Denise Wyllie, Partner, Goldman Sachs

Denise WyllieWhen Denise Wyllie joined the financial services industry, it was even more heavily male-dominated, but she believes progress has been made.

“When I initially joined the sector, there were very few women in leadership positions,” she says, but notes this did not hold her back from achieving her goals.

“As women strive to become more senior, they need to embrace their career and remember they would not be in their current role if they were not good at their job, and they also need to trust the process.” She adds that success in many ways is more an attitude than a skill. “You have to embrace your role with 100 percent energy, passion and commitment – take risks and if they don’t pan out then try something new.”

Wyllie also notes, “You also have to accept that you can’t have it all, all of the time, therefore at points in your career something may have to give – that’s ok but make sure it’s your decision.”

Advancing Her Career by Approaching Challenges Head On

As a “STEM student” before it became a common acronym, Wyllie studied biochemistry at university. While she initially considered a career in the sciences, she decided eventually to pursue a business career. Her first role was as a graduate trainee at the largest brewing company in the UK – the first female ever hired to train as a brewer and production engineer. In this role, she was able to leverage her biochemical degree and received fantastic managerial training, overseeing an all-male team on the brewing production line.

After nearly three years in this role, Wyllie decided she wanted to pursue a new challenge. She scoured the Sunday Times’ career section and was intrigued by an ad for Citibank in London, searching for people with engineering or manufacturing backgrounds to work in their Foreign Exchange & Treasury Division. Wyllie went on to work at Citi in a number of management and project roles across Europe for four years. She ultimately joined Goldman Sachs after she was recruited by a former coworker.

Wyllie spent the majority of the past 24 years in operational roles in commodities, derivatives, and as co-COO of the global Operations Division, with specific responsibility for Europe, India and Asia Pacific. In 2016, she transferred to Hong Kong, where she now serves as head of the Federation for Asia Pacific, operating as the COO for the region. In this role, she supports all of the firm’s business activities across the region, which she calls “massively exciting,” due to daily challenges and curveballs.

However, what she finds most thrilling is the opportunity for Goldman Sachs and the broader finance industry to potentially expand in China in the coming years. “Although it can be frustrating that markets aren’t opening up more quickly, we are on the cusp, and long after I’m retired I’ll look back and see the impact my team and I had to help move the firm forward,” she says.

In fact, building her team is one of the professional achievements Wyllie is most proud of – along with becoming one of Goldman Sachs’ female partners.

She notes that observing the number of people she’s hired and mentored, who have grown from analyst to Managing Director and even Partner, is extremely rewarding. “When I see my team flourish personally and professionally, it is very gratifying to think that I may have had a bit of an impact on them along the way.”

Balancing Outside Interests: 72 Countries & Counting

Wyllie is proud to be involved with Goldman Sachs’ affinity networks, including those serving women, military members and the LGBT community. She also is currently working with colleagues in London on “Music in Mind,” a charity that uses music to help promote wellbeing in people with Alzheimer’s as well as provide support for family members taking care of those with the disease. She has also worked closely with Opportunity International, which provides small loans predominantly to entrepreneurs in Africa, with the aim of pulling them out of poverty.

Wyllie is a firm believer in the importance of taking every vacation day you’re given to maintain both mental and physical health, as it will allow you to enjoy your job more as well as give you sustainability and longevity to your career. “As much as we love our careers, we all need a break!” She encourages others to “take advantage of down time to reflect on your career and your business. Often, it’s only when you have some time off that you really have ‘space’ to think.”

She also loves to travel, having visited an impressive 72 countries. Her favorite sojourns include going on safari – either Africa or India – to see wildlife. She also visits the UK frequently to see friends and family, and she stays active by going to the gym regularly and loves weight lifting as well as skiing, scuba diving and horse riding.

By Cathie Ericson

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4 ways to know it’s time to ask for more from your job

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Woman-on-a-ladder-searching

Guest Contributed by Deepa Ramaraj

According to a recent US census, only 19% of women executives reach the highest ranks of business.

The same census showed that the fastest growing demographic of business owners in the USA today are women-owned businesses.

Before you leave your corporate job, ask yourself questions about your aptitudes, aspirations and what really drives you to succeed? The below questions may help you to be better equipped to know if now is the time to ask for more from your job and may give you more clarity about what direction you could consider taking.

