Movers and Shakers: Liz Cornish, Author, Leadership Expert, Executive Coach and International Adventurer

LizCornish photoBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I’m very committed to making corporations be successful with the integration and promotion of women in leadership,” said Liz Cornish, an author, leadership expert, and the first women in the world to kayak the Zambezi River in Africa.

Describing her kayaking adventure, she said, “I talked my way across the border, navigated around crocodiles and hippos, and put myself into the complete unknown, traveling alone. If you just throw yourself in – it beats staying under the covers or on the pavement. And this goes beyond travel.”

“Risk is what you perceive it to be,” she said. “I think women hold themselves back because of unproductive fears I work with senior leaders to help them to understand the risk and move fear from a career limiter to a productive tool.”

Learning how to manage physical risk, Cornish has now soled above the Arctic Circle, led executives up Kilimanjaro, run the 100th Boston Marathon, and completed the Escape from the Rock Triathlon in San Francisco (which begins with a swim from Alcatraz Island) – just to name a few of the tough physical and emotional challenges she’s triumphed over.

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Encouraging More Women to Pursue MBAs

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business schoolBy Andrea Newell (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

After decades of stagnant female enrollment in graduate business schools, The Financial Times reports that recently the numbers have begun to climb. Female enrollment is currently at an average of 37 percent, up from 33 percent five years ago and 30 percent 10 years ago. And it’s not just a U.S. phenomenon—top European business schools are reporting higher female enrollment as well.

While these numbers are still low, they can be seen as a success – the rise in enrollment follows a decade of serious efforts by non-profits, corporations, and universities to improve gender diversity at the MBA level.

But even still, there is a long way to go. Since an MBA can open many doors in the business world, why aren’t more women pursuing them? What is being done to improve these numbers?

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Ideas that Work: Getting the ‘Blokes’ on Board

Maureen Frank, Founder of Emberin

Maureen Frank, Founder of Emberin

Contributed by Anita Beasley, Director of Development, Emberin, outlining Telstra‘s 2010 Catalyst Award winning Next Generation Gender Diversity Initiative.

Australian business is a unique case study for women. On a global stage, Australia often punches above its weight with regards to issues and achievements, but not in the area of women’s leadership. In this area, Australia has some of the worst statistics in the western world! The average gender pay gap is 17.5% and at executive level this worsens to 28.3%. Women currently make up 45.4% of the workforce. 2% of Chairs in the ASX200 (Australian Stock Exchange Top 200 companies) are women. 8.3% of Board Directors in ASX200 are women and 10.7% of Executive Managers in the ASX are women.

There are many reasons for this and one of the main ones is the severe male dominance in the workplace and the unique Australian male psyche that accompanies this. It reinforces stereotypes and unconscious bias. Most men in the workforce come from a good place, they just don’t realise that their habits and business style unfortunately disadvantages women.

Telstra Corporation is Australia’s only Catalyst member. Since 2007, the company has set aggressive strategies in the area of gender diversity, and in early 2008 it recognised that something had to change dramatically to really start to see some shift in their organisation. Like many Australian organisations, Telstra’s record wasn’t great. In fact, the “a-ha” moment was around men.

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Ask-A-Career-Coach: Positioning Yourself for Big Versus Small Companies

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart™

What are the differences between hiring objectives of a small (startup) company versus a bigger corporation?

The job search does differ when you are targeting start-ups versus established firms. Getting information on and networking into smaller, newer firms requires deeper research and more resourcefulness. You probably have just one chance at the hiring manager in a small firm, while at a larger firm, there are more potential points of entry. Finally, as this questioner mentions, the hiring objectives and practices of a start-up will differ from a bigger corporation, and you will need to adjust your search accordingly.

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Time to Dig In: High–Ranking High Heels in Hedge Funds

Three business people sitting at a glass desk talkingBy Gigi DeVault (Munich)

Like some behemoth glacier that relentlessly exerts tremendous destructive force as it grinds its way to a final standstill, the financial crisis has pulverized the stalwart bedrock of global fiscal wellbeing. Engaged as we are in the massive scale clean-up of the debris of financial ruin – if the reader will further indulge this author’s use of metaphor—we may miss that the landscape is being naturally reshaped in places – pushed ahead like a terminal moraine that will ultimately provide a toe-hold for new forms of habitation.

One such structure of the financial landscape that is being subtly re-formed (and reformed) is the hedge fund. Women, a small minority of hedge fund managers, are helping investors find a smoother, safer, successful path to their goals.

Who are those guys?

Good or bad, the hedge fund industry tends to be populated by relatively young managers, a growing number of whom are women. According to a recent report entitled Sex Matters: Gender Differences in the Mutual Fund Industry, current estimates are that only 3% of the $1.5 trillion invested in hedge funds is managed by women.

