‘I Love My Job’: 11 Years and Counting at Mizuho! Balancing Work and Family in a Top Technology Role

Welcome to I Love My Job, the series where we hear from women who really love their jobs. In this edition, we sat down with Dawn Yiannoullou, the Deputy CIO and Managing Director, Information Technology at Mizuho Americas.

Yiannoullou’s career journey at Mizuho started 11 years ago when she joined the company as an assistant vice president. Since then, “I have gone to different trainings and conferences and been able to work on a variety of projects throughout my time here in order to continuously advance my career,” shares Yiannoullou. “That’s been really key.”

And career development opportunities are only one of the many ways that Mizuho has supported Yiannoullou. “Mizuho offers a lot of benefits in terms of work-life balance,” she tells us. “I have three kids who are five and under, so I have to balance being a mom along with this career, and Mizuho offers a lot of flexibility in terms of a hybrid work schedule or if I need to leave early… They’re always understanding, which means a lot.”

Thanks to this support, Yiannoullou has been able to grow in a career path that excites her. Now, in her current role, “I'm focused on the IT strategy and bringing technology to that next stage as we continue to grow as a company,” Yiannoullou explains.

In the video below, Yiannoullou tells us more about why she loves working at Mizuho Americas. We also provide lightly edited highlights from the video discussion in the following article. 

In case you have trouble watching the video, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

Can you tell us about a current project you’re working on that you find exciting?

I'm working on an exciting project called IT Transformation, which is bringing together technology groups across the region so we're acting as one. As we continue to grow in the Americas, we've had to find different ways to support the growing business, and combining some of the corporate functions is a way that we're doing that. 

We're bringing different people, different platforms, different teams, and different processes together in order to be one cohesive and consistent technology across the Americas. I've been working on this project now for quite a few years, and we’re getting to the final stages… And the next stage is all about scaling to grow. 

How would you describe the culture at Mizuho Americas?

Mizuho’s culture is something that's interesting and difficult to put into words; I really think it's truly unique and special. I've been here for 11 years. I've gotten married, and I've had my three kids while I've been here. 

I've seen the tremendous growth of the company, which has been really cool… Everyone's in this together… We have a really good culture across the organization. 

What is your favorite thing about Mizuho Americas?

I actually have two things: 

1. One is the people. I think the people are honestly one of the best things about the company.
2. Second is there’s truly an opportunity to take something, own it, and drive it to completion. There's never a shortage of things that we can do, and, if you're willing to take it on, that's always well received. 

What advice do you have for other women looking to work at Mizuho Americas?

Be authentic to who you are. Put everything you have into the role and make it work for you. Any job at Mizuho can only benefit you when you're truly interested and passionate about what you're doing… If you're authentic to what you're trying to get done and really focusing on that, then you'll succeed. 

Interested in joining the Mizuho Americas team? They’re hiring! Click the link below to browse opportunities. 

Fairygodboss is proud to work with Mizuho Americas. Find a job there today!

Check out other posts in the ‘I Love My Job’ series: 

• 'I Love My Job’: I Found My ‘Forever Home’ at a Firm Where Everyone Truly Supports One Another 
• ‘I Love My Job’: How 1 Senior Manager Is Helping to ‘Mitigate and Manage Crises Across 6 Continents' 
• ‘I Love My Job’: Making an ‘Upsized Impact’ on How Finance Is Done at a Mission-Driven Company 
• ‘I Love My Job’: My Company Supports My Development and Creativity — From a Software Engineer 
• ‘I Love My Job’: ‘It's Not All About Bugs’ — Why Pest Management Is an Incredibly Rewarding Field