1. What will my life be like in 5 years if I keep this job?

If you were promoted, what is the level of responsibility and what are the daily tasks of this new position? Is this something that you are willing to take on? Is the level of salary increase over the next 5 years in this position something that you are excited about receiving or is it lacklustre? According to 2018 forecasts, most executive positions can only expect a 3% salary increase, barely keeping up with cost of living. Is working in this job creating difficulties in any other area of your life? Personally? Physically? Relationships? Health? Mental Health? Note down what impressions that you have about keeping this job in all of these factors.

2. What will my life be like in 5 years if I don’t keep this job?

What if you could decide for yourself what your life will be like if you don’t keep this current job? What are the other opportunities for employment? What marketplace demand is there for your skills and what salaries are being offered to seasoned entrants? What is your value proposition as a candidate, how will you shine? Could you choose to take time off right now or choose a different path?

3. What do I love about this job?

Challenge yourself to write 25 things that you actually love about the job that you are in. The 80/20 rule could be applied to your work. If 80% of your job is taken up with things that you enjoy and feel masterful about and only 20% of your job is not, then you are probably in a sustainable career for you. If it is the opposite, it may be time to consider a change. What else is possible for you to love about this job that isn’t obvious at the moment? Sometimes we get bogged down and don’t actually ask for the job to be enjoyable.

4. Is now the time to change?

Jumping back to fantasizing about winning a lottery or having an astonishing inheritance come in so you can retire from working altogether, which of course would be wonderful, realistically is now the time to actually ask for more from your job? What are you aware of politically from the company structure? Could you be promoted? Could you ask for more responsibility and get a pay raise or more benefits that would add to your life?

What if it’s possible to ignite a fire under your current job and develop it into something more profitable, something that you are excited to arrive at every morning? Asking and answering the above questions will start to point at possible changes that you can make to your job and your life, to increase the level of satisfaction and joy. Yes, it is possible to have both satisfaction and joy at work and settling for anything less is just that.

About the author

Deepa Ramaraj is a Computer Science Engineer turned Health and Wealth Educator, as well as a Right Riches for You facilitator, a specialty program from Access Consciousness. Deepa facilitates workshops for corporate companies to boost sales, to dissolve interpersonal or inter-departmental challenges and to transform the way business is done. These workshops are totally unconventional in approach. She also conducts workshops for individuals about how to receive more money, reduce stress, have better relationships, improve health and upskill as a parent.

Disclaimer: The opinions and advice of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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3 Easy Ways to Know What Job You Want to Do Next

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By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

Staying in the job, after the love has gone?

We have all done it, we have all stayed in a position at work that just did not excite us anymore on any level. The reasons that keep us there can vary but more often than not, it is a combination of wanting the security/ money and not believing that there is a better situation out there for us. Confidence, or lack of it for people who have never had a confidence issue before, can be very daunting.

It is normal to ask yourself, ‘But what would i do?’

The answer to that question is very personal and individual but in broad strokes my bet is that you could do a range of things inside or outside of your current firm and even industry.

Isn’t it time to do what you want to do? I mean, you probably have more skills than you give yourself credit for and probably most of them are entirely transferable.

Here are 3 steps to get closer to your ideal job.

1. Make a list of what you like doing
2. Then make a list of what you do not like doing
3. Make a list of the tasks you would be doing in a more ideal situation 12 months from now.

I am mentioning tasks, because often we talk about roles or responsibilities instead of tasks. Roles like, I want to manage people doesn’t actually define what is your task or the tasks they are doing that you will be responsible for, so go granular in this exercise.

What comes out of this simple exercise for you?

If you want to work with an executive coach on this and and then the advanced exercises that will take you to your next job, contact nicki@theglasshammer.com

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Voice of Experience: Diane Gabriel, Wells Fargo Advisors

Diane Gabriel“Say yes,” recommends Wells Fargo Advisors’ Diane Gabriel.

“There will be lots of risks and challenges, but embracing them brings opportunities and rewards.”

She finds that women tend to be more risk adverse and turn down opportunities because they don’t think they’re ready for them, but that can be counterproductive. “If you turn something down, you might not get the chance again.”

In fact, one of her favorite sayings is “Leap, and the net will appear.”

Words she lives by herself, based on her career trajectory.

Succeeding as a Woman in a Man’s World

Gabriel launched her career in 1982 – a time when only 10 percent of advisors were female – as a 21-year-old only female advisor at a branch full of men. Having grown up with older brothers and a supportive family, she was undaunted by the male-dominated, competitive environment, and in fact, thrived.