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In Case You Missed It: Business News Round-Up

Beth 005Contributed by Beth Collinge of CTG – a division of ILX Group plc.

At the beginning of the week, the euro gained almost 2 per cent against the US dollar. Goldman Sachs has commenced negotiations with the SEC in order to try and reach an out-of-court settlement of the agency’s civil fraud action against the bank.

Economic Backdrop

  • In the currency markets, sterling initially rose against the dollar after the announcement of the UK’s Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition. Investors in Europe had been buyers of sterling, as they see the UK as a safe haven compared to the turbulence in Europe. However, sterling ended the week lower after the Bank of England issued a doveish inflation report, indicating continuing low interest rates.
  • At the beginning of the week, the euro gained almost 2 per cent against the US dollar, when the European Union and the International Monetary Fund announced an emergency funding facility worth as much as €720bn (£625bn). The stabilisation scheme consists of government-backed loan guarantees and bilateral loans worth up to €440bn provided by eurozone members; a further €60bn supported by all EU members; and up to €220bn provided by the IMF.
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Voice of Experience: Anne Weisberg, Director, Talent, Deloitte

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weisberg photo (2)By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I have to say I love my job,” said Anne Weisberg, a Director in Talent at Deloitte. “It’s a big part of why I feel good about my work/life fit. You have to love what you do, or the sacrifices don’t feel worth it.”

Weisberg, having worked as a lawyer and a consultant, as well as having authored two books and several studies, is an expert on the issue of work/life fit. A frequent and passionate speaker on work/life issues, the importance of gender diversity in the workplace, and other talent issues, Weisberg is working to shift the structural norms that make it difficult for women and men to achieve their full potential in the workplace.

Her career and expertise is built around her own personal experiences. She explains, “I graduated from Harvard Law School in 1985 – when I was five months pregnant. I’ve been a working mom for my entire professional life.”

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Voice of Experience: ML Krakauer, SVP, Technology Solutions and Services, EMC

ML_KrakauerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“One of the things I would encourage is to move broadly. Get as many cross functional experiences as possible – gain multiple lenses to approach issues,” said ML Krakauer, SVP, Technology Solutions and Services at EMC.

Throughout her career, Krakauer has filled a variety of roles: positions in the field and in corporate, as a general manager, and as a functional leader. She says, “From an experience point of view it’s one of the things I count myself very lucky around.”

“One of the things I love about all of the experiences I have had is the very broad view of issues and operations,” which, Krakauer says, has allowed her to become adept at finding multiple ways to solve problems.

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Voice of Experience: Melissa Goldman, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs and Head of Credit Risk, Collateral Management and Cross Divisional Projects, Technology

Melissa_GoldmanBy Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)

Melissa Goldman, a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and Head of Credit Risk, Collateral Management and Cross Divisional Projects within the Technology division said, “My sister – who grew up with a disability and was wheelchair-bound all of her life – was valedictorian of our high school.” Goldman credits her sister, who passed away around three years ago, with inspiring her to reach higher every day. “It was really about how she operated in the world. Not only was she the most intelligent person I knew, she was also someone who had every reason to be bitter and angry about the hand she was dealt in terms of her physical limitations.’’

Recalling her sister’s inspiring energy, passion for the work she did, and the way she pushed herself and others to always do better, Goldman said, “It is amazing the positive effect she had on the people around her in her all-too-short-lifetime – not only in her professional and academic life, but in her personal life as well. She had the kind of relationships and impact on people most of us would only dare to dream of.” Goldman noted that she tries to make her sister a part of her daily life: “She is a constant reminder of what it means to have challenges, to have tolerance and to persevere.”

Goldman, a Long Island, New York native, studied applied mathematics and computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. “I have always been interested in problem solving and puzzles – always trying to find the best way to get from here to there.” A summer program at the university after her junior year of high school led her to forgo her senior year in favor of early admission. Upon graduation, she was immediately drawn to consulting. She took an entry level job with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) as an analyst in the technical consulting practice. While she found it fun and challenging, she began to realize that it wasn’t exactly the best fit for her.

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Voice of Experience: Stephanie Fohn, CEO, WhiteHat Security

fohnBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Really, what I am is an entrepreneur,” said Stephanie Fohn, CEO of WhiteHat Security. “I found out very early on that what I love to do is create something from nothing.”

Fohn is emphatic about her love of entrepreneurship. “I love being an entrepreneur and I feel very strongly about creating – whether creating companies, jobs, or security, which has a positive impact around the world.”

“I would like to see all women become CEOs or COOs,” she said. “The biggest thing is to find something that you love to do – and not everyone can – and stick with it. Don’t give up. It’s so challenging and rewarding.”

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