Voice Of Experience: Pam Dunsky, Managing Director, Client Services Technology at TIAA-CREF

“In today’s business of constantly adapting to keep pace with the rapid growth of digital technology you have to stay centered to be successful on this dynamic journey called a career. With all of the different twists that you encounter over the course of your career, there’s a lot that can throw you off track,” says Pam Dunsky, Managing Director at TIAA-CREF.

Dunsky knows that keeping centered in thoughts, energy and mood is an important discipline to find both in work and in day to day life.While for some this may be achieved through yoga, meditation, the gym, or music, for her being centered has come through her training in martial arts. Dunsky elaborates, “Tying together my personal passion, with my business life, has allowed me to use my training to keep perspective and balance dealing with it all— both personally and professionally.”

Trained in martial arts for more than 20 years, Dunsky travels regularly to Japan, and she and her husband own their own school where she teaches and trains. She enjoys the physical aspects but also the discipline and value of lifelong learning. Dunsky sees many parallels between martial arts and the business world, and uses that thinking to strategize and help others navigate the day.

Starting Out Strong

Prior to delving into the martial arts, Dunsky graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in computer science. This led to her first position as an intern with Mead Data Central (now LexisNexis). The company was such a good fit that she worked there three different times as it grew from 300 employees to 4500, and alternated stints with AT&T in the interim – flexibility was crucial at that time as her husband completed medical school.

Dunsky had a well-rounded early career, moving across all technology delivery groups with positions including: development, project management, management of software delivery, applied research, infrastructure and data systems. Additionally, she acquired experience in a diverse set of industries including electronic publishing, telecommunications and financial services. Landing in financial services with Fidelity Investments in 2001, Dunsky joined TIAA-CREF in 2011 because she loved the firm’s values, and its commitment to its clients’ financial well-being to and through retirement.

Overseeing a Transformation

Since joining TIAA-CREF, Dunsky has taken on a challenging role as a transformative leader, and was recently promoted to the IT Leadership team. With over 800 staff members in her organization, she is excited about spearheading the expansive efforts to transform the firm’s operating model in the retirement space. “We are making great progress with this effort.Transformation requires a focus on customers and a strong collaboration between business and IT when it comes to envisioning, planning, designing and executing the type of changes that impact across the entire organization.Change is hard and it takes leadership at many levels every day to make it happen,” she says.

Dunsky has been focusing on process leadership, change management and agile delivery models.She recognizes that this is a constant learning process, but knows that collaboration, strategic thinking and pragmatic customer-centric actions will keep her team on the right path. What we need to deliver through technology is rapidly changing, but so are the ways we work.And women have unique and very effective skills to bring to many of the emerging models.

Advice from the Top

Dunsky does not shy away from a change or challenge at work, nor does she overlook the importance of building networks and having coaches and mentors. “Over the course of time you get a full appreciation of the importance of a diverse network and building relationships with people from whom you can gain continual support and dialogue over a long career.”

She urges women not to sell themselves short, but to always be ready and prepared to go after opportunities, even before they arise. “While you may not be clear on what’s the next best step, being open to lots of possibilities and in dialogue with leaders around the organization to make sure your talents, contributions and interests are known really helps,” she says. “The best opportunities come from people making the connection to you when they hear of projects or positions that make them think of you, but they have to know you and know your capability and brand for that to happen.”

Women Make it Happen

Smart companies embrace women in technology, believes Dunsky. “We bring valuable, diverse perspectives. We are highly organized. We are able to lead, collaborate and deliver in all aspects of design and execution.”

Dunsky has been involved in TIAA-CREF’s IT women’s network, as well as in its Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), for which she is starting a new chapter in New Jersey. Both organizations have shown the ability to drive tremendous engagement and forward the development of women in business and technology. Dunsky also devotes significant time to mentoring and coaching other women in the organization. She recently participated in the kickoff event for a group mentoring program to share experiences and to encourage other women to join take advantage of mentoring opportunities.

“We have to continue to find and leverage talented women in technology. The number of women coming into IT from universities has been declining, but there are more diverse roles in and around technology in the digital age than ever before.IT has been a tremendous career opportunity with challenging work and extremely bright and capable colleagues.

“Lean In discussions over the past few years have done a lot to reenergize the conversation of women — for clarifying their ambitions and seeing all the opportunities around them.We have so much to offer to the company and to each other in our unique journeys and that is one of the things I love about my work every day,” Dunsky says.

For growth of women in technology to continue, she sees a serious need to engage with schools and support programs to encourage technology as a possibility for young women.Young women are often entrepreneurial, confident and not afraid to try new things.Helping them get their start can be rewarding for both parties.

Dunsky is optimistic about the opportunities for both young females, and herself, in the evolving world of technology.