Aisha de Sequeira

Aisha de Sequeira
De Sequeira at the WEF in 2010
Born
Julia Maria Aisha de Sequeira

(1969-11-22)22 November 1969
Goa, India
Died10 December 2020(2020-12-10) (aged 51)
New York City, U.S.
Education
OccupationBanker
EmployerMorgan Stanley
Known forMergers and Acquisitions in India
Spouse
​
(m. 2008)​
Children3
FatherErasmo de Sequeira
Relatives

Julia Maria Aisha de Sequeira[1] (22 November[2] 1969 – 10 December 2020) was an Indian banker. She was the co-head of Morgan Stanley India from 2013 through 2020. In 2007, she became the founding head of investment banking for Morgan Stanley India, and continued in this position until her death in 2020.

She was ranked on Fortune India's 50 Most Powerful Women from 2012 through 2020.

Early life

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De Sequeira was born and raised in Goa. She studied at Our Lady of the Rosary High School and Dhempe College of Science & Arts,[3] then completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics and Telecommunications) at Goa Engineering College. She graduated from Yale School of Management with a Master's degree in public and private management in 1995.[4][5] Her grandfather, Jack de Sequeira, was president of the United Goans Party. Her father Erasmo de Sequeira was an MLA from 1967 to 1977.[6]

Career

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De Sequeira first worked at Morgan Stanley in 1994, where she completed an internship while in business school.[7] She joined the firm full-time in New York City when she graduated the following year, becoming an associate in their Investment Banking group. A few months later, she moved to the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) group, where she would continue until 2007.[1]

In 2007, Morgan Stanley ended its eight-year-old Indian joint venture with Nimesh Kampani's JM Financial Group,[6] and received a merchant banking license from the SEBI for a wholly-owned subsidiary. De Sequeira, then a Managing Director in New York City, was transferred to Mumbai to be the Head of Investment Banking at the new company.[8] Three months after her transfer, the company was caught by the global financial crisis; while deals were scarce, De Sequeira's team was able to find contacts with potential clients. Hence, they were ready when the markets began to recover in 2009, and it was called the top firm in the capital markets in India after advising 17 deals in nine months.[5] In 2011 Morgan Stanley topped three Indian banking deal league tables, with the Times Of India featuring de Sequeira as the head of Mergers and Acquisitions. Morgan Stanley had nearly 30% of the market by value, advising on business deals worth $11.2bn.[6]

In 2013, De Sequeira became the co-head of Morgan Stanley India[9] in addition to her Investment Banking position. She continued in both roles through December 2020.[10] Under De Sequeira's leadership, Morgan Stanley India maintained its status as a prominent M&A advisory firm, and became the top firm in the country again in 2017.[11] The company advised over $70 billion of deals, such as the investments by Facebook, Inc. and Google into Jio;[9] Ford Motor Company's sale of Jaguar Land Rover to Tata Group, and the merger of Idea Cellular and Vodafone India.[11]

De Sequeira was one of Fortune India's 50 Most Powerful Women from 2012 through 2020.[12][13] When the Economic Times introduced their first women-only awards in 2019, the ET Prime Women Leadership Awards, De Sequeira served on the selection committee in 2019 and 2020.[14][15] She was also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization.[16] Indra Nooyi, also a Yale SOM alumna, was a friend and mentor.[13]

Personal life

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De Sequeira was a fluent speaker of Konkani.[13] She married Roy de Souza, the founder of Zedo, in 2008. They had three sons Erasmo, Nathan and Alexander.[17] Her father-in-law FRS de Souza died in March 2020.[18]

Death

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De Sequeira was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017. She died on 10 December 2020[13] in New York City.[19] Her family received condolences on Twitter from current Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant[9] and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Julia Maria Aisha De Sequeira". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Aisha de Sequeira Memories Timeline". memories.net. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  3. ^ Desk, N. T. (11 December 2020). "Tributes pour in for Goan achiever Aisha de Sequeira". The Navhind Times. Retrieved 31 July 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "Aisha de Sequeira". Mount Holyoke College. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Alumni Stories: Aisha de Sequeira '95, Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, India, Morgan Stanley". Yale School of Management. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Zachariah, Reeba; Kurian, Boby (24 January 2012). "Morgan Stanley tops India deal show". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  7. ^ Subramanian, Anusha (9 January 2011). "They are playing her song". Business Today. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Morgan Stanley In India Receives Merchant Banking License and Announces Two Senior Appointments". Morgan Stanley. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Krishnan, Revathi (11 December 2020). "Aisha de Sequeira — 'daughter of Goa' & Morgan Stanley India co-head who idolised Steve Jobs". ThePrint.
  10. ^ "Morgan Stanley rejigs top deck in India, names Sanjay Shah as head". The Economic Times. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  11. ^ a b Surendar, T. (22 September 2019). "Aisha de Sequeira: The market reader". Fortune India. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Aisha De Sequeira – Most Powerful Women in 2012". Fortune India. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d Lall, Pavan (10 December 2020). "Aisha de Sequeira: The banker with a smile". Fortune India. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Awards for Female Entrepreneurs: ET Prime Women Leadership Awards jury shortlists finalists for their spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, and excellence". The Economic Times. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  15. ^ "ETPWLA | ET Prime Women Leadership Awards 2020: Finalists shortlisted after intense debate at jury meet". The Economic Times. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  16. ^ "How A Tech Entrepreneur Turned a Personal Crisis Into A War Against Cancer". Young Presidents' Organization. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Remembering Banker Aisha De Sequeira who Put People First And Built Morgan Stanley in India". SheThePeople. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  18. ^ Fernandes, Cyprian (29 March 2020). "RIP Dr Fitzval de Souza". O Heraldo. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  19. ^ Ghosh, Suvashree; Kalesh, Baiju (10 December 2020). "Morgan Stanley Veteran, Top India Dealmaker Sequeira Dies at 51". Bloomberg News.
  20. ^ Gupta, Yashi (11 December 2020). "Morgan Stanley India co-head Aisha de Sequeira passes away after long battle with cancer". CNBC TV18. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
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