Sherrese A. Clarke-Soares?
Managing Director, Head of North America Relationship Lending
Morgan Stanley
New York, NY
Age: 39
?
?
Sherrese Clarke-Soares sees her professional life in two stages. She explains: ?The first leg is what I refer to as ?B.C.,? before children. During that time, I was very driven to monetize and actualize my parents? investment in me. Their message of pride and self-worth were ingrained in my subconscious and as a result I was very focused on ensuring they saw a great return on their sacrifice. Today, I stand at an inflection point as a mother, which drives me very differently, making me more committed and passionate professionally to be an example to my children.? ??
?
Clarke-Soares is a managing director at Morgan Stanley, heading North America Relationship Lending, and a member of the firm?s Capital Commitment Committee. She originates and executes loans for investment- and non-investment-grade issuers. She previously was a senior vice president in the Entertainment Advisory & Finance Group, a business she helped to launch, at CIT Group, a financial holding company. ?My success is a work in progress,? she says, adding, ?I am proud of my parents for providing the platform for me from which I can soar. Because of their sacrifice, I have attended the best schools and gone on to have a career I am proud of.??
?
Born to Jamaican parents, Clarke-Soares has a bachelor?s degree in finance from Georgetown University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. ?She is a board member of the Council of Urban Professionals; FreeFrom, an organization to promote economic justice and opportunity for domestic abuse survivors; and Urbanworld, producer of the annual international Urbanworld Film Festival, but her commitment to her husband and two children is unparalleled. Of her two children she says, ?I am committed every day to being my best self to ensure that they have a life that is rich with opportunities to pursue their biggest dreams without hesitation.?
