This January, Anu Aiyengar broke a glass ceiling when she became the sole head of global mergers and acquisitions at JPMorgan. She had previously shared the role with Dirk Albersmeier, who stepped aside to focus on client work, for three years. This makes her the only woman to currently lead M&A at a major Wall Street bank.
Aiyengar manages a team of over 250 M&A bankers in 17 countries across the globe. She has been with JPMorgan since 1999, and in that time she has advised domestic and international clients on close to $1 trillion worth of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, proxy contests and special committee assignments.
This year Aiyengar led the formation of a strategic partnership between JPMorgan and London-based private equity advisory firm Campbell Lutyens. The collaboration gives JPMorgan's clients increased access to the continuation funds market, which allows private equity investors to roll underlying investments from older funds into new ones.
"The secondaries market is a fast-growing and important market for our private equity and infrastructure clients globally," Aiyengar said in a statement when the partnership was announced in March.
In her newest role, Aiyengar makes it a point to build a feeling of community among her team members, particularly after the disconnect caused by the pandemic. Outside of her office is a bell that members of the deal team ring after the announcement of an M&A transaction. She also has quarterly "ask Anu anything" catch-ups with the junior team, and a suggestion box to foster the kind of direct communication that formal surveys don't allow for.
Aiyengar added, "I host team events to deepen relationships, build upon our community and promote the cross-pollination of ideas from all levels. With slower deal activity, it's a fun, engaging way to keep the team motivated."
Aiyengar is a member of the global banking management team for JPMorgan and is on the steering committee of Women on the Move, the bank's initiative to support its female employees. She also serves as a senior sponsor for the Asian Executive Forum.
And this year, along with taking on the lead M&A role, Aiyengar was asked to be co-head of the diversity, equity and inclusion program for investment banking. In this role she helps recruit, develop, retain and advance a diverse talent pool at the bank.
"We believe bringing diverse ideas to the table leads to more thoughtful and creative outcomes," Aiyengar said. "Clients often request to work with teams who are representative of their beliefs; therefore, DEI continues to be a key focus for our employees and the clients we serve."
Outside of the bank, Aiyengar sits on the boards of Smith College, her undergrad alma mater, where she was on the search committee to recruit the newest president; Youth Inc., a nonprofit devoted to improving the lives of young people in New York and Dress for Success Worldwide, which helps women across the globe attain professional success and financial independence.
