Voice of Experience: Sarah Sherber, Managing Director, Head of Securitized Products IT and Cross Product Operations Technology, Barclays Capital
By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
After spending almost 30 years working in technology, Sarah Sherber, Managing Director and Head of Securitized Products IT and Cross Product Operations Technology at Barclays Capital, has seen the industry change and grow. With a career that has brought her to almost every major financial services company, Sherber has managed to climb the corporate ladder and remain fascinated by her work.
Building a Career in Tech, from Star Wars to Dodd Frank
Sherber majored in computer science at the University of Michigan. “Reagan was president, and there was a big push into Star Wars,” she said with a laugh. “So I went to work for a defense contractor. One of my first jobs was writing software for F14s.”
Soon afterward, Sherber took a job in the consulting division of Arthur Andersen. There she worked on a wide assortment of assignments including a retail mortgage lending system. When she wanted to return to New York she interviewed with Goldman Sachs for a role in the firm’s mortgage research division and was offered a job. After spending three years at Goldman Sachs, Sherber moved to Bear Stearns to work in the financial analytics and structured transactions group. Then she moved to Credit Suisse, to work in its mortgage research group, and later in IT.
After seven years, she said “It was time to move on again.” She took a role at UBS running its mortgage technology group. “Then five years ago, I came to Barclays Capital.”
As head of the securitized products and the cross product technology groups, Sherber deals with mortgage-backed securities, payments, reconciliation and confirmation of trades and reference data. In fact, she said, making managing director at Barclays Capital is her proudest professional achievement.
Currently, she is enjoying learning about cross product operations and reference data. She said, “I’m learning something new again, so I’m out of my comfort zone. But it’s exciting – and somewhat scary – both groups span every part of the firm.”
She added, “Everything – front, middle, and back office – depends on reference data. I’m really jazzed about it!”
Sherber said issues around data and systems are facing scrutiny more than ever before. She explained, “Regulatory issues affect almost every part of what I do. I’m thinking about how Dodd Frank is going to affect trading and reporting. And with regard to reference data – all the information we see on clients and products is something that we have to constantly track.”
Women in Technology
“I don’t think there are any barriers for women in technology, per se. But I do think one of the biggest issues is a lack of role models. People want to see individuals like them who are where they want to go,” Sherber explained.
“When I started my career there were not a lot of women – of course, I was working in defense industry. For women in technology and in the investment banking industry, once you get to a certain level there aren’t many role models.”
Young women, said Sherber, should be willing to take more risks. “Do something outside your comfort zone.” She also pointed out the self-promotion issue. “We expect a reward for doing a good job, but you have to be a self-promoter. Raise your hand! Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you.”
Sherber said learning to compromise was also an important career lesson. She recalled, “The biggest thing is knowing which battles to fight. When I first started out, I always had to win every fight – and I realized you don’t get where you want to be with that mindset.”
As women advance in their careers, she said, they need to actively search for mentors and sponsors. “Actively build your fan base. You need sponsors to get to the next level. It takes a team.”
She continued, “For me, just having someone to vent to, to bounce ideas off of, was invaluable. And this totally reinforces the importance of building networks. At Barclays Capital, we have our Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), which is a great organization. It’s currently kicking off several initiatives – like leadership training, networking and recruiting.”
Sherber is also a founder of Barclays Capital’s Women in Technology group, which provides a more focused networking environment for women in IT at the firm.
In Her Personal Time
“I’m an adventure vacation junkie,” Sherber exclaimed, whether scuba diving off of Papua New Guinea, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, or biking through Vietnam, Sherber enjoys an active lifestyle.
She also makes time for charity, particularly the Komen Race for the Cure, which is sponsored by Barclays Capital’s WIN. “Breast cancer is something that affects so many women, your friends and your family, so I feel strongly about participating,” she added.