She became the company’s youngest officer at age 25 and then was asked to open a branch at 26. They sold the branch to a predecessor firm to her current organization, and she continued as a producing branch manager. Based on her success, she was tapped to help launch the firm’s independent broker-dealer. From there, she managed the online brokerage channel, and their phone-based advisor teams.

Seeing the Opportunities in the Next Generation

In 2017 Gabriel was asked to lead Wells Fargo Advisors’ Next Generation Talent Program, overseeing four financial advisor programs and one branch manager leadership program.

Being part of this groundbreaking effort is the professional achievement she is most proud of so far, parlaying her passion into having a hand in attracting almost 1,000 talented financial advisors to the brokerage industry.

“Leading our efforts across the Next Gen advisor and manager programs means ensuring that we are truly changing the face of the financial advisor workforce and ensuring its diversity,” she says. She is proud that today the program is about 40 percent “diverse,” not only in ethnicity and gender, but encompassing different ages, abilities and experiences.

The reason the program has been able to attract such a diverse group is because it takes an industry standard – a variable based compensation model — and modifies it to allow for a longer runway with salary and bonus-based compensation, while advisors learn about the industry. That, combined with the program philosophy of teaming and mentoring, has resulted in an overwhelming 82 percent retention rate.

“Because we eliminated the sink-or-swim mentality the industry embraced for so many years, our program is encouraging a wider swath of those who can bring a myriad of advice and viewpoints to clients,” Gabriel says. “It also allows us to address client needs too; for example, it will allow our team to nurture the next generation of clients, as surveys have found that an overwhelming number of children of existing clients prefer a financial advisor closer to their age.”

It also allows the transfer of clients from seasoned advisors whose book of business has grown too large to adequately service them to a newer advisor with more capacity for developing the relationships needed for ongoing success.

In addition, the firm continues to expand its use of technology. “It enhances how we interact with clients and specifically attracts that younger generation who wants to work with us in a different way.” And by bringing in younger advisors, the firm have the chance to reverse-mentor the more mature advisors and help them embrace this technology too, she notes.

Attracting younger advisors is a key goal of the program, and Gabriel says outreach to the next generation must start early. She has recently started the Community Champion program as a new means to create and maintain a pipeline of talented and diverse prospects for the Next Generation Talent roles. This program encourages financial advisors and leaders to engage with diverse organizations in their communities in an effort to educate diverse job seekers about Next Gen talent opportunities.

Although the industry has changed, it is still largely male-dominated, and women who are going to succeed have to be ready to stand shoulder to shoulder in an environment of men. However, Gabriel adds, “Studies show that the majority of women have said they would prefer to work with a female advisor so gender could be advantageous in this instance.”

Gabriel recommends finding mentors of both genders, identifying professionals you admire, creating your own “board of advisors” and then spending time with them to help build the qualities and standards you want to emulate.

Additional Programs Focused on Women’s Needs

In adding to the Next Generation Talent efforts, Gabriel has been active with Wells Fargo Advisor’s multiple programs designed to reach women. Eleven years ago, she started and has since served as co-chair of the National Women’s Summit, where between 300 and 500 top female financial advisors and managers from around the country are invited for personal and professional development. It’s a breath of fresh air for many of the women who are the only females in their office, yet male “allies” are also invited to the event.

She also helps to spearhead the firm’s Best Practice Forum where its leaders visit 10 -12 markets annually for all-day events for local advisors and managers, along with clients and prospects, that feature meaningful presentations and provides other networking opportunities.

Another program is the Women’s Business Exchange, which consists of monthly phone calls in which female team members share about a variety of topics and best practices.

And finally, Gabriel is also involved in the Women’s Team Member Network, which features speakers from across Wells Fargo’s enterprise and also includes mentoring and community service activities.

Outside of work, Gabriel continues to share her passion for the industry by acting as an executive sponsor of a program at Harris-Stowe State University, a historically black college in St. Louis with mostly first-generation students who may not have had exposure to job searching and interview skills. “I help students with everything from formatting a resume to cultivating a firm handshake,” she says. “If we want a more diverse and younger generation to join the industry, we have to help them be prepared.”

A passionate animal lover, she also spends time at shelters helping get pets ready for adoption.

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OpEd: Talking about Harassment in the Workplace

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sexual harassment

Guest contributed by Stacey Engle

Women empowerment movements have been a prevalent force over the past year, from #metoo to #timesup.

The individual and collective impact of these movements has varied, as have the conversations we have had surrounding these topics – both at work, and at home.

