- Goldman Sachs promoted 109 people to partner on Thursday, its largest class under CEO David Solomon.
- They also reflected on their biggest challenges and key pieces of advice, good and bad.
Business Insider heard from six newly promoted partners the day after they got the news about how they got to this point and the moment they received the coveted call from the CEO, David Solomon, or the president, John Waldron. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited and condensed.
Sung Cho, Asset & Wealth Management
Where were you when you found out? Who was the first person you told?
I was at my desk in the middle of the most volatile trading session of the year when David Solomon’s name flashed across my phone. Receiving that call directly from David was an extraordinary honor, but the most memorable part was looking up to see the entire third floor stand up and erupt in applause.
The first person I called was my wife, who is also an MD at Goldman Sachs; reaching this milestone would not have been possible without her partnership and sacrifice. After that, I called my parents. That’s when the dam broke emotionally — as immigrants who sacrificed everything to build a life in this country and give me these opportunities, hearing their reaction made realizing this dream complete. My teenage girls, on the other hand, could not have cared less!
How are you celebrating?
We celebrated by going out with my investment team to Le District, a restaurant near Goldman Sachs’ headquarters. Making partner is never an individual endeavor — it is a reflection of shared investment performance through some very demanding market cycles.
What’s a personal or professional challenge that has impacted your work and leadership?
As a fundamental investor, nothing tests your conviction and leadership like navigating a prolonged drawdown. Early in my career, I fell into many behavioral pitfalls: fixating on a single underperforming name, viewing a deteriorating thesis through rose-colored glasses, and letting market volatility cloud objective judgment. Those painful stretches have taught me the importance of developing a process that helps navigate periods of drawdown. Some of the most important pillars are seeking contrarian perspectives, eliminating emotional noise, and mitigating concentration risk. Drawdowns are inevitable, but permanent capital impairment is preventable.
Best piece of career advice you’ve gotten?
One of my most influential mentors at the firm is Lou D’Ambrosio, a senior partner who previously served as a chief executive and senior operator across several businesses. Hanging in his office is a framed sign with a mantra: “No Spectators Allowed.” The phrase demands radical ownership, constant curiosity, and bias toward action. You don’t analyze problems from the perimeter or wait for direction; you get into the arena and drive outcomes.
In an AI-accelerated era, this principle is more urgent than ever. The divergence between those who lean in and do the heavy lifting and those who passively observe from the sidelines is going to widen.
Inna Swenson, The Core
Where were you when you found out? Who was the first person you told?
The call came in on my cellphone, which I keep on silent in the office, and I was so focused at work I almost didn’t answer! Luckily I did, and heard, “Hi Inna, it’s David Solomon…”
The first person I told was my boss, Carey Halio, who sits across from me and has been a mentor for years.
How are you celebrating?
I had the great opportunity to celebrate immediately with my team in Corporate Treasury, and sharing the moment with them was especially meaningful.
I came home to two very excited teenage girls who were incredibly proud of their mom, along with some very thoughtful handmade cards. Friday, I celebrated with my family, including my parents, husband, and daughters. They’ve been part of every high and low.
What’s a personal or professional challenge that has impacted your work and leadership?
One of the biggest transitions in my career was moving from roles where I largely supported other leaders to one where I had to create the agenda, own the outcome, and lead execution. In some cases, the role wasn’t clearly defined.
That transition pushed me outside my comfort zone, but it taught me an important lesson: you don’t need to wait for someone to define the role or give you permission to lead. It’s your job to identify what needs to be done, bring people together around it, and take ownership.
Best piece of career advice you’ve gotten?
Careers are long. Don’t get too high on the highs or too low on the lows. It’s advice I’ve come back to many times over the years, and it was a pretty good reminder during the partner process too.
Gowri Sekar, Engineering
Where were you when you found out? Who was the first person you told?
I was in my office, playing music to distract myself, but was sometimes worried that I might miss hearing the phone. The first person I called was my husband, who has been the wind beneath my wings. I called my parents immediately after — it was beautiful to hear the pride in their tone.
How are you celebrating?
I came out of my office, thrilled, and gave my team a lot of hugs, saying, “We did it!” Reflecting on my 20-year journey since joining the firm as an intern, I spent the night compiling a list of the mentors and colleagues who shaped my career and reached out to thank each of them.
