Sonya joined Bailard in 1994, soon after earning a mathematics degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She has been with the firm ever since.

Over the three decades that followed, she held nearly every senior role at Bailard, including Chief Investment Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and Chief Operating Officer, before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2021. She earned her Chartered Financial Analyst® designation in 1997 and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of San Francisco. Alongside running the firm, she remains a portfolio manager for the Bailard Technology Strategy.

In 2025, Sonya joined the Board of Governors for the Investment Adviser Association (IAA), which represents fiduciary investment advisers on advocacy, policy, and industry best practices. She is also a member of the Forbes Finance Council. Earlier, she served on the Schwab Advisor Services Advisory Board from 2018 to 2020 and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation investment committee from 2012 to 2018. Closer to home, she has supported The BASIC Fund, which helps low-income Bay Area families afford private school tuition, and the selection committee for the Philanthropic Venture Foundation’s 2022 Women of Courage Award, which honors young women in San Mateo County for courage in service to others.

Sonya’s recent recognitions include the Family Wealth Report’s Women in Wealth Advisory (Individual) award, won in 2022 and 2023, and Women in Wealth Advocate of the Year at the 2026 Private Asset Management Awards, presented by With Intelligence.*

Outside of Bailard, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and travels often, including return trips to India, her home country.

* These recognitions do not evaluate the quality of services provided by Bailard and are not indicative of Bailard’s future performance. Private Asset Management’s 2026 Women in Wealth Advisory of the Year award was presented by With Intelligence in February 2026. Family Wealth Report’s Women in Wealth Advisory awards were presented by ClearView Financial Media in June 2023 and 2022. There were no costs to enter. Additional detail regarding award criteria and methodologies is available in the linked award materials above.