Let’s hear from Anne.
Anne Dinning is a longtime leader in quantitative finance—someone who went from “complete novice” in college to helping run one of the most influential, model-driven investment firms in the world.
In this interview, Dinning shares how a chance conversation on a train nudged her toward computer science, what it was like to study in male-dominated classrooms, and what she’d tell young women who are curious about coding today.
Where Anne works—and what she does
Q: Can you tell us where you work and what you do in your current role?
I work at the D. E. Shaw group, an investment firm based in New York City. The firm was founded in 1988 and became an early pioneer in using mathematical models and computing to invest systematically.
Today, computational finance is still at the core of what we do, alongside a range of other strategies we’ve developed over time. I joined the firm in 1990 after completing my PhD in computer science at NYU, where I began doing quantitative research in global stock markets.
These days, I serve on the firm’s seven-person Executive Committee, which oversees day-to-day operations. Across the organization, we now have more than 3,000 people worldwide, including a long-standing presence in Hyderabad, India—where our office opened in 1996 and has grown into a major part of the firm’s global workforce.
A career sparked by a conversation on a train
Q: How did you first become interested in computer science?
When I started college in 1980, I thought I might want to be an accountant. As a child, I even imagined becoming a librarian.
But during a term abroad in my freshman year, I met another traveler on a train. We started talking, and over a few hours I learned—really for the first time—what a computer programmer did. Up to that point, the closest I’d gotten to a computer was filling in the bubble sheet for my SAT.
What intrigued me was the idea of solving real-world problems—and building skills I could use almost anywhere. When I got back to school in the fall, I signed up for my first computer science course.
Barriers in school—and in the workplace
Q: What barriers, if any, did you encounter learning computer science? What barriers, if any, do you still encounter in the workplace?
I entered the field as a complete beginner, so there was definitely some catching up to do. But by the end of that introductory course, I was certain computer science was what I wanted to pursue.
In college, I sometimes felt isolated. None of my friends knew anything about computers—most were focused on other classes or traditional internships. And computer science was already a male-dominated field. In my college and doctoral programs, there was rarely more than one other woman in my classes.
I had to learn how to study and work comfortably in an environment where I was often the only woman in the room.
The mentor who changed her trajectory
Q: Can you tell us about someone (or a group or organization) who encouraged you to study computer science?
There were many people along the way. The stranger on the train sparked my interest, but I was also fortunate to have a college professor who encouraged me to apply to graduate school.
Until then, I didn’t see myself as someone who would pursue a master’s degree—let alone a PhD. But he was so confident I should keep going that I took the GRE and enrolled in a graduate program the next year.
I still remember opening my acceptance letter from NYU and feeling like my life was turning in an exciting—and somewhat scary—new direction.
Advice for girls and young women learning to code
Q: Do you have any advice for girls or young women who want to start learning computer science?
My biggest advice is simple: it’s never too late. If you’re interested now, now is the perfect time to start.
It’s also okay if you don’t look or act like whatever you imagine a programmer “should” be. There are so many ways to use computer science, and there’s very likely a path that fits your interests and ambitions.
And I’m glad learning computer science doesn’t have to be isolating anymore. There are strong organizations and communities that can help you find your people—no matter where you’re starting from.