What a Chief of Staff Does in Asset Management vs Banking
Lena Diasti explains how serving as Chief of Staff to Ariel Investments founder John Rogers replaces banking spreadsheets with direct executive influence.
How I Became a Chief of Staff (w/ Lena Diasti, Ariel Investments)
With Liz Shue, Lena Diasti · Sunday, November 1, 2026
Liz Shue interviews Lena Diasti, Chief of Staff to Ariel Investments founder and Co-CEO John Rogers, about her non-linear path from JPMorgan investment banking to executive leadership. Diasti details the operational realities of the Chief of Staff role, Ariel's multi-decade small-cap value strategy, and why interpersonal relationships and soft skills ultimately compound faster than financial modeling.
Key takeaways
- Junior investment banking analysts work isolated behind financial models, communicating upward only as far as associates or vice presidents. Read more →
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