Hanneke Smits
The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Hanneke Smits presents as a consummate Diplomat, leading through listening, coalition-building, and evidence-based consensus. She describes herself as naturally more observer than talker, prioritising fact patterns over gut instinct before acting. Her stewardship of the 30% Club reflects a career-long orientation toward activating allies across institutional hierarchies rather than imposing mandates. At BNY Mellon, she bridges active and passive worlds, public and private markets, US and European time zones, framing each tension as a portfolio to be balanced rather than a battle to be won. Her accountability framework, acknowledging openly when decisions fall short and inviting colleagues into the learning, signals a leader who sustains trust through transparency. Smits demonstrates that durable institutional change requires patient diplomacy, structured mentorship, and the discipline to stay calm under pressure rather than seeking adversarial confrontation.
“I tend to listen first because it's how I learn. It's how I learn about the world of investing and it's also how I learn about colleagues, clients, what motivates them.”
“I decided to go left, some of you thought we should be going right. Actually, there wasn't a good decision. Here's what I've learned from it.”
“Don't expect to get to the top and think that you know everything. You don't. You're learning every day and you're learning with your team.”
Money Maze Podcast: “The 30% Club and the Future of Institutional Investment Management - With Hanneke Smits, Global Head of Investment Management, BNY Mellon”
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