My Richmond Fed

From retail management to Supervision, Regulation and Credit, Neelam Thompson has always been a people person. That’s one of the reasons why she enjoys working at the Richmond Fed. Here’s her #MyRichmondFed story:

After I graduated from the University of New Delhi in India, I moved to New York City. I remember getting on the plane and flying into the United States alone at a very young age. Luckily for me I knew how to speak English, had a college degree and had a job.

I worked in a high-end Indian retail store managing a small group of employees. Our clientele often included celebrities like Simon & Garfunkel and Steve McQueen. My job was all about making sure each customer had a positive shopping experience. When I wasn’t working, I took trips to popular landmarks to experience American culture. I never would have done any of this had I still lived in India. This retail job not only provided an opportunity for me to travel the world, but it also made me realize how much I liked people. Because of this, I’ve worked in customer service ever since.  

My current role in the Richmond Fed’s Supervision, Regulation and Credit department is all about customer service. We supervise and regulate State Member Banks and Bank Holding Companies across the Fifth District to ensure they are operating under safe and sound banking practices. We also have units within our department that conduct ongoing surveillance and monitoring of institutions, analyze statistics and reserve accounts, and monitor the cash and credit needs of District institutions. As an operations manager, I work with my team to provide support to all employees within the department, including managing records and reports and procuring business travel and events.

Another part of my role is being a diversity and inclusion champion. I try to learn something new and engage with different people every day. I also encourage others to do the same. The diversity events and employee resource networks are a great benefit and addition to my workdays. I believe our organizational excellence and progress culturally is a result of making connections and getting to know the people we work with. It’s as easy as saying hello and being genuine. Outside of my work, my proudest moment as an employee was inspiring my children to apply and begin their journeys here at the Richmond Fed and the Chicago Fed.