At the firm for 20+ years, this Morgan Stanley MAKER is proud of the connections she has formed and the paths she has helped others navigate.
When Ronke Desalu-Dottin first started at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter on the sales desk on the 72nd floor of the World Trade Center, she put her head down and worked extremely hard, believing that alone would earn her recognition. She didn’t understand the power of networking.
Over time, though, she realized that career success is more than just hard work. “Your personal brand must be reflected in your reputation, and you have to network,” she says.
Ronke set out with determination to build her personal brand both in and outside Morgan Stanley, with “a stronger voice and level of respected knowledge,” says Ronke. “For people to know who I am, I had to get in front of the room—to the middle and back too!—and cultivate relationships.”
Now at Morgan Stanley for more than 20 years, Ronke is proud of the relationships she’s fostered and the leadership role she has embraced. As an active mentor, she embraces the opportunity to act as “a directional arrow for those who are looking for one,” a responsibility she takes seriously. Her own experiences, including the absence of strong female role models early on in her career, fuel her commitment to mentoring and inspiring women entering the industry. She advises them to not only be prepared and work hard, but also to “get to know everyone and build a network.” That includes your work network and your social one, she insists.
As Head of Annuities at Morgan Stanley, Ronke is part of a product team that empowers financial advisors with the tools to help clients achieve their long-term goals, from retirement to caring for loved ones to leaving a legacy. The team curates a menu of industry-leading insurance products. “At Morgan Stanley, we are truly at the forefront of the markets, leading with exceptional ideas,” she says.
The fast-paced nature of the job keeps her engaged. “It’s rapid fire and constantly moving, so you have to be right on top of it as a subject matter expert,” explains Ronke, who spends time “creating efficiencies to benefit clients and the business.”
She and her colleagues prioritize the needed time for collaborating and exchanging ideas. She says managers and senior leaders have always fostered such collaboration. “They created a space that cultivates professional excellence for all of us,” she says. “We’re excited to innovate because our ideas are always welcome.”
Grateful for the open door culture she has experienced throughout her career, Ronke has made it a priority to ensure the culture continues for others. As a seasoned leader, she values professional dialogue and mentorship, ensuring those who seek guidance have a place to turn.
Ronke has always taken pride in working for Morgan Stanley, but early in her career, she had moments of doubt, particularly at industry conferences, where imposter syndrome would creep in. “I’d tell myself, ‘Morgan Stanley sent me here. If Morgan Stanley says I’m good enough to be in this room, then I am,’ she recalls.
Looking back on her career, she views the strength of her relationships as a significant achievement—both the connections she has formed and the paths she has helped others navigate. Even today, she remains eager to learn, continuously pushing herself and others forward. “We can do anything we truthfully believe we can accomplish, so long as we work hard. And I do.”
Her drive and commitment to the firm and others have not gone unnoticed. This year, she was named a Morgan Stanley MAKER, Class of 2025—a distinction reserved for innovators, advocates and groundbreakers in inclusion, all nominated by their peers.
That work ethic is deeply rooted in her upbringing. Her parents—her father from Nigeria, her mother from The Gambia—were both ambitious scholars who earned academic scholarships that initially took them to Moscow, where they met, married and started their family. Thereafter, her father graduated as a surgeon in Scotland, and her mother as a linguist in France. Together, they and their children lived around the world—England, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, among other places.
Ronke attended seven elementary schools and four high schools before arriving in the U.S. for her second college. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics and Finance from the State University of New York at Albany.
Her husband, also in finance, has been another key influence. Today, they have two daughters—one in high school, the other in college—and Ronke measures her success by the example she sets for them. “I don’t like to waste my time. Since I’m here because I choose to be, I’m intentional about working hard and making an impact,” she says. “That’s what keeps me motivated.”