At Fierce Conversations, we wanted to get a sense of how recent social movements have impacted the workplace, if at all. We asked more than 1,000 full and part-time employed individuals in the U.S. questions about current social movements, along with how their personal outlook has shifted over the past year.

Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed have discussed gender equality (including the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements), yet most of these conversations are occurring with friends and family, not within the workplace:

  • 44% have discussed with friends
  • 40% with family
  • 25% with colleagues
  • 8% with boss/supervisor
  • 3% with company leaders

While we weren’t surprised to see that the topic came up more with those we feel closest to outside the office, these low numbers within the workplace signal a clear disconnect between issues that matter and affect our lives, and the amount of recognition these issues are receiving in our places of work.

And these numbers only increase when we look at gender and age. More women than men (58% vs 47%) have had conversations about gender equality; 49% of women have discussed the topic with their friends, while just 37% of men say the same.

Younger Americans are also talking about these issues at much higher rates. More than two-thirds of those 18-29 have had a conversation about these movements; just 53% of those 60+ say the same.

Given the reality that older men make up the majority of CEOs and company leaders today, these numbers are concerning. These social issues may not be top of mind for these leaders, but it’s imperative that they recognize their employees are discussing these matters outside of work, and respond accordingly by addressing them within their organizations. It is imperative for women in leadership roles, even those not at the very top, to ensure these are topics aren’t brushed under the rug.

The good news is that, despite these conversations not taking place in droves at work, these movements appear to be making an impact in how empowered individuals feel today than they did a year ago.

Almost half (48 percent) of those surveyed said they are more likely to stick up for themselves than they were a year ago, and another 40 percent are more likely to stand up for a colleague. Thirty percent are more likely to address a colleague directly for inappropriate behavior, such as a racist joke or unwelcome flirting, than they were a year ago.

This data varies by gender; 55 percent of women are more likely to stick up for themselves than they were a year ago; just 36 percent of men say the same. Forty-two percent of women are more likely to stand up for a colleague; just 34 percent of men say the same.

There is very cleary a more significant shift here with women in their comfort level in speaking up, and we believe with the right conversation skills, these numbers can be even greater.

Conversations around equality are necessary, and every employee should feel comfortable discussing these issues, especially if they have experienced or witnessed any type of discrimination. Not feeling comfortable enough to speak up is the reason we have seen systemic issues at many organizations over the past year.

A barrier that many struggle with, however, is how to come up with an organizational perspective on these issues, if they don’t truly understanding the specific issues their company is facing. Here are some tips we recommend to move in the right direction:

  • Ask your employees the right questions. Many team meetings and one-on-ones are focused on the work at hand and don’t venture into larger, equally important topics. Change that. Ask your employees how they feel about the diversity of the organization, raise any issues you have seen and talk about them directly. Putting issues out in the open leads to others feeling safer to bring up concerns.
  • Encourage your employees to stand up for themselves. The results of our survey show some great progress in more individuals addressing issues in head on, which in many cases can lead to issues being addressed before they get out of hand. When issues are addressed early and often, everyone benefits.
  • Be accessible. The survey found that while only 30% are more likely to address a colleague for inappropriate behavior directly–this includes behaviors such as racist jokes, unwelcome flirting, etc.–just 20% are more likely to address said behavior with a supervisor. It’s important for employees to be able to confront their colleagues directly, but if the issue is not resolved, they need to feel comfortable bringing up the issue to their supervisor. Knowing your employees can and do share with you any issue they have is the best and most efficient way to ensure you can address any larger trends that arise.
  • Ensure you, and your employees, have the tools to have tough conversations. You, and all of your employees, must have the skills to bring up hard issues and address them head on. Avoiding, ignoring or brushing small issues under the rug will only lead to larger, more detrimental problems down the line. Given the right tools, confrontation can be a great learning opportunity for everyone involved.

At the end of the day, conversations about gender equality are necessary and need to happen to ensure your organization is addressing any and all issues as they arise, and that your employees feel safe and encouraged to come forward if necessary.

Stacey Engle believes meeting the needs of clients start with truly understanding the challenges they face. As a result, she is always connected—to clients, the latest trends, and the newest opportunities.

Stacey is a passionate self-starter with over ten years’ experience helping to build businesses through smart go-to market and innovative people strategies. As executive vice president sales and marketing at Fierce Conversations, Stacey leads the marketing and sales strategies, along with branding efforts for the company. Over the past 7 years, Stacey has been key a driver in Fierce’s double digit growth, landing the company consistently on the Inc.5000 list as well as receiving consecutive Best Places to Work and design awards.

