Yasmin Mangalji is Head of Legal at Intralinks and they're uplifting women

We’re proud to be partnering with SS&C Intralinks across our International Women’s Day event series. Intralinks have a culture rooted in diversity, inclusion and recognising the invaluable contributions women have made to their global FinTech platform. We spoke to Yasmin Mangalji, SVP, Head of Legal at SS&C Intralinks all about her career and the women who inspire her everyday…

Tell us a little bit about your career so far and how you came to work at Intralinks?

I started out in law firms, working in London and then Paris, Brussels and Tokyo, before heading back to the U.K. to work as in-house counsel for high-growth technology companies. It hasn’t been a hugely conventional journey but I have been fortunate and am a great believer in following your instinct, acting with great courage and taking on new challenges (the more difficult they seem at first, the better the outcome). I joined Intralinks at an exciting time of great change and growth for the company and have been fortunate enough to lead a team of incredibly smart legal professionals.

Your company is rooted in diversity and inclusion. How have you been inspired by the women who you work with?

The young women and men I work with are truly inspirational for their courage and willingness to bring their real selves to work. I’m always so happy, in particular, to see younger women collaborate and support each other. They are overtaking the “boys clubs” and the “old guard” with their own inclusive and diverse groups. It is wonderful to see the resulting diversity of thought that in turn produces truly innovative solutions for the business.

What role has mentoring (either being the mentor or mentee) played in your career?

I have been fortunate to have strong role models throughout my career. I have had great bosses who lead with empathy, courage and strong ethics and whom I still try to emulate.. and terrible bosses who taught me what never to do! Acting as a mentor is an important responsibility and I try to take time for anyone who wants to pick my brain – I think we learn as much from our mentees as our mentors.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

Working with my team! I’m blessed to work with a hugely diverse, hard-working and incredibly smart team. We push each other to find better solutions for the business wherever possible – it is a wonderful experience to work with people who are determined to do their best everyday (and have some fun at the same time).

Can you recall a mistake you made in your career (we’ve all been there!) and how you bounced back?

My daily objective is to push out of my comfort zone, which means I’m constantly making mistakes! Bouncing back takes some practice and I think it becomes easier once you realise that failure is your path to learning and growth.

We’d love to know a woman (or women!) who inspire you and why…

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Malala Yousafzai, Indra Nooyi, Michelle Obama, Pink, Greta Thunberg, Jacinda Ardern, Brené Brown.. the list goes on and on – I’m so glad my daughters are growing up seeing such a variety of strong female leaders and change-makers on the global stage. My main female inspiration though, and the strongest person I know, is my mum who showed me that the combination of courage, determination, compromise and understanding was all we needed to succeed.

In 2018, SS&C Intralinks launched Women IN, a live global event series featuring accomplished women speakers from all walks of business. Women IN explores the influence and impact of women while serving as a forum to share knowledge from professional and personal lives and mentorship. Past speakers include female leaders from KPMG, PwC, Australia Post, Morgan Stanley and Westpac.