As one of nine siblings, Agnes Mullady is no stranger to competition.“It was controlled chaos,” Mullady says of growing up in a large family. “But individually we strived to do the best we could, and collectively we shared in each other’s accomplishments. And still do. It is a lot like where I work now.”Where she works now—as the president and COO—is Gabelli Funds, a division of the Rye-based financial services firm GAMCO Investors, which was founded by celebrated investor and analyst Mario Gabelli in 1977. Mullady has overseen a $10 billion growth in the firm’s mutual fund and closed-end business—from $14.2 billion to nearly $25 billion today—since joining the firm in 2005, but she’s eager to give her colleagues all the credit.“I work with a lot of very intelligent, highly motivated folks,” she says.Mullady spent much of her early career in the startup world, and she says that experience serves her well in the entrepreneurial environment of Gabelli.“I really enjoy the challenge of the test I’ve been assigned to and the diversity of the work it allows me to do,” she says. “I consider it an achievement that I enjoy my work and love what I do.”