#79 - Shaping a Global Bank’s Culture: Lessons from Bei Ling (Head of Human Resources @ Wells Fargo)

In this episode of the Investing in Integrity podcast, Ross Overline, CEO and co-founder of Scholars of Finance, speaks with Bei Ling, Head of HR at Wells Fargo.

Bei shares her experience and insights on ethics, leadership, and cultural transformation in finance. Bei discusses her career journey from Merrill Lynch to Wells Fargo while underscoring the impact of HR on ethical practices in an organization. She highlighted Wells Fargo’s focus on transparent feedback, leadership accountability, and promoting a positive risk mindset among employees through extensive training. Bei also shared personal values like family and self-awareness, her framework for decision-making, and insights into handling ethical challenges in finance. Her advice to future leaders is to develop authenticity, kindness, and resilience as key soft skills.

Meet Bei Ling

Bei Ling is the Head of Human Resources at Wells Fargo and a member of the company’s Operating Committee. She leads all aspects of the company’s human capital strategy. Bei focuses on cultivating a world-class culture and inclusive environment that supports the recruitment, development, and retention of top talent across Wells Fargo’s global operations. Since joining in 2021, Bei has worked closely with senior leadership to drive innovative and people-centric strategies.

Before Wells Fargo, Bei was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase, where she led Talent Development and Total Rewards while overseeing leadership development, compensation, benefits, and workforce analytics. She also served as Head of HR for the Commercial Bank. A graduate of Beijing University, Bei holds an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business and serves on the boards of CareerWise USA and USC Marshall’s Corporate Advisory Board.