Professions
Working with wealth
Bangalore based Dilshad Billimoria is a financial advisor with clients from India and overseas
"Of course! I eat and breathe my clients. No work can run on auto pilot if you want it to run with the same commitment and dedication you give to it. Although my colleagues at work help for operations or para-planning, at the end, the client wants to see my face. This can pose a challenge sometimes and things don’t move as fast as they should, but that’s how it is as of now.” 
Bangalore based Dilshad Billimoria (pictured), who heads her own wealth management firm Dilzer Consultants, says, "We want to streamline the wealth management and client interfacing division further. We have 150 families or around 270 clients with us as on date and manage and advise on assets of over INR 135 crores. Every journey begins with a small step!”
Billimoria has featured in several national newspapers including the prestigious The Economic Times (ET). She contributes articles to Mint newspaper, Outlook Money magazine, Money Control, Myiris, Business Line and Bloomberg. A joint secretary of the Council of Financial Planners (COFP), Billimoria was named by CNBC TV 18 as the Best Independent Financial Advisor in 2008.
Asked if she has to work long hours and if as a woman she has had to prove herself constantly, Billimoria says, "Fortunately, I have not had the problem to prove myself with my peers in the industry, because this is a relationship and trust building business. I am fortunate to be a Parsi. Parsis are said to be honest and straight forward people — and this sometimes has opened doors faster. I have built a team to work around the basic operation work and para-planning work. While the operations division does not need my intervention as much as the planning division, I am sometimes needed in two different places at the same time. If one prioritizes and organizes one’s day, things move much smoother. I’m a stickler for to-do lists. I love ticking off things on paper and tearing up the paper once the task is done.”
Billimoria once wanted to go in for hotel management but, realizing her talent with figures, her father persuaded her to concentrate on finance. "During her stint with Birla Sunlife Distribution she learnt the ropes of the wealth management business before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey in 2001 with a handful of clients,” notes ET of March 8, 2016. Today Billimoria, aged 38, is a leading financial advisor in Bangalore and South India. With clients from all over India and abroad and her firm ISO (International Organization for Standardization) credited, Billimoria’s venture has come a long way from when she first started.
The wealth manager’s primary and secondary schooling was in Bangalore at Sophia High School and Mount Carmel College. She says, "Having grown up in a convent environment, I somehow believe traditional school teaching creates more grounded, stable and loving children — a constant point of discussion with my husband. However, both our kids study in a more open minded and non-traditional school.”
Of her supportive family, Billimoria says, "My family, especially my husband Kaiwan, has always been open to and wanted me to work, if that was what I wanted. My children Sheroy, 12, and Danesh, six, are older now and thankfully I have the support of my parents and in-laws who are ready to pitch in if there is a late evening meeting or a conference to attend outside Bangalore. Yes, I have a great support system, without which it would be difficult.”
About her childhood Billimoria shares: "Our parents Dinshaw and Dolly Billimoria were not religious minded and were open enough to help me explore what I wanted. My brother Kaizer, who is seven years my senior, has been protective of me and we did play silly games as kids when we were younger. We were always at the dinner table eating dinner together as a family. My parents never imposed studies upon me, because I was anyway studious. We were encouraged to share our thoughts and feelings and there was open communication with our parents.”
Bangalore based Dilshad Billimoria (pictured), who heads her own wealth management firm Dilzer Consultants, says, "We want to streamline the wealth management and client interfacing division further. We have 150 families or around 270 clients with us as on date and manage and advise on assets of over INR 135 crores. Every journey begins with a small step!”Billimoria has featured in several national newspapers including the prestigious The Economic Times (ET). She contributes articles to Mint newspaper, Outlook Money magazine, Money Control, Myiris, Business Line and Bloomberg. A joint secretary of the Council of Financial Planners (COFP), Billimoria was named by CNBC TV 18 as the Best Independent Financial Advisor in 2008.
