Introduction
Louise Mylott was appointed Head of the Institutional Equities Division of Morgan Stanley in Australia in October 2023 following a long career with the Firm. She joined the Research Sales desk in Sydney in 2004 and has covered domestic and global institutional clients in Australia and the US, both as a generalist and real estate specialist. Her most recent role was as Head of Investment Solutions for Wealth Management and prior to that Louise ran international sales in Australia – servicing all our Australia-based institutional clients who invest offshore.
Louise is also passionate about creating opportunities for female talent. Serving on Morgan Stanley’s Australian Women’s Business Alliance committee, having previously been the co-Chair, she plays a critical role in bringing together women at Morgan Stanley and from the industry, helping them grow their professional networks and careers.
Louise holds a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from the University of New South Wales and is CFA Charter holder.
What about Morgan Stanley in particular attracted you?
When I started with the firm almost 20 years ago, Morgan Stanley was a very large global name, but a relatively small name in Australia. I was coming in at a time when Morgan Stanley was looking to build its presence in the local market, which also provided great opportunities to take my career in a range of directions – both here and offshore.
Can you please describe your current role at the firm and your responsibilities?
I am currently the head of Morgan Stanley Institutional Securities. Which means I work very closely with many teams across the equities business - prime broking, research, corporate access, trading, execution, and structured products to name a few. It’s my responsibility to ensure our clients are well connected with relevant areas of Morgan Stanley while ensuring we provide the best service.
What is the most fulfilling aspect about your work?
I’ve always been fascinated by markets and the ability of any instrument – whether equity, fixed income, currency, property - to price any event. In my role, you’re in the midst of these market movements and the differing views around them. Morgan Stanley has a key role in contributing to these investment debates, and I think we do this extremely well.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
As soon I wake up, I check overnight news, market movements and relevant press that helps to frame the day. Once in the office, the morning is busy with various research and trading meetings, which determines what we should be focused on. Every day is different and brings along a new set of challenges which makes the job interesting and fulfilling.
What are some challenges you face?
We operate in a very competitive market, in an industry that faces many cyclical and structural challenges. Due to this, you never quite know what your day will look like! My constant challenge is being organised so work, home, and family all eventually fit together.
What traits are important to succeed in your role?
It’s a people business where you are providing a service, so you need to enjoy the human interaction side of the job. I find the trait of good client service is to generate ideas, and think about what a piece of information might mean for a client – not in isolation, but also the wider implications.
How would you describe the firm’s culture?
It’s collaborative and proactive. Colleagues are encouraged to work with and help each other and put the client first. Whether I’m asking a senior colleague or a graduate for input, people consistently and willingly respond.
What’s special about Morgan Stanley?
Even though it is one of the world’s largest investment banks, in many ways, it still feels like a small company. Having said that, I’m always learning about the many and varied aspects of the business, and roles I didn’t even know existed. For someone starting their career, that provides immense opportunity.