Shobana Mani

Entrepreneur, Finance and Fashion and Textile Design

Shobana is currently involved with various collaborations in fashion and textile design, specifically research projects visualized through fashion. Her background is a unique blend of a strong business mindset, experience in emerging markets and a creative passion in design. Shobana began her career in 2002 at Goldman Sachs International in London. As an analyst she worked in the special execution group in the Investment Banking Division. As an Associate, she spent one year in the executive office at Goldman Sachs working with WTO member countries on financial services liberalization during the DOHA Development Trade Round. Subsequently, she moved to the Financing Group structured finance team structuring and executing bespoke financings for emerging market counterparties. As an executive director, she continued in this same role on the trading floor within the Fixed Income Division. While at Goldman Sachs, Shobana sat on the steering committee of the Goldman Sachs London Asian Professionals network and was the representative for the Investment Banking Division since 2002. She was also involved in mentorship and recruiting efforts. She is a member of the Evian Group international trade discussion group. In 2010 Shobana was hired as a Managing Director by Standard Bank Plc in London to replicate the bespoke financing initiative she developed at Goldman Sachs with a specific focus on Sub Saharan Africa. Her passion in the arts became formalized after attaining a degree in Fashion and Textile design from the Parsons School of design in NYC. She continues to build her experience as a designer through participating in various exhibitions and other collaborative work. Shobana received her Master of Science from the London School of Economics in law and accounting/finance. She studied finance for a year at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. She earned her BA in international political economy from The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and spent one year focusing on international affairs at the London School of Economics. Her hobbies include dance, designing, and photography. Shobana is married to Gianni Lorenzato, a fellow entrepreneur and is a proud mother to Jasmita and Yash. She is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.