Irshad Ahmed

Vice President, Fifth Third Business Capital

Irshad Ahmed is currently a vice president, portfolio manager for Fifth Third Business Capital. He manages a portfolio across the United States in various industries ranging from ecommerce to manufacturing.

Irshad joined the Fifth Third Business Capital team in 2017 after almost a decade in the asset-based lending industry. He began his ABL career as a collateral analyst in 2009 and over the next decade, he had the opportunity to work through various ABL roles such as field exam and underwriting. Upon joining Fifth Third Business Capital, he was given the opportunity to manage a portfolio for the first time and has since been promoted numerous times due to his commitment and dedication to the field. 

Irshad graduated from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in finance. He currently resides in the northern Chicagoland area with his wife, Tasnim, and two children, Syrah and Rizwan.

What is the best professional advice you have been given and how have you implemented it?

Early in my career, I was told about the importance of laying out and visualizing the goals I wanted to achieve; and once each goal was achieved, to set a new one. This advice has followed me throughout my career and has allowed me to gain the self-motivation I need to succeed in any task I hope to accomplish. Oftentimes, individuals lose motivation when working on a task for too long, but by setting concrete goals, you allow yourself to work toward accomplishing something.

How do you define a good leader? 

A good leader is one who is self-aware and prioritizes the personal development of their team. They understand the collective effort in accomplishing team goals and make sure to celebrate individual successes along the way. A good leader gives their team the freedom to learn and lead, and is there to support when needed. I have been lucky to work with several great leaders that have helped me get to where I am today. Their constant guidance and support have allowed me to break out of my shell and accomplish any goal I set for myself.

What advice do you normally give to the junior talent you mentor? 

As you begin your career, be a sponge and try to soak in as much information as possible when your colleagues and managers are discussing their work. After you take time to process all of the information, write down questions that you can later bring to your manager to gain better insight into why something was done a certain way. It is okay to not know everything; you aren’t expected to. Even the highest-level executive learns new things daily. What matters is that you build a reputation that you are willing to learn and support in any way possible. The reputation you set for yourself at the beginning of your career will follow you forever, so make it count.

With many working remotely or hybrid-style the past few years, what are some work-life balance strategies you’ve stuck with? 

Before the start of the pandemic, I never had the opportunity to work remotely. Initially, it was a struggle getting into the routine of working from home, but as time progressed, I found it much more flexible. I try to keep my daily routine consistent in order to achieve a sense of work-life balance. While working from home, I realized I needed to engage in some physical activity and began exercising every morning to help me get my day started. This morning practice has helped tremendously because I found myself more alert once I started my work for the day. I have also found it helpful to work a couple of extra hours at night when email traffic does not exist so that I can complete my tasks with no distractions. It really comes down to managing my time effectively and starting my mornings strong.