Stacey is very passionate about community work, serving on boards and offering pro-bono work with the University of Washington, various arts organizations, and community initiatives. She was recently awarded the Outstanding Alumni Mentor Award from the University of Washington with her work in founding a professional development board that connects students with transformational experiences from workshops to global opportunities.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of the glasshammer.com

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The 3 Best Ways Busy Professionals Can Reduce Stress and Start Thriving

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women stressed

Guest Contributed by Julie Morris

Ask busy professional women about what she most desires, and a lot will wish to reduce stress.

If you feel like you’re living on the proverbial hamster wheel, it’s time to make small changes to your day to reduce stress and save your sanity. Our tips will help you thrive instead of just get by.

1. Multitask in your personal life

Busy professionals are the rock stars of multitasking. But, multitasking for work is very different from multitasking for yourself. In fact, multitasking may be the wrong word to use. According to Entrepreneur, your brain time-shares rather than multitasks since it is only able to focus on a single task at a time. You must learn how to divvy up your time equally and effectively among tasks. How is this accomplished? Create a to-do list categorized into similar tasks so that your brain doesn’t have to totally change gears. Be sure to always keep your list visible so that you don’t feel that rush of accomplishment, only to realize you have more to do. If you start feeling overwhelmed, remember it’s okay to take a step back and get re-focused. In the future, saying “no” is an option too to avoid getting burnt out.

2. Use Your Lunch Hour to Reduce Stress and Refocus

Unfortunately, Americans take only a portion of their lunch break to eat, or they skip lunch altogether. According to the New York Post, one survey found that 50 percent of workers take 30 minutes or fewer on their lunch hour and that 29 percent work through lunch. Some of the best ways to reclaim your lunchtime include leaving the office to have lunch with a friend or exercising outside with a co-worker or friend. To maximize the benefits of getting out of the office, meet a friend outside to eat for 30 minutes and spend the other 30 minutes walking, meditating, or doing yoga. Physical activity gives you the true breaks you need from work to get refreshed and boost your brain function and mood to help you be more productive and have less stress.

3. Prioritize Tasks

Implementing time management practices is another excellent way to reduce stress on a daily basis. For example, create a checklist for work and home. Arming yourself with a checklist helps you focus and reduces the amount of time you waste on email and social media or chatting with co-workers. Be sure to organize your checklist from most to least pressing tasks and consider allotting yourself enough time for each one. By prioritizing, you will not only feel less stressed, but may find that you are better able to concentrate because you’ll know you’re giving your attention to the most important task on your to do list.

If you’re a visual person, put the checklist on your laptop or tablet or on your desk so you can mark off completed tasks, feel a sense of accomplishment, and know where you stand with your day. If you prefer to use technology, create a note or list on your smartphone; or download one of the many checklist apps.

Stress levels also climb when you feel like you have to do everything right now. One tip is to follow the two-minute and 10-minute rule, as described by Kyle Brost. If you have a task that will take fewer than two minutes, do it immediately so that you don’t face the stress of having too many incomplete tasks. However, if you have a task that requires more time, use the 10-minute rule. Commit to working on the task for 10 minutes. When the time is up, permit yourself to stop and move on to something else to keep chipping away at your to-do list.

High levels of stress prevent you from being productive and thriving. Do yourself a favor and multitask for yourself. Then, use your lunch hour to refocus and reduce stress. It’s also helpful to prioritize tasks and manage your time wisely.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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5 Things You Can Do as a Leader to Help Increase Engagement In Company Initiatives

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Latina
This week we invited a guest to contribute to the career tip column.

Fierce Conversations wrote a recent blog post on how leaders engage with it comes to organizational initiatives.

  1. Get on board, even if you’re not the driver. Just because you aren’t driving an idea or initiative, or didn’t come up with it to begin with, doesn’t mean the team and the entire organization doesn’t need you to get behind it. The sooner you can play the role of supporter-in-chief, the faster things will start to change and the larger impact you will see.
  2. Set expectations, and meet them. If you say you will be an advocate for a program, or that you expect an initiative to succeed, you need to show up for it. Trust is key here, as too many promises broken can lead your employees to simply stop making an effort.
  3. Model the behavior. Leaders need to be modeling the behavior they want to see. As there is a clear correlation between C-suite behavior and the model behavior they wanted exhibited. If you want all meetings to start on time, make sure you are never late. If you want people to work across teams, make sure they see you doing the same.
  4. Engage on a personal level. Through one-on-one conversations, either planned or organic, interact and engage regularly with employees and other company leaders. Create opportunities, such as social events or a weekly office walkthroughs, to support this endeavor, and ask about activities taking place. Use this feedback to improve upon the process.
  5. Follow-through. An initial email isn’t enough to support something. Ensure you continue to have conversations that advocate for a program, and that the leaders around you do the same. These conversations need to be ongoing, and fluid. Consider having a specific check-in point where you communicate widely the feedback and results to-date. Make changes as necessary.
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Mover and Shaker: Kim Ford, Senior Legal Director, Asia Pacific and Global Issuing, WEX

