Laura Wheeler (OA 2000)

Laura left St Albans School in 2000 and went to University in London where she completed a BSc Degree in Philosophy and Economics at the London School of Economics. Since graduating she has worked in finance, but has also enjoyed a very active “outside work” life. She has volunteered for Samaritans for 15 years, worked as a trainee psychotherapist at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), rescued a lot of rabbits, and has three young children.

She has also done a lot in the industry to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – she was awarded DE&I Champion of the Year in the 2022 Women in Investment Awards, and number 5 in the EMpower 100 Future Leaders 2022 (Ethnic Minority Future Leaders).

She has always had a strong work ethic and loved learning. At St Albans School she loved how much pride people took in their studies. She says, "You could say St Albans School gave me more confidence in myself and helped me see what I was good at, and what I enjoyed, and not feel embarrassed about that."

Laura explains that she used to have a very demanding role in credit derivatives for many years at Goldman Sachs (including during the credit crunch). "I had a brilliant time there, working in London, New York, Bangalore and Tokyo, but I got to the point when I wanted a better balance in my life. I ended up coming to Capital Group, which is based in California (rather than the East Coast like most of the large firms) and I immediately felt comfortable. I loved its focus on associate development and wellbeing, which is a huge passion of mine."

We asked her what advice she would you give to someone interested in a similar career path.

"Try not to be too set on one part of the industry. Work hard, ask lots of questions, but always try to maintain a good balance. Setting yourself up with good habits will help you for the rest of your life."