Nirmala Sookiram

Senior Account Executive, Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc.

Biography:

Nirmala Sookiram has been with Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. for 31 years. Known to many as “Nera”, she began her career at Rosenthal in the credit department as a collector, and then went on to the posi- tion of credit analyst. For the last 21 years however, Nera has been a Senior Account Executive as part of Rosenthal’s New York front office team. In this role, she has been committed to managing relationships with her clients. She is also responsible for monitoring and providing their everyday credit and borrowing needs.

Born and raised in Trinidad and the youngest of seven children, Nera has always had a desire to give back to others. She champions various charitable organizations, namely St. Jude’s, March of Dimes, The American Veteran’s Foundation as well as the American Cancer Society. Nera loves to travel and cycle and has a great passion for interior design and DIY home projects. Nera has an Associate Degree from LaGuardia and a Bachelor’s Degree from Baruch College.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career?

Listen, learn, communicate, build relationships, be confident, flexible and most of all, enjoy your new adventure. This is all new to you and it will take some time to learn. Take the time to listen and absorb as much positive information as you can from everyone around you. Never hesitate to ask questions; you are not expected to know everything and it will be beneficial for you to ask for assistance and at the same time build relationships. Be flexible, come in early or stay late if necessary. Give yourself extra time to learn the basics and increase your comfort level with your new responsibilities. Practice good work ethics; your talent may be recognized before you even know it. I was very fortunate that, when I started, the president of our company believed in and supported the success of women. Stay positive, motivated, optimistic, open-minded and always be respectful. These efforts will be appreciated and will ultimately lead to a successful career

What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?

As we all know, there is no greater teacher than experience. I wish I had been more assertive in defining my goals and taking the necessary steps to implement a plan to achieve those goals. I also wished I had realized the importance of networking; it is a great way to meet people in various industries that will help you to grow, develop and build visibility early on. This will give you the opportunity to expand and secure contacts in the field, which will eventually strengthen your career long-term.

What kind of role has mentoring and/or sponsorship played in your career?

Mentoring has played a very important part in my career. I was very grateful to have the guidance and advice of several seasoned credit analysts and account executives They were very influential in my career and exposed me to various opportunities to develop my skills and move to the next level. Our company is made up of some amazing talent and I have been lucky to be coached by them and continue to be coached. I have learned so many ways to resolve situations, overcome objections and challenges. Since our industry has new developments continuously, I have learned to always be a student and learn something new every day.

What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?

Factoring in general is not very well known in colleges or universities, if at all. The industry needs to reach out to these facilities to offer internship programs to attract new talent. Our company is unique in the sense that it offers opportunities for advancement and looks to promote from within. If someone shows the initiative, works efficiently and has a positive attitude, the best way to acknowledge their abilities and efforts is to encourage them to advance to the next level. In some cases their skills may be suitable for a different department, which is still an advantage to both the company and the individual. Our company offers a mentoring program with our junior account executives. This is an excellent program that offers hands-on training.