KIm Ford - BW headshot-Retouched

By Cathie Ericson

WEX’s Kim Ford has always worked hard to create and drive a positive and satisfying career.

“I believe in giving my very best to any role I am in and making the most of it. To do that, I try to make sure that I actively pursue and create the right opportunities. Equally I also like to make sure that I regularly pause to reflect and evaluate to ensure that I am on track from both a professional and personal perspective. If something is amiss, it’s important to me to quickly identify steps to correct and ‘right the ship’ –I have learned that life is too short to not take control of your happiness, career path and job satisfaction,” she says. “I feel that following this philosophy has led to me to where I am today. I am in a role where I can genuinely say I am doing some of the most challenging and exciting work of my career to date, and working with wonderful people at a really great company.”

Blending Two Career Disciplines To Forge a Successful Path

Ford’s first foray into the world of law was as a private practice insurance litigator, acting for professionals filing claims under their professional indemnity insurance policies. While she enjoyed the work, she realized after a few years that private practice and the expected path towards partnership was not for her. She began to look into ways she could use her skills as more of a strategic business partner, which would allow her to deliver end-to-end solutions and ultimately have the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of her labor pay off.

Ford subsequently joined ANZ Bank as an in-house legal counsel in the retail banking division where after a few years she jumped at the opportunity to join the corporate ranks of ANZ’s retail business. Over the next four years, she gained experience in project management and senior product management running a business line P&L, eventually leading ANZ’s retail loyalty team.

After this stint gaining corporate experience and learning more about the challenges of operating a business, Ford was offered the chance to return to her roots as a lawyer and join WEX as Associate General Counsel for its Asia Pacific business, a generalist position that allowed her to touch all legal-related issues. She held that role for three years and now is accountable for the Asia Pacific legal team, as well as for Global Issuing, which supports WEX’s new market entry efforts and growth strategies.

The value of her two distinct career paths became clear in 2017, when she successfully led the project responsible for setting up, licensing and operationalizing WEX’s emoney Institution in the United Kingdom. The emoney Institution license enables WEX to offer credit and all its products across the 31 nations in the European Economic Area, and securing the license was part of broader efforts to both expand in Europe and enable the provision of WEX’s payment solutions in the region .
“For me, it bore out the benefits of the combination of my legal training and corporate experience and underscored the importance of having previously taken the time out of legal to gain solid experience in the corporate environment,” she says, adding that there are very few employers globally where she would have the opportunity to work on the type of projects she is currently undertaking.

Valuing the Whole Person

Ford sees sponsorship as critical to any career, but underscores that it is a two-way street: First you need to earn your sponsor’s commitment and provide your sponsor with a return on their investment, and then you need to commit to nurturing the relationship. Along the way she has been fortunate to have a number of role models, but one of the most profound experiences she has had was with a partner for whom she first worked when commencing in private practice. She took the time to teach Ford how to properly structure advice and legal arguments, while ensuring that she always kept the client’s best interest at the forefront of her thinking. “She was very firm at times, which as a junior lawyer was sometimes a little scary, but at the same time she was very nurturing as well as generous with her time and knowledge. She also taught me the importance of pragmatism,” Ford says, adding that she helped influence many of the career traits that Ford depends on today.

In addition to excellent role models, Ford believes that companies need to have policies and approaches that bring equality to the workplace, for everyone. “WEX is an incredibly family-friendly and flexible place to work, which enables me and — and consequently my family — to have a healthy balance,” she notes. “WEX encourages the delivery of results at work while at the same time ensuring that we all have the time to take care of the other important aspects of our life, such as family and health.”

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Voice of Experience: Terry Albarella, Vice President, Enterprise Architecture, Prudential Financial

Terry AlbarellaBy Cathie Ericson

Being out is something that Terry Albarella feels is essential to her success in the workplace.

