Marla Sofer, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Jemstep drives growth through obsessive client centricity. With a background in conflict resolution, Marla negotiates solutions to complex problems while setting the stage for the future. She has designed and implemented third-party strategies that resulted in cost savings, automation, and efficiency programs to achieve 25% to 100% profit margin increases in multi-billion dollar organizations.
Deck 7: What drew you towards your profession and to Jemstep? How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Jemstep?
MARLA SOFER: My career path has been more opportunistic than linear, although a common thread has woven through each position. My studies centered on negotiation and mediation and then I began fundraising at a not-for-profit. Shortly afterward, I shifted into private banking, where I worked closely with high-net-worth clients and managed bank operations for branch offices across Latin America. I then serviced institutional investors and grew an account management team at J.P. Morgan. That experience enabled me to transition to BlackRock, where I led our global provider strategy with banks, index licensors, and market data providers.
Near the end of 2015, I sought a transition into the rapidly emerging world of Fintech, leveraging the financial services skills I had developed with both private and institutional investors, negotiating global agreements, and overseeing complex operational relationships valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
At Lending Club, I ran third party oversight and monitoring, preparing the software platform for institutional investment and strict regulatory compliance. I then led business development for Xignite, where I focused on simplifying access and usability of market data with well constructed APIs. In my current role leading strategic partnerships at Jemstep, I call upon experience and lessons from each of my prior roles. I manage relationships that enable digital client experiences through seamless integrations, drive down costs and expand accessibility to the financial markets. The years I spent in banking and asset management allow me to relate to our customers, appreciating the complexity of wealth management operations.