experience will always stay with me and keep pushing me forward. Now, I enjoy paying it forward by being a mentor for many and helping them find their dreams. And here I am.
2) You are very passionate about women empowerment and have done a lot of work in this field including your famous "Friday Forward" series on your IG profile #shimergram. What is your goal in this series and how do you decide what lessons to share?
Yes, I passionately believe in parity. I like to say, “It’s not a world for any, if it’s not a world for all!” Period. It’s really not complicated. To me, empowering women has a domino effect — you empower families, you educate families, you shatter perceptions, you pave the way, and you move the world forward. I also believe that at a minimum if we do not exponentially achieve parity in corporate work places, it will be really hard to just scratch the surface in even more complex environments where women are abused, neglected and consciously marginalized. So we have to move with speed and conviction.
And as for my @shimergram and #fridayforward, as I started leading teams with multi-generational teammates, I quickly realized that different people engage differently. Some like work emails, while others prefer staying connected via social media. The pandemic made this realization more apparent, and that’s why I opened up my Instagram account. And #fridayforward became a way for me to share my learnings from the week and also continue moving the parity agenda forward. Let me tell you, my Insta community has taught me more than I have been able to teach them — it’s a strong, extremely active community with folks from all over the world! What I am the most thrilled about is that my page has in a way become a connector for many, and through it many have found each other and expanded their own networks. Weekly, I hear from someone that a message or a connection has helped them find courage to start a new journey, to do something that they have been hoping to do for years and finally found the strength, and I have even had someone finally coming out to their family and celebrating acceptance. That brings purpose and validation to every minute I spend on social media!
3) What are your top 3 tips for women looking for leadership roles in Finance / Banking industry?
You may be the first, you may be the boldest, you may be the least experienced on every team. You also may be the most different — whatever that difference is, that’s your strength; embrace it.
People, people, people! Regardless of the industry you’re working in, invest in people and invest in them unconditionally.
I was the weakest at math in school. Thankfully, finance and banking involve much more than just math and numbers. It’s about people and taking care of your clients and teammates. So pursue excellence in everything you do because your clients and teammates deserve it!
4) As a platform for women dreamers, we have to ask, what is your big personal or professional dream?
Here are two big ones personally on my list:
I would love to visit every country in the world, or at the least, visit countries impacted by war and spend a few weeks every year living there, serving the people and helping with reformation and rebuilding.
I would like to build a small, nonprofit foundation when the time is right that focuses on achieving economic equality at the grass-roots level. I think social equality and economic equality are closely connected, and I want to put my energy in pursuit of this goal where it is going to matter the most for the most people.
On the professional front, my parents always tell me, “In the way you scale heights, you can teach people possibilities or limitations. So choose wisely.” I hope to continue to bring people along as I expand my horizons and eventually have the opportunity to lead a company. The best part of that vision is that I realize I have so much still to learn to get there. With so many people rooting for me and inspiring me, I am confident I will someday see this dream become reality!
Thank you so much Shim for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bio: Shim Sameer is the National Operations and Northeast Division executive within Preferred and Consumer Banking & Investments. As Northeast Division executive. She leads a team of 6,000 associates who deliver to clients a culture of exceptional care and our company’s full range of financial products and services through approximately 930 financial centers Delaware through Maine. In her role as National Operations executive, Shim leads a national team focused on developing and executing a consistent risk management and client experience strategy to drive client satisfaction, operational excellence and talent development within the company’s 4300 financial centers across the country. Since joining the Bank in 2005, she has held a number of leadership positions within the company both in Consumer Banking and Consumer Investments. Shim is a passionate supporter of advancing women’s careers and Intentional Inclusion and has a strong track record of mentoring and developing leaders across the company. Often invited to speak at various forums, panels and events, she has addressed audiences globally on the topic of inclusion and empowerment of women. She is the founder of the the bank’s Consumer Investments Women’s Forum and founder and executive sponsor for the bank’s Preferred and Consumer Banking & Investments Executive Women’s Forum. She is a recipient of the distinguished Bank of America Global Diversity and Inclusion Award and has been profiled on FairyGodBoss.com for her commitment to advocating for and empowering women in the workplace. In 2020/2021, she was named to the “INDIA New England News” list of Outstanding Women, the 2020 EMpower/Yahoo Finance Ethnic Minority Executive Role Model List and the 2020 HERoes Women Role Model Executive List that honors global leaders who are champions for diversity and inclusion in business. Outside of work, Shim actively supports various non-profit organizations. She serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Bankers Association and the Walker School in Needham, Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree in arts, and was the valedictorian of her class. She is also a Six Sigma-certified Green Belt. Shim resides in Mansfield, Massachusetts, with her husband and daughter, and enjoys traveling with them.
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