Introducing an Awesome WPN Young Professional

Hello WPN Members!

We are so honored to begin our newest endeavor for the WPN. Every few weeks we will be sharing a blog post featuring one of our many special WPN Young Professionals. The purpose of the post is to share the importance of our organization in the growth and development of our young professional members, the women of tomorrow.

We are pleased to be kicking off our first post featuring Jenna DePue, an associate for a Hedge Fund and Private Equity Firm. As the representation of women in financial services continues to grow, it is important to remember where we came from in the not-so-distant past and take a moment to appreciate all that the women who have come before us did to fight for equality. We hope you enjoy our interview with Jenna and appreciate your continuous patronization of our members!

What is it you do on a day-to-day basis for the Hedge Fund/Private Equity Firm?

As part of a relatively new department in an established firm, our team is responsible for streamlining reporting for both in-house executives and external investors. As a member of the credit reporting team, I’m involved in restructuring how we source financial data to build and deliver reports that can be leveraged across the firm. This involves building and running reports, identifying bottlenecks and propose solutions, pinpointing manual processes that can be replaced by robotics, consulting with information technology so they can build the technology, testing their products, and helping move reports into client portals.

To what do you attribute your success?

Great question! I would have to say it comes down to two main components: choosing and being real.

Whether it is personal or professional success, I find it always ties back to choosing. You can’t always choose the position or situation you find yourself in, but you can always choose what you make of it. Is it shit, or is it manure? One of my fabulous role models taught me that. I strive to use that outlook when working towards a goal.

The other part is about being real. I used to be a strictperfectionist. If what I was doing did not turn out exactly how I expected it to, it wasn’t good enough for me. All or nothing mentality. Honestly, it led me in the opposite direction of success. Being perfect doesn’t make you successful, progress does. Also, let’s be honest, perfection isn’t fun or real. Now I strive for moderation and progress, not perfection.

Choosing to try my best, learning from mistakes instead of beating myself up over them, growing, and being in a different spot than when I started has helped me achieve success.

How did you get involved with the WPN?

I first became aware of the organization when I attended an event where Helen Rothberg spoke about her fantastic book, “The Perfect Mix.” Having read it myself, I highly recommend picking up a copy if you’re interested in learning how to lead yourself!

I learned more about WPN when Yvonne Kasper discussed how and why she became involved in helping people through nutrition and fitness with her company GetResultsYK. As a client seeing results, I recommend her for personal training, nutrition, and/or workout plans. Yvonne is excellent at what she does!

What do you like most about being a WPN member?

Honestly, it’s hard to pinpoint one aspect. The inspiration, comradery, and professional network dynamics the organization provides are amazing. Every time I am in a room with these women I feel motivated and encouraged to strive to be my best self. Finding inspiration in sharing stories and experiences at events is priceless. I’ve never felt such a sense of support and joy in any other type of professional network. I’m very thankful to be part of such a wonderful organization!