It’s the Diwali weekend in India, and that’s the best gift I could’ve asked for. Looking forward to celebrating with a lot of family and festivities.
What’s a personal or professional challenge that has impacted your work and leadership?
I have always been anchored in building strong followership through personal investment in my people. As my mandate scaled to enterprise-level initiatives, direct operational proximity got harder, creating friction between higher-order outcomes and maintaining team engagement. I realized that being extremely deliberate about connecting our goals to individual career trajectories created connection and trust.
Best piece of career advice you’ve gotten?
The best piece of career advice I have received is, “You cannot control your situation, but you can control how you react.” It has helped me see things objectively and positively, and go after the toughest problems.
The worst piece of advice: “You have to strive and plan for a good work-life balance for a sustainable career.” I have learned that work-life integration creates a more sustainable career and helps me take one day at a time. It could be about a school project for my children, or a production issue that I need to spend a night on, or just self-care.
Mark Romanczuk, Global Banking & Markets
Where were you when you found out? Who was the first person you told?
I was sitting at my desk and received a call from John. I sit on a large, open floor, and my team saw John’s name pop up on my phone. When we were finished speaking, I turned around, and there were a few hundred of my colleagues standing and clapping. After hugs and high-fives, my wife, Jennifer, was the first person I called.
How are you celebrating?
Jennifer and I plan to have dinner at Gigino Trattoria in New York City, where we dined each time we found out we were expecting each of our five children — it has become our special-occasion venue!
What’s a personal or professional challenge that has impacted your work and leadership?
I played professional baseball for four years prior to joining Goldman Sachs. While the team orientation and competitive aspects of the game transferred to the world of finance, I lacked many other elements of the finance role and had a very steep learning curve.
Several of my Goldman colleagues at that time invested in my development, and it was only through their guidance that I was able to get up the curve. When I think back on that early part of my career, it serves as a reminder that feeling uncomfortable is a natural part of the growth path in any endeavor, and what we do is a team game, and investing intentional energy into coaching junior team members is a huge driver of success.
Best piece of career advice you’ve gotten?
When I joined Goldman 17 years ago, my dad told me, “Work hard every day with a ‘play the long game’ mindset.” Investing in client relationships, my team, and skill acquisition with a long-term mindset remains my top priority.
Kristin Kramer, Global Banking & Markets
Where were you when you found out? Who was the first person you told?
I was on the desk and could hear cheering across the trading floor as other new partners received their calls. I stood up to join in the applause and then realized my own phone was ringing! When I came back to my desk, my whole team was waiting, and we enjoyed the moment together.
How are you celebrating?
Coincidentally, my team’s annual alumni reunion was also that night, so I ended the evening surrounded by former colleagues and friends. I started here as an intern, and it was incredibly meaningful to celebrate with people who have impacted me across my career.
What’s a personal or professional challenge that has impacted your work and leadership?
The pandemic was a defining challenge for our business. A major part of our Capital Introduction offering is conferences, and we had a full slate planned for 2020. Almost overnight, we had to rethink the model.
Our global leadership team met every day for two months and created working groups with members across each region. The result was a new virtual conference format that helped clients continue building investor relationships.
Challenges can force lasting innovation, but we can only accomplish that if we leverage our strengths as a global team. Even as we have returned to in-person conferences, virtual events remain a cornerstone of our offering.
Best piece of career advice you’ve gotten?
The best advice I’ve received was from one of my fellow partner promotes: always treat feedback as a gift. Even if you don’t immediately agree with it, you need to sift out the “gold nuggets” that lie beneath.
Pavlos Syrimis, Global Banking & Markets
Where were you when you found out? Who was the first person you told?
Sitting at my desk, nervously watching the phone! The first person I called was my wife — she has been such a big support for me, and I wanted to share the moment with her.
How are you celebrating?
I had the pleasant surprise of several of my team members from London coming over to Paris to celebrate together.
What’s a personal or professional challenge that has impacted your work and leadership?
Sitting in a trading role, there have been many major macroeconomic moments that have been challenging to navigate over the course of my career. One that stands out is the pandemic. It taught me the importance of communication when times are challenging, and that keeping the team motivated is key.
Best piece of career advice you’ve gotten?
My former boss once told me that you can’t get scale as a leader if you micromanage. You need to have the best people, and it’s your job to empower and trust them.
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