Deep Gala
Building a legacy: Deep’s journey from Associate to Manager
Finding his feet as a Manager
Deep joined Third Bridge in Mumbai back in 2023. As someone passionate about research, Deep was excited to be joining the fast-paced world of expert insights. What he discovered, however, was far more than he’d imagined, and he’s forged a career as a people-leader, shaping the practices and driving the growth of his local team, and beyond.
After a quick rise from Associate to Senior Associate, he was recently promoted to Manager for the Credit and Public Equities team in Mumbai. Having previously worked in the Private Equity team, navigating a new client type is a challenge he’s looking forward to embracing. “The clients are really, really different in the way that they work. So learning more about the market situation, everyday stock situation and keeping track of that is something I’m really looking forward to,” he shares excitedly.
From trainee to trainer
Deep's passion for training began (somewhat) by accident. As a fast-growing region, there was a steady stream of new hires, and Deep naturally stepped up to train his newest team members helping them acclimatise to life at Third Bridge. “I had the chance to hone my skills in explaining things to people, and helping them understand very complex things, very simply,” he adds.
When an opportunity for a three-month secondment in the Learning and Development (L&D) team opened up, Deep was curious to explore it, and recalls thinking to himself, “I should really try my hand at this, maybe I might be better at this.”
The experience was eye-opening for Deep. He was entrusted with important initiatives from the outset of the secondment and, drawing on his first-hand experiences of training new hires, was empowered to redesign part of the onboarding training.
Working side by side with the L&D team, he discovered that training is as much a “science” as it is an art. Getting familiar with L&D data and understanding the correlation between training methods and future performance has motivated Deep to take a data-driven approach to his management style. “Now that I’ve seen how effective it is to measure it in that way, I’m definitely going to do it!” he notes enthusiastically, “I’ve already started working this way with the Associates in my team.”.
As someone motivated by driving positive change, Deep is excited to have the opportunity to use his learnings from L&D and not only shape his personal leadership style, but also make improvements throughout the business. “I have a decent sample size and the numbers really do add up,” he comments excitedly.
Identifying potential in others
As a Manager, Deep plays a part in hiring and identifying future talent, and he knows exactly what he’s looking for. "The biggest thing that I look for now... is somebody who rationalizes their thoughts really well before they actually answer anything," he explains.
Drawing on his experience of seeing so many new hires through their initial training, Deep has recognised that it’s not the answer that gives the most value, but seeing potential in someone who is considered, thoughtful, and solution-oriented. All skills critical for success at Third Bridge.
Deep wants every member of his team to be set up for success, and he recognizes that it isn't always plain sailing. “With the young team we have… and for a lot of people it's their first job out of university, so they have no experience of the corporate world,” he shares. “Sometimes it's tough,” he adds candidly, “but given we’ve hired them, they’re definitely talented people, and talent always comes out eventually. It's about creating an environment where their talent can really shine through.”
Overcoming setbacks
Deep's career trajectory wasn't entirely a straight line. As someone who is highly ambitious, he applied for a Manager role in the Private Equity team, but unfortunately didn’t make it past the first round of interviews. “I put it behind me and put my best foot forward, even though I was, of course, really disappointed.”
Taking the feedback onboard, Deep realized his initial mistake was focusing too much on day-to-day operations rather than presenting a long-term vision. A core skill for someone stepping up to Manager. Leveraging the knowledge he gained during his L&D secondement, and his enhanced knowledge of the business, he was able to come back stronger and secure his promotion the second time around. Rather than let the original setback knock his confidence and dishearten him, he used it as an opportunity to grow.
Life outside of Third Bridge
When he's not at work, Deep is a big football fan and a follower of his favorite team, Chelsea. True to Third Bridge’s culture, Deep is also an entrepreneur and has a small side hustle producing and selling cold-pressed oils. He started the business before joining Third Bridge, but now, with the support of his Dad for extra man-power, is proud to have kept it going!
Advice for graduates
Deep’s advice for new Associates joining Third Bridge is simple: be patient. “It's a practice-based job. It's not something you've learned in your curriculum in the past. It's something that you have to learn on the job.” he says earnestly.
With the right attitude, Deep sees no reason why anyone can’t build the skills needed to perform well and progress to mastery fast. This is something he has been instilling in all his team members and is proud when he sees them persist, practice, and ultimately, succeed.