Asked if she has to work long hours and if as a woman she has had to prove herself constantly, Billimoria says, "Fortunately, I have not had the problem to prove myself with my peers in the industry, because this is a relationship and trust building business. I am fortunate to be a Parsi. Parsis are said to be honest and straight forward people — and this sometimes has opened doors faster. I have built a team to work around the basic operation work and para-planning work. While the operations division does not need my intervention as much as the planning division, I am sometimes needed in two different places at the same time. If one prioritizes and organizes one’s day, things move much smoother. I’m a stickler for to-do lists. I love ticking off things on paper and tearing up the paper once the task is done.”
Billimoria once wanted to go in for hotel management but, realizing her talent with figures, her father persuaded her to concentrate on finance. "During her stint with Birla Sunlife Distribution she learnt the ropes of the wealth management business before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey in 2001 with a handful of clients,” notes ET of March 8, 2016. Today Billimoria, aged 38, is a leading financial advisor in Bangalore and South India. With clients from all over India and abroad and her firm ISO (International Organization for Standardization) credited, Billimoria’s venture has come a long way from when she first started.
The wealth manager’s primary and secondary schooling was in Bangalore at Sophia High School and Mount Carmel College. She says, "Having grown up in a convent environment, I somehow believe traditional school teaching creates more grounded, stable and loving children — a constant point of discussion with my husband. However, both our kids study in a more open minded and non-traditional school.”
Of her supportive family, Billimoria says, "My family, especially my husband Kaiwan, has always been open to and wanted me to work, if that was what I wanted. My children Sheroy, 12, and Danesh, six, are older now and thankfully I have the support of my parents and in-laws who are ready to pitch in if there is a late evening meeting or a conference to attend outside Bangalore. Yes, I have a great support system, without which it would be difficult.”
About her childhood Billimoria shares: "Our parents Dinshaw and Dolly Billimoria were not religious minded and were open enough to help me explore what I wanted. My brother Kaizer, who is seven years my senior, has been protective of me and we did play silly games as kids when we were younger. We were always at the dinner table eating dinner together as a family. My parents never imposed studies upon me, because I was anyway studious. We were encouraged to share our thoughts and feelings and there was open communication with our parents.”
(L-r): Danesh, Kaiwan, Sheroy and Dilshad Billimoria
Zoroastrianism plays a role in her daily life. "I believe a lot in the power of prayers and self-belief. When I encountered a personal tragic loss, it was prayers that kept me going besides the support of my family,” she says. "I am grateful to God for whatever He has given to us — the blessings as well as the difficult times. One needs both to live a fulfilling life and learn. I try and spend time with children from the Spastics’ Society once a week, besides volunteering for initiatives with the group in which I run, Runners High. This makes us realize how fortunate we are and keeps me grounded. Both my kids say their prayers at night before sleeping. The younger one knows only Ashem Vohu and Yatha Ahu Vario, but will not sleep until I start the first line after which he continues loudly. We would not like to impose anything on our children, but would like them to learn values by practicing what we preach.”
Treading a fine line between work, home and her family, Billimoria tells us how she manages to do both so successfully. "I make sure any appointments made with family are kept, come what may. If there is a last minute meeting, it needs to be rescheduled if a prior family outing has been planned. Otherwise 99% of the time I’m at home for dinner with the husband and kids. I’ve declined a lot of travelling requests to meet fund managers.”
Her mantra for success is "believe in yourself. Be true to yourself and your work. If you enjoy what you do, it’s like you have never worked a day in your life. Begin every day with the same amount of enthusiasm as you did yesterday. If things don’t work out, it was meant to be and you should move on.”
Billimoria loves to exercise to help her relax after a hectic work day. She says, "It builds up my metabolism and infuses positive endorphins. Running has helped calm my mind and face difficulties head on. The ups and downs in life can be compared to a long run when one faces extreme fatigue but still needs to move on. I also love the gym and like to try new exercises to shock the body.” She also likes to sing loudly at home when no one is around. It de-stresses her.
She has taken part in half marathons. "I hope to increase my distance running this year. I have been running since September 2012 and have participated in over five half marathon races and several 10 km runs. I plan to train for the full marathon this year and run in Bombay in January 2017.”
Asked about her plans for the future, she responds: "I would like to understand what next from here — for work and my personal life. I am still learning and discovering new things. I would like to travel with my family and discover new places. I will strive to be a better human being in whatever small way I can.”
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