After receiving her degree in Mechanical Engineering, Vanessa worked for a power and water utility in Phoenix, Arizona, working in roles ranging from maintenance and systems operations to real time trading. She earned an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and then joined Alstom in 2007. Vanessa held roles in gas turbine product management, market intelligence, and product marketing for Alstom and for General Electric until joining SS&A in 2017.