Sussane Smith, CEO

Written by: Suresh Nair

It was a big day for Sussane, the biggest day of her life. When the outgoing CEO welcomed her to take his seat, Sussane took a moment. She looked around at all her colleagues, juniors, and other staff members. She read their expressions—envy, jealousy, pride, and happiness. As she sat on her throne, she heaved a sigh of relief. It had been quite a battle to get there.

She sat alone in her new office, looking back on her journey. Yes, it had been quite a ride. 

At 16, Sussane had a great life. She won a scholarship to Columbia and had Justin in her life. They had been together since they were 12.

University was a breeze, and she excelled at her subjects, with financial markets being her strength. She had a keen sense of trading, backed by meticulous research and hard work. Justin was a wealth manager at one of the most prestigious institutions on Wall Street.

Life was hectic, but fun. They both realized the premium of shared time. It was less, really less, and very precious. 

In 2008, the world economy crashed. Wall Street was a bloodbath. Sussane had repeatedly warned Justin for his aggressive demeanor towards handling his client’s wealth. People called him brash, arrogant, and overconfident. His clients lost billions.

By early 2005, Sussane was one of the rare Wall Street executives who foresaw the dangers of the financial system in the US. She foresaw a crash in the housing market. People laughed at her. It cost her several opportunities for promotions, lost clients, and in turn, cost her a lot of money. Justin often derided her for her insights and cautious approach.

By the end of the year, Sussane was left with a handful of clients. She kept her job due to the unwavering faith shown by those clients, which forced her organization to retain her. But it was tough going.

Sussane and Justin found it difficult to sit in the same room. Work interfered with their lives. They argued endlessly about the umpteen opportunities lost, while she could not understand why Justin and Wall Street could not see the obvious.

Millions of people lost money in the 2008 crash. Few made money, and even fewer made big money. The crash showed Wall Street the accuracy of Sussane’s foresight.  By 2010, her career skyrocketed as a reliable and long-term financier.

Justin destroyed his career. The financial world made him a pariah. He was untouchable. True to his nature, he blamed everyone, including Sussane, for all his problems. 

One night, Sussane came home to find Justin sprawled on the sofa, bottles littered the room. It was more than just annoying. She was trying her best to control her anger. It was bad enough to see him like this, and his attitude made it worse. An argument ensued. It spiraled into a pushing and shoving. 

It was the first time Justin had ever laid a hand on her. She was shocked, terrified, and inconsolable. How did things come to this? 

Her work drained all her energy. Justin drained her more. She could no longer hide her scars or lie to people about her injury marks. People offered her help. She refused. After all, it was her dear Justin, right?

She felt that there was a way to save Justin. She started an investment firm and made Justin co-chair. Her firm and colleagues were surprised by her decision. Her seniors tried their best to explain why it was a bad idea. She was destroying her career for a man who didn't care for her. She chose to ignore their advice. 

At first, things were smooth. Sussane had retained most of her clients. Business was good. She soon made a name for herself.

Justin couldn't bear this. All the clients wanted to speak to Sussane and wanted nothing from him. The staff looked at her as a mentor and senior. Justin felt like an unnecessary piece of furniture in the office.

The resentment started showing. Justin used every opportunity to insult her and question her decisions in front of their employees. One day, Sussane was in a meeting with an important client. The client was one of the wealthiest people in New York. 

Justin watched them talking in the conference room. They were deep in conversation, smiling at each other. When the meeting ended, the client warmly hugged Sussane.

He couldn’t bear it. So that’s how she made her money, eh? He barged into her office and started screaming at the top of his voice.

It was humiliating. Her husband was accusing her of sleeping with clients to make money. The words he used to describe her were derogatory. It hurt her. Tears started flowing, and they didn't stop.

Her staff noticed the commotion but hesitated to come inside. They were unsure.

Sussane wasn't. She walked across the room and slapped him, hard and crisp. For Justin, the “hurt” was to his ego. He lunged at her. She fought back. 

Her staff members decided to intervene. They got hold of Justin, dragged him out of the office, and handed him over to security. Sussane called the police and filed a complaint. He was detained.

The case was a long protracted battle. Justin didn't make it easy. 

For Sussane, it was a determined fight to end the agony. It took two years for the divorce.

By the end of 2011, Sussane was focused on her business full-time. Wall Street noticed her, and many large firms approached her for a merger. She refused. She did not want to play second-fiddle to anyone. Not anymore.

In 2016, her old company approached her with a proposal. She entertained it as a mere courtesy out of respect for her former boss, although she already knew her answer.

It was nice to walk into her old office. She saw a young woman in her former office, engrossed in her laptop.

Her former boss welcomed her. They reminisce about her early days at work, and how she had built the business for the firm. Women on Wall Street were rare, and successful ones were even rarer.

When she heard the proposal from him, Sussane was surprised. No, she was shocked. She accepted the merger proposal, unsure how this would affect her career, what lay in the future, and how this would impact Wall Street.

Sussane was disrupted from her thoughts by a man standing outside her office door, giving final touches to the letters on it. It read: Sussane Smith, CEO.