That’s because being authentic allows you to build a level of trust with your team and peers; if you don’t share, people might wonder if you are hiding something or assume that you don’t care enough to share. The more you can share, the better relationships you create, and the better work everyone can do together, she says.

“Sharing our personal lives helps us be a more cohesive team. When pressure and deadlines come, you can get through those rough times better when you have established a high level of trust,” she says.

On that note, Albarella says she’s been able to meet a broad range of people who feel open to share their stories because they know hers, which has allowed her to get to know people with whom her path might not otherwise have crossed. She has also found that working with executives who might not know someone in the LGBTQ+ community has given them a comfortable opportunity to learn and imparted a broader knowledge they can take to their team and their customers.

Alexa, Please Check My Balance

Albarella began on a technical path right out of college as a developer providing PC support. She joined Prudential in 1995 where they were consolidating from a distributed support model, and over time as they centralized, she gravitated toward the server and application support side, focusing on developing efficiency in the system and responding to problems before they could impact customers. Over the last few years she has moved into the architectural space, helping with upgrades right from the start when they bring tech in the door.

While she has been involved in many large, impactful problems over her tenure, most recently she led a team that rolled out the Alexa voice assistant to Prudential’s customers. While Alexa is known for its skills on the consumer side, there are now more opportunities for business applications, and Prudential was proud to be the first to market with a retirement skill on the platform. “It was an interesting project that allowed us to collaborate on something that was brand new, and we had to put a structure in place to support it with all the rigor that our systems demand.”

The product was made public in the beginning of April, and now anyone who has a Prudential retirement account can use Alexa to look at their account balances. “It gave us a great opportunity to take some new talent we had hired and give them the opportunity to come straight out of school and play a critical role in a project that would interest them right away,” she notes. The test was so successful that they are looking into other voice assistants and emerging technologies to see how they can be creative on all platforms and offer innovative ways for customers to access information in the way they prefer.

Pride in Her Role in PRIDE

Equally important to Albarella as her tech role is her leadership position in the PRIDE Business Resource Group, of which she has been a member since 2010 and president for the past four years. “It has offered a great opportunity to serve customers in the LGBT community better while also allowing me to get more involved in the business components of supporting employees.”

And, she adds, this “side job” in PRIDE has helped her develop relationships she can use in her day job, as she now has a strong network across the organization with people she otherwise wouldn’t have been in contact with on a day-to-day basis.
Albarella has been instrumental in helping create and roll out the PruALLY program, which started in 2013 as the larger equality conversation was just kicking up and people didn’t have a broad understanding of why they should care. The program offered information on the issues surrounding marriage equality and addressed some of the misunderstandings people might have if they didn’t realize firsthand what people were facing.

“This awareness was very impactful even beyond Prudential’s doors into the greater community,” she says, while also assuring LGBQT employees that they had a supportive organization around them. In 2014, she received the Trailblazer Award from Re:Gender for thiswork.

The program has expanded over the years and now gives people a diversity and inclusion pledge they can keep top of mind to remind them that what they say can impact people. The program is being rolled out internationally; Albarella says it’s almost overwhelming when she goes to another location and sees PruAlly desk tents.

They just did a refresh of the campaign to keep the materials relevant, and when they asked executives to participate in a photo shoot and say why they are an Ally, they had hoped to get eight to 10 interested responses, but received more than 75. “We were overwhelmed by the welcoming support,” she says.

Albarella is particularly proud that PRIDE is the most tenured BRG at Prudential, celebrating its 25th anniversary. “The company has always been supportive in using the BRG almost as a focus group and made many changes over the years,” she says. And it has been a big asset in recruiting, which has helped Prudential benefit from a diverse workforce that allows the firm to bring broader experiences to apply to business problems and helps them better reach all their customers.

Helping Others Achieve a Bright Future

Albarella urges young women to be confident in their skills and not shy away from high-profile projects. “Even if you are not as successful as you want to be, it will be a tremendous learning opportunity and also showcase you to others on the team for future roles.”

And don’t be satisfied with a support role or be afraid to ask for something bigger, she says. “Sometimes people wait to be asked, but if someone steps up and offers, we find a way to bring those people onto the project.”

She encourages her peers to go beyond mentoring and use their voices to advocate for younger women coming up and ensure they have the training that will prepare them for more senior roles. “Create time to sponsor and champion those in the pipeline to make space for them to take the next step,” she says. It’s important for those in senior positions to help engage others and seek their opinions, asking to hear their voice if they are quiet in a meeting, for example, as a way for them to build their skills and everyone to benefit from diverse perspectives.

