Guest Doug Asano had always had a fascination with Wall Street and could envision himself there. In the middle of sophomore year, the impetus to get a job there became less theoretical and more practical when his father said that Doug would need to pay the rest of his way through college. With an upperclass mentor already working in investment banking, he was able to get internships at prestigious banks and land a job at JP Morgan at the end of the summer before senior year.

That summer, however, was also the time when Sarah Devens, a classmate of his at both Dartmouth and high school, took her life by suicide. The experience shook him and, without mental health resources to access, he had a hard time processing the happiness of starting a new life and the pain of his loss.

His time on Wall Street was successful in terms of his ability to get the work done, but he realized that it wasn’t fulfilling him. He went home to Boston for a stint in private equity but found that he kept wondering what the companies that he worked with would actually get their products to market. He realized he needed to learn more about the business of business so off to Tuck he went. When he found out what would be fulfilling—jumping into operations—he worked his network to find a role and industry he never would have considered a path to success. When even that road got rocky, he needed to tap into both his internal compass and lean on his friends to get through.

In this episode, find out from Doug how, while fending for yourself is sometimes necessary, reaching out to others can be even more vital …on ROADS TAKEN...with Leslie Jennings Rowley.

About This Episode's Guest

Doug Asano, who is currently Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, at Roseburg Forest Products, has spent the last two decades in the engineered wood industry after an early career in investment banking and private equity. After attending Dartmouth for his undergrad degree, he returned to Tuck School of Business for his MBA. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two daughters.

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Redefining Success: Doug Asano on fending for yourself and reaching out for help

Roads Taken