A career rooted in legacy
When Paula retired from Bank of America in 2021, she was managing director, Business Strategy & Initiative executive for The Private Bank Northeast Division. Her 40-year career with the bank corresponded with the evolution of technology and innovations in the financial services industry, including technological advances with the internet, widespread use of ATMs, laptops, mobile phones and digital banking.
Paula’s first position was on the technology team supporting Consumer Banking at Bank of America’s legacy company, First National Bank of Boston. And during her tenure, she worked with U.S., Latin American (LATAM) and European teams across several lines of business, including integration teams for five mergers and acquisitions, Global Technology, Marketing, Communications, Sales and Fiduciary Services.
“Each of those opportunities were unique, deepened my knowledge of our business and all that Bank of America offers its clients, teammates, and communities. Those opportunities also allowed me to build strong networks of business partners and personal friendships,” Paula shared.
She also recalled one of her most memorable roles when she worked as part of the LATAM internet strategy team during the dot-com era. “When the internet first emerged, I along with a few other leaders was part of the LATAM internet strategy team that Brian Moynihan led. That's how far back we go. We often traveled to Latin America to help develop their internet strategy — it was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.”
When a professional passion becomes personal
After Bank of America acquired FleetBoston, Paula also worked closely with Brian and other leaders to establish the Bank of America Disability Action Network. She had served as co-chair of the network and within a couple of years the small team they assembled had established chapters in 12 major cities. Over the years, the network grew to more than 30 chapters globally with 18,000 members.
Paula later served as global executive co-sponsor of the Disability Action Network for several years, which led to the establishment of the Disability Executive Advisory Council. This brought together executives from the bank’s business and support teams to coordinate and accelerate disability inclusion and accessibility work.
Another special moment for Paula was when she was asked to represent Bank of America on boards of two of the bank’s key partners — National Disability Institute (NDI) and Disability:IN (D:IN) — both non-profits that focus on disability inclusion.
Today, Paula continues to serve as vice chair for NDI. And just six months after retiring, she was asked to work as a part-time consultant for D:IN to help them build out disability and inclusion across their partner organizations.
“So, what once was my volunteer passion at the bank, I now have so much more time to focus on it in retirement,” Paula shared. “It’s been a full circle experience and I’m still able to make an impact after leaving the company.”
Prioritizing family in retirement
In June 2020, Paula and her husband, Bob, became first-time grandparents. Their daughter and family were living in the San Francisco Bay area and unfortunately COVID restrictions limited travel to see their new grandson. Once travel opened in the spring 2021, the timing was right for Paula to retire in June.
She shared, “We wanted the flexibility to spend as much time as possible with our new grandson.”
Paula’s daughter and family have since relocated to Boston to be closer to her and Bob. “We spend time with our grandsons every week and have enjoyed family vacations each summer to different places in Europe, like Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and France,” Paula said. “It’s wonderful to have the time to spend with family that I didn’t always have as a working mother.”
She added, “Retirement has been terrific. I’m busier than ever, but now I have more flexibility to prioritize my family and advocate for disability inclusion.”
The power of having an Alumni Network
Paula concluded, “I’m very appreciative to have been part of such a great company for so many years and to have had so many opportunities to contribute to its growth and to make an impact on our clients, teammates and communities. I built lasting friendships that I continue to enjoy, and I’m proud to be an ambassador of the bank.”
“The Alumni Network is a wonderful way to stay connected with alumni and learn about what they are doing.”