Experiencing The Positive Side of Video Games

An avid video gamer, she is proud this is a passion she shares with her wife and daughter and son, who have been gaming since they were young. She finds it brings them together on a common platform; for example, although her daughter is away at graduate school in Kansas, they can log on at night and catch up, which she says has been a wonderful opportunity to connect.

Other positives she sees in gaming are that it has taught her children to be very detail-oriented and has also given them the chance to lead. And most importantly, it has provided different experiences and enabled them to put themselves in other people’s shoes.

She knows firsthand how valuable that is: Albarella herself had been in a straight marriage for 19 years and never realized she was a lesbian until she played a video game that put her in the shoes of a same-sex relationship where she realized that’s what she’d been missing. “Video games hold a special place in my heart because they helped me come out,” she says.

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Career Tips from a Senior Female Executive in Commercial Real Estate

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Image via Shutterstock

Guest contributed by Lauren Leach

For women considering a career in commercial real estate, consider restructuring as the opportunities are vast and varied and sure to offer challenges and fulfillment.

This is a field with a surprising shortage of women. I have always viewed being a woman as an advantage. It means you are more likely to get noticed in a professional situation. As such, it is imperative you are prepared and have the skill set and knowledge to communicate and execute effectively once you are noticed.

It was a circuitous route that brought me to my career. A summer internship changed the professional trajectory of my life. I was working on my psychology degree at the University of Michigan when a family friend suggested I explore real estate. Intrigued, that summer I secured an internship at a prestigious global commercial real estate brokerage and began building the foundation for my career

I found the commercial real estate industry so compelling in large part because of the high-risk, high-reward nature of the business, which has a variety of subsets that allow me to constantly expand and hone new skills. Real estate, unlike some other asset classes in a commercial portfolio, provides a platform to truly measure value and witness tangible progress in the form of brick and mortar. In today’s tumultuous environment, my skillsets and experience in this area are in great demand.

Now, I specialize in restructuring distressed commercial real estate properties. My focus changed to distressed real estate from the brokerage side of the business to embrace new challenges. Working as a broker during the Great Recession provided a fierce and up close look at the volatility of the commercial real estate market. That volatility has perhaps never been more evident than in recent years.

As I’ve ascended in my career, I have learned a lot and offer the following tips for young professionals entering the industry:

  • As you begin your career, choose your employer carefully. Get to know your potential boss as much as possible as well as the culture of the organization. When you consider a new position, keep in mind that you are interviewing the prospective employer as much as they are interviewing you. If possible, spend time with your potential peers in advance of accepting a job offer. A stable and supportive work environment is critical to success.
  • Real estate, like any industry, is about relationships. Don’t be afraid to ask professionals in your network for introductions. Be willing to take the time to network and get actively involved with industry organizations.
  • Write handwritten thank you notes! I am consistently surprised by how infrequently people make time to acknowledge others in writing. The receiver will appreciate the effort and remember your name.
  • Follow up and follow through on all things. The old adage ‘reputation is everything’ is partly true. Reputations are ultimately built by doing what you say you’re going to do and doing it exceptionally well.
  • Treat associates with respect. Early in my career I was elevated to a management role, leading a team of professionals, many of whom were older than me and some who had more experience in the industry. I found success by focusing on working collaboratively, valuing each team member’s experience and always leading with respect.
  • It’s an often-recited adage in business: match your attire to the job you want, not the one you have. Dress as if you are going to cross paths with the CEO or a key client everyday. At the same time, follow the office trends. If you work in a casual environment, do not overdress and potentially alienate yourself from the rest of the team.

I have also been fortunate in that I have not personally experienced sexual harassment or similar inappropriateness in the workplace. Culture is set at the top. Again, do your research as you make decisions related to what organizations you want to work for. If you do experience harassment or intimidation in any form, documentation and discussion with HR is essential. If it is happening to you, most likely it is happening to others too.

About Lauren Leach

Lauren Leach, Director, Conway MacKenzie has negotiated over 8,000,000 square feet of leases with a value in excess of $410,000,000. She also specializes in court-appointed receiverships, leasing matters, portfolio valuations and liquidations, and complex real estate negotiations. Lauren holds a B.A. in psychology and Master’s degree in retail brokerage from the University of Michigan. She resides in Metro Detroit with her husband, daughter and dog.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of Guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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