Skip to content

The Culture of Performance: Improving Your Ability to Make Strong Decisions

Watch our on-demand webinar to learn more about how investment managers can improve their own individual performance and decision-making, moderated by Elisabetta Bartoloni, partner and sector lead at Heidrick & Struggles.

Panelists include

  • Michelle Baker, integrated nutrition health coach
  • Christina George, VP of human resources at BGC Partners
  • Lale Topcuoglu, senior fund manager & head of Credit at J O Hambro Capital Management

Performance transcends industry. Our expert panel shares keys to their success.

Our society prizes individuals who are able to exceed expectations and perform at higher levels.  As competitive pressures expand in the asset and wealth management industries, those who add more value, more efficiently, will be able to grow at their firms.  However, improved investment performance isn’t always reliant on additional headcount or new technologies, it often starts with how individuals set themselves up for success, and also how firms set their employees up for success.

Watch our virtual panel as leading experts on performance discuss how investment managers can up the ante.

Discussion topics include

  • Develop stronger approaches to creative thinking and time management for increased performance, particularly in a work from home environment
  • Structure teams for increased individual and group performance and innovative ideas that lead to growth
  • Enhance decision-making and communication skills by using brain techniques to apply to investment decisions and present ideas successfully

Panelists

Below, find our esteemed panelist lineup, all of whom focus on performance and have a background in finance. Click on headshots to view panelists’ bios.

elisabetta bartoloni headshot

Elisabetta Bartoloni

Partner & sector lead, Heidrick & Struggles
Moderator

Michelle Baker

Integrated nutrition health coach

christina george headshot

Christina George

VP of human resources, BGC Partners

Lale Topcuoglu headshot

Lale Topcuoglu

Senior fund manager & head of Credit, J O Hambro Capital Management

Elisabetta Bartoloni

Elisabetta Bartoloni is a partner and sector leader of the Americas Global Markets practice for Heidrick & Struggles.  Elisabetta is based in New York and has over 20 years of experience in executive search.

Elisabetta’s executive search and advisory practice has spanned from senior front office to functional roles, including CEO and board positions, across investment banking, global markets and asset management.  She is frequently quoted in news and business publications on topics such as diversity on Wall Street and the state of the talent market.  Elisabetta is also active in diversity initiatives.

Before joining the firm, Elisabetta was a managing director at Westwood Partners focusing on investment banking and asset management, at J.H. McCann, and at Korn/Ferry International. She began her career as a data research analyst in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.

Elisabetta received Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees, both in Economics, from the University of Florence in Italy.

Michelle Baker

Michelle Baker is a highly sought after integrative nutrition health coach and author of Self-Care in the CityMichelle’s former experience as a finance executive and her recovery from adrenal fatigue and burnout influences her coaching and focus on nutrition, fitness, and stress management.

In her private health coaching practice, Michelle teaches high achieving go-getters around the world to reach even greater levels of success through the incorporation of wellness practices into their daily lives. Michelle’s writing has been featured in mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Elite Daily, Women’s Health, Redbook, and Thrive Global, among others.

Christina George

Christina is a vice president in human resources at BGC Partners. She is responsible for providing human capital support and guidance to BGC’s North American operations, which includes over 400 employees.

Christina began her career as a human resources coordinator at Macquarie, working specifically with the Front Office Recruitment team. There she was responsible for coordinating the full cycle recruitment process as well as other ad hoc human resources initiatives. After Macquarie, Christina joined BGC Partners as an assistant vice president, junior generalist. After about 2 years, Christina was promoted to vice president, lead generalist.  

Christina holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan. Outside of the office, Christina enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is an avid tennis player and enthusiast for all things skin care.

Lale Topcuoglu

Lale is a senior fund manager and head of Credit for JOHCM’s Multi-Asset Value team. She comes to JOHCM after spending 17 years at Goldman Sachs in various leadership roles, where she invested across credit and equity markets.

Prior to joining JOHCM, she was the global head of Alternative Corporate Credit and the portfolio manager for corporate credit exposures in multi-asset class fixed income and equity commingled Income Builder portfolios at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM). Her previous roles at GSAM included co-head of Global Investment Grade and senior analyst on the Bank Loan team. She started her career as a sell-side research analyst in 1999 at Goldman Sachs, covering cable, satellite, and wireless towers sectors in both credit and equity research. She was named managing director in 2010.

Lale earned a BA in Economics and Politics, cum laude, from Mount Holyoke College.