Movers and Shakers: Marilyn Nagel, CEO, Watermark
By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
“There are so many things I know now that I wish I had known when I was younger,” Marilyn Nagel said with a laugh. Nagel, CEO of Watermark, continued, “I think the biggest thing I wish I had known is that who is in your network is just as important as the work you deliver. I had a belief that a company was more of a meritocracy and my work would stand on its own.”
“But the truth is, doing excellent work is table stakes. Having a network to support you is what is going to help you and make you successful in the long run.”
That view fits nicely with the work Watermark is doing to connect powerful professional women. “I think that we have to continue to refine our offerings and what we do. We want to help women make their mark in and for their careers, their companies and their communities.”
The group organizes networking events for professional women, development programs, and advocates for diversity, particularly in the boardroom. “I think we are at an inflection point,” she added. “Women are still facing inequality in pay, despite strong data showing that companies are do better when they have a strong gender mix. Open positions are still being filled with people who are already known and that just perpetuates the status quo. But I think pay equity and better board balance will change that.”
She added, “I feel very privileged to lead Watermark, an organization that fits with my values and passion around making a difference. The women I work with are just a treasure.”
Career Path in Diversity
After earning her second master’s degree in Social and Systemic Studies at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, Nagel began working in the non-profit sector, where she spent the first third of her career. Eventually, she worked in consulting and then moved into the private sector, working for Fortune 100 companies like American Express and Cisco.
“My focus has always been on organizational development,” she explained, “in particular executive development. Understanding the way people learn was what first sparked my interest in diversity. I was interested in understanding different learning styles and backgrounds.”
She began leading large-scale development and diversity work, and eventually became Chief Diversity Officer at Cisco. “My proudest achievement is implementing policies, processes, and programs that support a level playing field for all,” she said. “Based on my experience at Cisco, I’d say that polices and programs tend to have a more lasting effect than initiatives.”
While Nagel was Chief Diversity Officer, Cisco implemented formal flexible workplace practices and polices to enable people to off-ramp and come back to the company after a two-year period. During her tenure, the company was also one of the first to “true up” salaries for same-sex couples, who pay more in federal taxes than heterosexual couples.
Two years ago, Nagel moved to Watermark as CEO. “I wanted to return to my roots in the non-profit sector. I had an amazing opportunity to make a difference at Cisco, but at Watermark I’m able to have a narrower focus, and continue in that same vein to make a difference for women on a large scale while continuing to enhance my advocacy work.”
She continued, “I think you have a lot more freedom working for a non-profit that you don’t have in the corporate system. You can be more provocative, less concerned about customer relations. You can advocate in a way you can’t in the corporate environment.”
Advice for Professional Women
Nagel’s advice for professional women is to “get a sponsor or an advocate.” She explained, “A sponsor is someone who can help you achieve your career goals and open doors for you. It’s a higher level of action than that of a mentor.”
She also encouraged women to take bigger risks. “Get out of your comfort zone and don’t wait to be asked. Don’t take yourself too seriously. I find that we as women tend to overanalyze, focusing on ‘What if they say no?’ rather than taking action and letting go if it doesn’t work.”
She encouraged more senior women to “pay it forward.” She explained, “One of the things we’ve learned at Watermark through our emerging leaders program is that we also need to be a voice for women supporting women, and shift the mythology around women not being supportive of one another.”
Also, she added, “You’ve got to have fun.”
In Her Personal Time
“My family is very important to me,” Nagel said. “I am blessed to have an amazing husband who is supportive of me and a partner, along with two fantastic children who are both married and have children of their own. It makes me so proud to be part of this ongoing legacy of a family. I feel extremely fortunate.”
As usual, Marilyn is right on the money! As women, we’ve been conditioned to be good students so it follows that we’d carry that into the workplace. But the truth is that it’s the high quality relationships we form that will make the difference not only in our careers but in our lives. The best advice for an ambitious woman just starting out is to know that the work is the price of admission but if all she does is work, the only thing she’d get from it is …more work. S o many women fall into this trap and then complain about not getting a seat at the table. The work doesn’t necessarily earn the seat, the ability to influence does and influence doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes relationship building and visibility so instead, I urge them to take time every day to forge relationships up, down and laterally. Again, aside from benefitting one’s career, it makes for a much richer quality of life.
One word about sponsoring: while there’s no doubt having someone with juice pushing or pulling for us is an asset, one of the problems I see is that the practice simply isn’t scalable. The numbers just don’t add up for the women –still at critical mass –at the cusp of draining out of the ranks. Besides, sponsors risk political capital when they sign on which presumably makes them highly selective in their choice of the sponsored. This reduces access even more.
Yes, we desperately need more women at the top — the evidence about the value of women leaders is clear. the first step is engagement and retention to keep them in the running and we know from the past that institutional fixes are incomplete and, in some instances, largely ineffective at shifting the numbers at the top. As with most complex issues, the remedy is not a magic bullet but rather a combination of elements that can flex to the needs of each individual who, in turn, has to invest and be accountable herself. One such element is what I call “the golf effect” — metaphorical of course — which means that women have to find a way to be where the informal conversations take place. In the end, people hire, do business with and promote those that they like and trust.
Great article! We all need sponsors/advocates regardless of our level, and we also need to be a sponsor/advocate for others! Who are you sponsoring?