Andrea Picard is a Managing Director at Golub Capital, a market-leading direct lender and specialized private credit manager, where she leads the Global Investor Solutions team. With an undergraduate background in linguistics, Andrea’s career in credit and finance began with serendipitous random conversations that led to her first permanent position at Lehman Brothers in their taxable fixed income group. Today, Andrea leads a team across multiple continents and deeply values her time developing talent within her organization, especially the rising women leaders. Andrea has been a C200 Member since 2026.
Eva Glassman: What is your day-to-day like as Managing Director of Golub Capital? What do you love about your role, and what are the more challenging parts of the job that you navigate?
Andrea Picard: I lead our Global Investor Solutions team, which oversees our global distribution effort. Most days, I’m either partnering with our sales team to shape and execute regional strategies or meeting with current and prospective clients. I’ve always loved leading sales teams and working closely with clients. There’s a real sense of satisfaction in understanding a client’s challenges and helping develop solutions that meet their needs. And of course, it’s especially rewarding when our teams are exceeding their targets. One of the more challenging aspects of the role is navigating volatile and unpredictable markets, which can quickly shift client preferences and priorities.
EG: Was your career goal always to be a leader in finance?
AP: I wish I could say it was all part of a grand master plan, but it wasn’t—not at all. When I graduated from college, even though I was a strong math student, I had a degree in linguistics, which didn’t point to an obvious commercial career path.
A fun fact is that my early career really came together through chance conversations. I got my first job offer—a temp role—while chatting with someone on the Long Island Railroad, and later landed a permanent role after sitting next to a senior person from Lehman Brothers on a cross-country flight. At the end of the trip, he told me I’d make a great bond salesperson. I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but I kept his card. About a year later, I called him, which led to a position on Lehman’s taxable fixed income team. I started in mortgages, quickly moved into high yield, and that ultimately launched my career in credit and finance.
EG: As you advanced in your career and took on more leadership roles, when you look back on those experiences, are there any pivotal moments that come to mind that were important to your success?
AP: At different points in my career, I’ve looked back and wondered whether I should have asked for more or been more assertive. That said, there isn’t much I would change. There were, however, a few pivotal moments that shaped my path.
One that stands out is my time at TD, where I was on the high yield sales team. When the head of sales was preparing to retire, I hoped I would be considered for the role. When the process seemed to be moving slowly, I decided to ask for it directly. It was something I had never done before, but it turned out to be a pivotal move—I got the job.
That experience reinforced an important lesson: you have to ask for what you want. You can’t always keep your head down and assume your work will speak for itself. I think a lot of women are conditioned to operate that way, and frankly, I can still fall into that trap myself. Over time, though, I’ve become much better at recognizing when I need to raise my hand and advocate for myself. No one can read your mind.
Joining BlackRock was another major pivot for me. I had never worked at an asset manager before and wasn’t entirely sure what my path there would look like, but I had always liked working at large firms. I felt confident that if I could get into an organization like that, I would find my footing.
I ended up accepting a role for which I was under-titled, overqualified, and taking a significant pay cut. Fortunately, I was able to move through the organization quickly and was put up for Managing Director the following year. In hindsight, I’m grateful I had the confidence to put myself in that position, even when the short-term tradeoffs were significant.
EG: How did you discover C200? What drew you to the organization and made you join? As a new Member, what are you most looking forward to getting involved with?
AP: I found my way to C200 through Marilyn Skony Stamm, a longtime Member, after we connected at a dinner. Marilyn became a trusted mentor and friend, and over the course of several conversations, she introduced me to C200 because she felt it aligned with many of my interests and values. I was thrilled to be nominated and am excited to now be an official Member. What I’m most looking forward to is continuing to build relationships with accomplished senior women leaders who are thoughtful, generous with their advice, and deeply supportive of one another.
EG: Throughout your career, what was your experience like connecting with other professional women, particularly as mentors? Did you see senior women leaders when you were rising the ranks?
AP: I’ve had many mentors along the way, both men and women. Earlier in my career, most of them were men simply because there were not many senior women in finance at the time. Over the years, that shifted, and more of my mentors became women. That change was a direct reflection of more women rising into leadership roles—and, importantly, bringing other women up with them.
EG: What does being a “woman in business” mean to you, and how does that impact your work and leadership?
AP: It means something very different to me today than it did earlier in my career. When I was younger in finance, my focus as a woman in business was on advancing my own career. Today, it means developing talent—both men and women—but especially helping more women rise.
There’s a real responsibility that comes with being a woman business leader: to support other women as they grow and advance. You have the opportunity to be the sponsor and advocate you may have needed yourself when you were coming up.
EG: Outside of work, how do you like to spend your free time?
AP: I enjoy cooking, traveling, reading, and just about anything outdoors. I love the mountains for hiking and skiing, and I also enjoy long walks on the beach. I have two children—a 32-year-old daughter and a 31-year-old son.
EG: What is your advice to aspiring women business leaders to advance their careers?
AP: Most importantly, have goals and articulate them. People can’t read your mind. At the same time, to borrow a golf metaphor, don’t grip the club too tightly. Organizations are constantly evolving—leaders change, managers come and go—and it’s important to take those shifts in stride.
Also, be thoughtful about job changes. The grass can always look greener, so it’s important to make sure you’re leaving for a better long-term opportunity rather than simply chasing short-term gains.
And finally, don’t forget to live your life in the meantime. It can’t be all about work.
C200 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate, support, and advance current and future women entrepreneurs and corporate profit-center leaders. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the individuals quoted or featured and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of C200.
