Operations managers are at the center of businesses, Mary Dupay (BSBA’81, MBA’82) told students in Professor Seokjin Kim’s Operations Management course.

As the managing director of Global Regulatory and Tax Operations at Goldman Sachs, Dupay facilitates between all areas of the business to ensure that Operations services are provided in the most efficient and effective way. She also serves on the Operations Operating Committee, Federal Reporting Oversight Committee, and the Regional New Activity Committee (Americas). Since joining Goldman Sachs in 2000, the scope of her responsibilities has ranged from strategic to tactical and operational.

Earlier in her career, Dupay held executive-level management positions at J.P. Morgan, Salomon Brothers Ltd., and State Street Bank, where she focused on establishing and re-engineering derivatives, securities, and custody operations.

Dupay’s interest in operations developed while she studied at Sawyer Business School. She enjoyed overcoming challenges and solving analytical problems. “In operations, you have to understand what everybody does and how they deliver things,” she said. Taking on such a multidimensional role has been both challenging and rewarding for her.

Over the years, Dupay has discovered that “you can define and attack every problem with the same kinds of skills.” One of her most important problem-solving strategies is to be forthcoming with her weaknesses. If she lacks a particular skill, she is not afraid to ask for help and work collaboratively with others. This tactic improves efficiency and allows her to learn new skills.

Building a portfolio of new skills is essential for success, Dupay said. In operations, “you can’t be stagnant because everything is changing all the time,” she said. Operations managers need to be innovative as they search for ways to improve efficiency and save money.

Although Dupay has been in the same industry her whole life, she feels as though she has had 20 different careers because there is so much variety in the work. In each of her positions, Dupay has taken on different responsibilities and goals, worked alongside diverse colleagues, and traveled internationally. In operations, “you have the opportunity to be involved in everything,” she said.

Dupay is a member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Operations Advisory Committee, a former member of the Advisory Board of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), and former chair of the Cross Border Operations Committee of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).