Why this Goldman Sachs vet believes the U.S. stock market will continue to deliver for investors

Diane’s interview with Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, chief investment officer and head of the investment strategy group at Goldman Sachs, caught my attention, as she discussed the heightened emotions many individual investors might be feeling now due to the current political environment in the U.S., something that Fortune has reported on extensively. But Mossavar-Rahmani took a more measured approach, saying while the Trump administration has introduced more volatility into the markets with its tariff policies, corporate America is still hopeful for more deregulation across different sectors that she says could be a boon to the market.

She also doubled down on what she called the U.S.’s market preeminence: Though things look uncertain and unstable now, the U.S. is still tough to beat on a number of metrics, including productivity and corporate management. “From an investment perspective, from an economic perspective, we say the U.S. is preeminent, and those factors are not going to get affected by any one administration.”

Mossavar-Rahmani also discussed what Goldman looks for in job candidates. A base level of education is good, she says, but better still that the person is passionate about something. She will often look for the “less common things” on a candidate’s résumé, and dig deeper into those during multiple rounds of interviews. 

“Years and years ago, somebody said, ‘Don’t always hire the most intelligent person, hire somebody who is intelligent enough, but has a great attitude.’ And that has actually always stayed with me,” she said. “You need to have somebody who’s incredibly enthusiastic, somebody who’s passionate, and, more than anything, somebody who’s intellectually curious.”

Today in Riyadh the Fortune team will welcome Somi Javaid, founder of HerMD; Kinda Ibrahim, TikTok’s general manager of operations for the Middle East, Turkey Africa, Pakistan, and South Asia; and Theresa May, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, among many others. You can watch the livestream here.

Alicia Adamczyk
alicia.adamczyk@fortune.com

The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today’s edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Dropping Dockers. Levi’s agreed to sell its khaki brand Dockers to Authentic Brands Group for $311 million, with the potential to make up to $391 million, depending on the brand’s performance. Levi’s CEO Michelle Gass said the deal “further aligns our portfolio with our strategic priorities”—like focusing on the growth of its denim line and Beyond Yoga. CNBC

- Conduct concerns. In the midst of President Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News, three senators expressed concerns to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone that the company “may be engaging in improper conduct involving the Trump Administration in exchange for approval of its merger with Skydance Media.” A spokeswoman for Redstone said she has not seen the senators’ letter. Wall Street Journal

- Signed into law. President Donald Trump signed a bill making it illegal to distribute nonconsensual intimate imagery, like revenge porn and deepfake nudes. The Take It Down Act, championed by first lady Melania Trump, will also require social media platforms to remove this content when it’s reported. Politico

- Ending exports. Due to tariffs, General Motors has stopped exporting some of its U.S.-manufactured vehicles to China. The automaker, led by Mary Barra, said it will still develop business in China but is responding accordingly to the current changing economy. This change is unlikely to have a large impact as it applies to a small number of vehicles. Bloomberg

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Mutual of America Financial Group, which provides organizations with retirement-related services, named Christine Janofsky EVP, CFO. Previously, she was CFO and treasurer of Nassau Financial Group.

E-commerce company Rokt appointed Claire Southey as chief AI officer. She was most recently the company’s chief product development officer.

Maven Clinic, a women’s and family health virtual clinic, named Sheila Tran chief communications officer. Most recently, she was head of marketing and platform at Susa Ventures.

Pavilion Payments, a payments company for the gaming industry, named Alyssa Beaver SVP of sales. Most recently, Beaver was SVP of sales and marketing at Passport Technology.

kWh Analytics, a climate insurance company, appointed Amy Nauiokas to its board of directors. She is founder and group CEO of Anthemis Group.

ON MY RADAR

Meet the New York Times CEO who’s outmaneuvering tech, Trump, and an industry in crisis Fortune

Anna Wintour becomes an unlikely activist as Washington quashes DEI Washington Post

I founded Girls Who Code. Now I’m worried about boys Time

PARTING WORDS

“I think that hierarchy is a tax on speed.”

—Eventbrite CEO and cofounder Julia Hartz on why she invited both senior and non-senior level employees to the company’s offsites