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Leadership growth doesn’t happen by accident—it happens when you shift from doing the work to empowering others, building trust, and leading with heart.
In this episode, Emily Portney shares lessons from her 30-year career in financial services—from starting as a rotational analyst at J.P. Morgan to becoming CFO of Barclays International, CFO of BNY Mellon, and now Global Head of Asset Servicing at BNY.
Emily opens up about how she learned to delegate, lead through uncertainty, and create safe spaces for bold conversations. She shares why curiosity is her leadership superpower, how building trusted teams fuels growth, and why giving yourself grace is just as important as driving results can help you build a bold, meaningful career while leading with courage and impact.
Tune in to discover how to lead with influence, build resilience in the face of change, and become the kind of leader people trust and follow.
Key Takeaways:
- Why curiosity, courage, and adaptability are the real power tools of leadership
- How to delegate with trust and build diverse teams that drive innovation
- Why vulnerability and asking for help create stronger leaders and better decisions
- How to lead through uncertainty without losing your confidence or your values
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Highlights
The key moments in this episode are:
[00:00] Introduction to Beyond Barriers Podcast
[00:27] Building Effective Teams
[01:17] Introducing Emily Portney
[02:14] Emily's Career Journey
[03:40] Leadership Lessons and Styles
[09:39] Navigating Change and Adaptability
[15:20] Personal Branding and Authenticity
[18:18] Building Confidence and Resilience
[24:32] Navigating Unaskable Questions
[26:02] Making Difficult Decisions
[27:37] Managing a Dynamic Schedule
[32:55] Building Strong Relationships
[35:36] Mentorship and Sponsorship
[39:03] Lightning Round and Final Thoughts -
Lightning Round
Q: What book has greatly influenced you?
A: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Shoe Dog by Phil KnightQ: What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying?
A: Alone you can go faster, but together you can go fartherQ: What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself?
A: Impatient
Q: What is one change you've implemented that made your life better?
A: Pilates
Q: What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage?
A: Hall of Fame by The Script -
Quotes
Every once in a while you have to pause, take a deep breath, and make sure you're bringing everybody along. Because if you do, you can go so much farther. It might take a couple extra weeks, but you can accomplish so much more.
Emily Portney
When you get to a much more senior level, no one’s really telling you how to do it. And to some degree it’s wonderful because you can write the script.
Emily Portney
Give yourself a little grace. You've got a lot happening. Look at what you're accomplishing. Sometimes it's okay to just give yourself a bit of a moment.
Emily Portney
Every time you come across a situation where you’re a little bit afraid or there’s a ton of uncertainty, reframing it in your mind as an opportunity is important.
Emily Portney
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About
Emily Portney is the Global Head of BNY’s Asset Servicing business, which provides custody, fund services, private market support and data solutions to asset owners, traditional and alternative investment managers, insurance companies, banks and broker-dealers. She is a member of BNY’s Executive Committee.
Previously, Emily was BNY’s Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the company’s global financial strategy and finance functions, the business-line CFO teams, treasury, capital management, tax, corporate development, investor relations, procurement and real estate. Prior to becoming CFO, she led the global client relationship, sales and service teams for Asset Servicing and oversaw the business in the Americas.
Before joining BNY, Emily was CFO for Barclays International, where she led a global organization spanning the Corporate and Investment Bank, the Private Bank, and the Cards and Payments businesses. She began her career with J.P. Morgan and held various leadership roles in her more than 20 years with the company.
Emily is a member of the board of directors for MarketAxess, a publicly traded corporation. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University.