Friday, December 11, 2020

R.I.P Aisha

 "Aisha De Sequeira , Co Head Morgan Stanley India passes away". As I came to know about it yesterday,   I was in shock. What happened to her? I remembered her boys- who must be school going now. What would they do without her? 

My mind raced back to 2012. It was summers- my summer internship at Morgan Stanley India Investment Banking division. I was recruited at IIM Bangalore campus for an Investment Banking intern role in their Mumbai office.  Aisha De Sequeira was the head of Investment Banking division. In a field where men outnumbered women, Aisha led the team. I was always in awe of her personality. She was very inspirational, impressive and had an infectious smile. I would always wonder how she managed work and family both- especially her 3 boys. 

My desk location was next to one of the bay doors.  Whenever Aisha passed by my side she would smile  and ask me how I was doing. Initially, I was a bit hesitant to talk to her directly. Her smiles generated that comfort over time. In a couple of one on one interactions that we had ,she was very friendly. As an intern , it meant a lot to me. I met her once post my internship too.  She then was co-head Morgan Stanley along with being the head of Investment banking.

 I had a google alert setup with Aisha's name to read her stories. I don't know how I missed the story where she shared about undergoing cancer treatment. Hence when I read news of her death, I was shocked.

As I write this, I am feeling sad that she is no more. She was an inspiration. May god give strength to her family and may her soul rest in peace.

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