Build Mental Resilience to Thriving in High-Stakes Finance World

By: Sunaina Sinha Haldea, Global Head of Private Capital Advisory, Raymond James

Sunaina Sinha Haldea leads strategic fundraises and secondaries transactions exceeding $200bn across Europe and North America. A recognized expert in global finance, she regularly appears on CNBC, Bloomberg, and BBC, and has published case studies with the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.

In an impactful interaction with Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine, Sunaina talks about building mental resilience through mindful techniques to master the high-stakes world of finance. She highlights the stressors facing women leader, unconventional reset techniques and daily recalibration to sustain career longevity in finance.

To know more about practical techniques that you can incorporate in your daily lives to build mental resilience and thrive professionally, read the interview below.

Given the evolving volatility in private capital markets, how do you see current stressors impacting women leaders’ mental resilience in high-stakes financial roles?

The current volatility in private capital markets has introduced a kind of pressure that isn’t just financial; it’s deeply personal for many women leaders. In high-stakes roles, they’re often navigating not only macroeconomic stressors but also potential stressors with family or with respect to their physical health. This multi-faceted burden means their mental resilience gets tested at more dimensions, more often.

For women, the emotional labor of leadership which includes keeping teams inspired, making bold calls, and staying composed under pressure, can compound fatigue. What makes it particularly challenging now is the constant ambiguity and compressed decision windows, which leave little time to pause, reflect, or reset. It's not just about staying strong; it’s about redefining resilience as a conscious, regenerative practice.

In an industry driven by constant deal cycles, what mental reset techniques can women employ to maintain clarity without compromising their leadership effectiveness?

In the nonstop churn of financial deal cycles, I’ve found that mental clarity rarely arrives through force—it requires space. For me, Vipassana meditation has become a steady anchor in that space.

This practice gives me a pocket of stillness within chaos, not outside of it.

When women leaders cultivate that inner attentiveness, even for a few minutes a day, it can radically shift how we show up—with more discernment, more grace, and less mental noise. It’s a quiet, powerful way to reset—not by pausing the world, but by softening our grip on it.

How can women in finance architect daily micro-moments of mental recalibration that sustain long-term career longevity amid relentless market pressures?

Micro-moments of mental recalibration don’t need to be grand to be powerful—they just need to be intentional. I’ve learned that the way we bookend our day’s matters: a few quiet breaths before the first email, a mindful pause between meetings, and a moment of gratitude before logging off. These aren’t just rituals; they’re acts of self-leadership.

For women in finance, where the pace is relentless and the stakes high, these pauses help create a rhythm that sustains rather than depletes. Over time, these tiny resets accumulate—they build a nervous system that doesn’t just endure pressure but adapts wisely to it. Longevity isn’t about lasting longer; it’s about renewing more often.

With rising expectations for emotional intelligence, how do you advise women to balance vulnerability and strategic composure as part of their mental reset?

For women in finance, the expectation to be composed often masks a deeper need—to also be human. I believe vulnerability isn’t a liability; it’s a leadership superpower. When we allow ourselves to show up authentically, we give others permission to do the same. That’s not weakness—it’s strategic strength.

We stop performing and start connecting. A mental reset doesn’t always require silence or solitude—sometimes it’s simply a moment of realness in a meeting, an honest “I don’t have the answer yet,” or a pause to breathe before responding. That’s resilience in action.

How can organizations integrate gender-sensitive mental wellness frameworks that empower women leaders to proactively manage burnout and cognitive overload?

Organizations often approach wellness as a one-size-fits-all solution but gendered experiences require gender-aware frameworks. For women in leadership, mental wellness isn’t just about access to services—it’s about psychological permission to use them.

Firms must normalize rest and reflection as strategic practices, not signs of fragility. That means rethinking performance metrics, offering coaching that recognizes emotional awareness, and creating environments where showing vulnerability is safe and supported. When organizations integrate these nuances into their culture, they empower women to lead with full presence, not just endurance. It’s not about shielding women from pressure—it’s about equipping them with ecosystems that respect their realities and sustain their potential.

LAST WORD: Message for Women Leaders on Building Mental Resilience

“Be the change you wish to see” has long been my mantra. Mental resilience doesn’t start with systems—it starts within. When you commit to your own mental wellness, you don’t just strengthen your capacity—you invite others to do the same.

For emerging women leaders, the message is this: leadership is not about perfection, it’s about presence. Build practices that nourish your clarity, protect your energy, and honor your humanity. Whether that’s through meditation, setting boundaries, or simply pausing to breathe—you’re not stepping back, you’re stepping into a more grounded version of yourself. And in doing so, you create a ripple effect that elevates the entire system around you.