Aisha de Sequeira was the head of investment banking for the India-based branch of Morgan Stanley from 2007 until her passing in 2020. Sequeira had been working at the Wall Street branch of Morgan Stanley prior to this appointment but was excited to move closer to home. Home for Aisha de Sequeira was the coastal city of Goa, India, where she was born and raised.
Sequeira attended Our Lady of the Rosary High School in Goa, before going on to study at Goa Engineering College. After graduating from engineering college, she went on to attend Yale University. While at Yale she studied public policy and economics, and eventually decided to major in finance.
The Ivy League graduate was fascinated and inspired by Steve Jobs, which perhaps foreshadowed her later work with Morgan Stanley. While heading the Indian branch of Morgan Stanley she negotiated deals with Facebook Inc. and Jio Platforms, which was invested in by Google. Aisha de Sequeira famously said that part of her job was “to grow the business, expand the pie and connect with the clients” and there can be no doubt that she achieved that.
The successes Sequeira secured for the company can be seen in the financial success seen under her leadership. She secured $20 billion dollars worth of capital for clients and provided $70 billion dollars worth of advisory services in M&A deals. Outside of finances, Aisha de Sequeira’s success can be measured in her accolades. Between 2012 and 2015, she was regularly featured in Fortune India’s list of the 50 most powerful women in business.
That’s quite the list of achievements, especially when you consider how she had to work her way up. Sequeira began her time at Morgan Stanley as an intern in 1994. By 1995, she was an associate. From there her skill, talent, and business sense led her higher and higher up the ladder. It’s an inspiring story for those looking to go into business and highlights how hard work can be rewarded.
She was tragically diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017. Her diagnosis prompted her husband, Roy de Souza, to start a company called BreakBio with his friend Devabhaktuni Srikrishna. The goal of the company is to find a cancer treatment that can be carried out through vaccines.
On December 10th, 2020 Aisha de Sequeira passed away. In addition to a legacy of business success, she left behind her husband and three children. Her passing was announced in a Facebook post by her husband. Sequeira was honored online by many well-known individuals, including many prominent businesspeople and Goan politicians.
Aisha de Sequeira was a trailblazing entrepreneur that led an extraordinary life. To honor that, we’ve put together this short biography. Now that you know the basics, we’d like to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about Sequeira.
FAQs
She was married to Roy de Souza. They met in 2005, became engaged in 2007, and were married in 2008. In the following years, they had three children. Their sons’ names are Erasmo, Alexander, and Nathan. At the time that the couple met, Roy de Souza worked in advertising. He is now the co-founder of BreakBio, a cancer research company.
She began her career in 1994 when she became an intern at Morgan Stanley. That first role was instrumental to her career and led to her steadily ascending the ladder at Morgan Stanley.
The exact net worth of Sequeira is hard to track down, but we do know that she regularly handled accounts that resulted in billions of dollars for Morgan Stanley.
She was born on November 22nd, 1969 in Goa, India. She was the granddaughter of Jack de Sequeira, a politician, and president of the United Goans Party.
She passed away on December 10th, 2020 in New York City, USA. She was 50 years old.
She was a businesswoman, entrepreneur, Ivy-league graduate, wife, and mother of three. She lived an inspiring life and is remembered by both her loved ones and the business community.
