Meet Demetrius Washington | Senior Manager & President

We had the good fortune of connecting with Demetrius Washington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Demetrius, how do you think about risk?
Jim Kwik wrote “Life is hard for two reasons: because you’re leaving your comfort zone or because you’re staying in it.”

I think of risks as opportunities to grow and/or learn. I’m committed to being a lifelong learner and I’m always challenging myself to grow. Anytime I’m venturing outside of my comfort zone, there’s a bit of nervousness but ultimately I trust myself. I’m not a reckless daredevil though. I try to remain informed and prepared, then I take measured risks.

In my career, I’ve found when I’ve bet on myself, I’ve always won. Every time I take a new risk and succeed, my self-confidence grows. So over time, I’ve taken on increasingly challenging assignments which have always helped me reach the next level in my career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was a precocious child with lots of different interests. So what I wanted to be when I grew up changed from year to year. I started college as a science major. Like many college students, I was broke and work study just wasn’t cutting it. So I tagged along with friends to a job fair one day and was offered a job as a part-time teller at a local bank on the spot. Initially I didn’t know much about banking except that my grandparents always seemed to go and they had a child savings account for me.

I loved working in the bank and after several months, I ended up switching my major to business management. After undergrad, I continued to work for the bank full-time in various roles. After a few years, I went to work for a competitor bank that had just spun off it’s own technology subsidiary. Fast forward a couple of decades and I’m now a Senior Manager with one of the largest financial technology companies in the United States.

For a lot of my early career, I struggled with imposter syndrome. I always worked hard to excel at my job but without access to people that looked like me in my career, it took years before I understood how to bring my “authentic self” to work. Once I got the right mentors and learned how to use my voice and perspectives to add value, my career started to take off.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Funny my best friend is actually visiting the area for the first time coming up soon. There’s a lot of historical sights here and that’s what she loves. So we’ll be visiting JFK Memorial Plaza, Dealey Plaza, and Grassy Knoll.

We’ll definitely hang out in Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, and on McKinney Avenue taking in the different local shops, restaurants, and nightlife.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been fortunate to have several great leaders see possibilities in me before I could see them myself. Serving as a board member in multiple chapters of the National Black MBA Association has also given me many opportunities to develop leadership and other professional skills beyond what I would’ve normally encountered in my daily job functions.

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