Eden Simmer (BBA05)
Head of Global Equity Trading, PIMCO, New York City

Q1 What are you reading? “Stillness is the Key” by Ryan Holiday. It’s a great book in terms of really having to figure out how to be present, especially in a busy career. I highly recommend.

Q2 Who is inspiring you? The women who are handling everything while working from home and managing through this pandemic. As a new mother, I have a much, much greater respect for women. And not just mothers, but all women because they are still usually the primary person handling all the domestic responsibilities, which this pandemic has really shone a light on. It made the invisible work that we do more visible.

Q3 What is the best part of your day? The best part of my day is when I get to turn off mentally from work. I think it’s really important to set boundaries, especially when working from home, because it helps preserve your mental health and avoid burnout. You need to make sure that you are working from home and not living at work.

 

Lisa Stange (BBA88/MBA89)
Retired CIO; Board chair, Investment Board of Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS); Board member, Tippie Finance Advisory Council

Q1 What are you reading? “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts. It is the story of a prison escapee who builds a life in the slums of India. Long but full of imagery.

Q2 Who is inspiring you? My mom. As a 77-year-old widow, she plants three gardens, tends to eight chickens, and was the caucus precinct captain for Joe Biden in Maquoketa, Iowa.

Q3 What is the best part of your day? Snuggling puppies. We foster for Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa.

 

 

 

 

Lu Li
Assistant Professor of Finance, Tippie College of Business

Q1 What are you reading? “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari and “The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win” by Maria Konnikova.

Q2 Who is inspiring you? Angela Merkel for her compassionate leadership. (I am currently living in Germany and will be joining Tippie as an assistant professor of finance in August 2021.)

Q3 What is the best part of your day? When I’m playing “Just Dance” on Nintendo Switch before dinner.