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Pension People at Heart: Nillani Jeyapalan

Nillani Jeyapalan used to think she was someone who’d always want her career path mapped out neatly ahead. Yet, after qualifying at EY and spending three years at Cardano Nillani stepped into the unknown. She moved into a brand-new hybrid role working as both credit analyst and client solutions strategist – and hasn’t looked back since.

 

“Once I’d qualified as a chartered accountant at EY in 2018, I had no real idea what I wanted to do next. A recruiter contacted me about an analyst role in Cardano’s Advisory business and, while I didn’t expect my next move to be in pensions, I was really impressed by the MDs I met and liked the much smaller scale of the firm.

 

Three years on, after working as a pensions covenant advisor, I wanted to try something different. One of my mentors suggested joining our Investment business, which was currently in the process of launching a new credit fund.

Best of both worlds

The role I stepped into was tailored for me as a hybrid post. The idea was to spend 50% of my time as a credit analyst – what I thought of effectively as my ‘safety net’ – and 50% as a client solutions strategist, working in a small, and more technical client solutions team.

I was somewhat sceptical at the start. I was moving on from a role where I was perfectly satisfied to something experimental, with no pre-existing job description. Yet I trusted Cardano to do what was best for me and it’s turned out to be a fantastic decision.

I’ve developed so much in terms of technical knowledge and soft skills – as well as having extensive networking opportunities.

Reporting to two different managers, there’s been a huge amount of learning involved on both sides to my, from following market developments, to financial / risk modelling to attending client pitches. I’ve developed so much in terms of technical knowledge and soft skills – as well as having extensive networking opportunities. I feel I’m in a very fortunate position!

A different route to growth

Whereas EY offered a clearly defined career path, Cardano provides a much more flexible approach. It’s given me the space to take ownership of my learning and slow down enough to reflect on exactly what it is that I want.

The business operates with a very flat structure, where you gain credibility by building relationships within the firm, doing internal and client presentations, and developing your knowledge and expertise to gain people’s trust. I love that because it forces you to be more rounded and adventurous.

It can, of course, be challenging at times. We’re operating as part of a group and part of my role is to ensure that we are continuously leveraging the wide range of knowledge, expertise and capabilities available across the group to better service our clients.

A genuine sense of purpose

Cardano is a keenly client-focused environment, with a strong staff to client ratio. We’re relatively small scale but we’ve built a great brand in the market through emphasising the USPs that set us apart from our far larger competitors. For me, that’s very much part of the enjoyment of the job.

I love being with so many like-minded people and in a place where you can really see first-hand how you’re adding value. Everyone here is very good at communicating, so I always get to hear client feedback, even if I’m not at the actual presentation.

I love being with so many like-minded people and in a place where you can really see first-hand how you’re adding value.

Likewise, Cardano partners dedicate time to working with you and really value your opinions. The mindset is that there’s no hierarchy because everyone is seen as an expert. If you’ve shown that you know what you’re talking about, you will be heard.

Right now, I’m very happy in my dual role, but ultimately would see myself as more of a client specialist. For now, I’m very happy not knowing what’s next and just going with it day to day. As long as I’m enjoying the ride and learning as I go, I’m content.