Jean Hynes is always looking for an opportunity to learn.
It’s a trait the CEO and managing partner of
Wellington Management picked up from her parents, working-class Irish immigrants who settled in Milton, Massachusetts.
Her father, who worked as a bricklayer into his 70s, was intensely curious about the world — always watching PBS or with a copy of National Geographic at hand. Raising six children, her mother placed a heavy emphasis on academic achievement.
“She really wanted me and my other sister and my brothers to get an education,” said Hynes, the recipient of the 2023 Perlmutter Award for Excellence in Global Leadership. “And we did. My parents sacrificed so we could do that.”
That upbringing led her to the Wellesley College economics program and, eventually, the top levels of the finance industry. Hynes was named CEO at Wellington Management in 2021. Today, she is one of just five female chief executives at the world’s top 20 asset management firms.
Hynes reflected on her career accomplishments at an award ceremony cosponsored by Brandeis International Business School’s
Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership and the
Office of Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz. The event was held during
Brandeis University’s 75th Anniversary celebration.
“Jean is the embodiment of Brandeis University’s unique approach to business, which is focused on the future and improving outcomes for all,” said Liebowitz. “Her leadership and career at Wellington Management are an inspiration to our students and the reason she is this year’s Perlmutter Award recipient.”
Perry Traquina ’78, H’19, former Wellington CEO and an important longtime mentor for Hynes, led a discussion about her impressive career.
“We worked together for over two decades and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jean, not only as an investor but also now as a leader,” said Traquina, who chairs the International Business School’s Asset Management Council.
Hynes’s first job out of college was at Wellington, which at the time was a small Boston-based firm. She took night classes learning accounting and finance and spent her first decade learning how to be a researcher.
Later, as Wellington globalized under Traquina’s leadership, Hynes earned the opportunity to develop the firm’s new office in London.
“I think that’s the beginning of my leadership journey,” said Hynes. “I never thought of myself as a leader until I went to London. And then I spent my second decade learning to be a leader.”
Hynes credited her mentors at Wellington for boosting her career and providing invaluable advice over the years.
“I had some of the world’s best mentors,” said Hynes. “That’s really key to my success.”
In presenting the Perlmutter Award, International Business School Dean Kathryn Graddy said Hynes was a “pioneering leader in the world of finance.”
“She is a role model for all women in finance and business, but also for all women, having achieved the pinnacle of leadership at Wellington Management,” said Graddy.
The Perlmutter Award is given to a highly select group of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership worldwide.
The award honors those whose careers in business, finance, government and related fields embody the values promoted by the Perlmutter Institute, a vision that transcends national borders, the highest levels of professionalism and a commitment to the global community and its prosperity.
