Voice of Experience: Shana E. Ramirez, Partner, Katten

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Shana Ramirez“What makes you a good attorney is learning from your mistakes—almost that trial by fire aspect that lets you constantly grow,” says Katten’s Shana Ramirez.

Ramirez began her career in the finance area of law in New York after graduating from University of Michigan Law School. She moved to Los Angeles and worked with two firms before joining Katten as a partner in the commercial finance practice in 2018. Her experience covers a variety of financings and arrangements, including acquisition finance, leveraged finance, subordinated debt facilities, asset-based credit facilities, subscription facilities, investment grade credit facilities, transactions involving real estate and first lien/second lien transactions. Since joining Katten, she has established strong client relationships as she continues to build her practice, which she names among her most important achievements.

In addition to her work in the leveraged loan space, currently Ramirez’s work includes developing bespoke financial arrangements for private investment funds, which she has found to be challenging and interesting; as she says, it’s rewarding to work on something new in a world where most of the strategies have been done before. Specifically, she has seen exciting new trends and innovative solutions for creating leverage for private investment funds. “It will be interesting to see how private investment funds continue to find unique ways to leverage their portfolios,” she says.

Finding Balance as She Enters a New Chapter

As Ramirez points out, women often try to be the best at all their varied roles—mom, wife, caregiver or employee—and it can be hard to balance all that at any one time, given the competing demands. As she is due with her first child in early September, she has seen a lot of women go through this new life stage and knows how challenging it can be. “It takes effort to balance our desire to want to excel in all areas, including our personal lives.”

She encourages younger women to stay the course—even when it can be harder to see the path forward—especially if working in male-dominated industries. While it can be demanding and you might often feel pushed to your limits, she has found the pay-off is worth it if you stick with it rather than veering onto another path.

And she reminds women who have succeeded as attorneys to always be supportive of one another, the same way that they are the best advocates they can be for clients. She particularly appreciates when other young moms offer advice, and she is able to build a community around that commonality.

That’s why Ramirez encourages younger attorneys to foster relationships with other female attorneys and keep them strong. “You never know when your paths will cross again,” she says. “I would not be where I am without the relationships I have built,” she says, encouraging fellow attorneys to stay in touch even after they’ve left a particular firm or are no longer working together.

A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion Extends Outside Her Work Day

Ramirez is an active participant in Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum, a women-focused group that hosts events designed to support female attorneys in their career development. “It’s a relatively smaller group, so it’s easy to get to know people better in this type of setting; as a new partner I felt very welcome,” she says, adding that they have been extremely supportive regarding her pregnancy and upcoming maternity leave.

As a diverse attorney, Ramirez has a strong history of pro bono service in Southern California, ranging from assisting domestic violence victims with U visa applications to helping families with adoption petitions. She has always felt a philanthropic tie and prioritizes giving back as a board member for Public Counsel, the largest pro bono firm in the country. Based in Los Angeles, the firm tackles issues of homelessness, adoption, consumer fraud, immigration matters and more working with its pro bono partners including Katten. “It’s important for me as a minority female partner to look out for others and the issues that are important to them.”

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Mover and Shaker: Sylvia Guinan, Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors

Sylvia Guinan“Our time is now,” says Sylvia Guinan, financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, in encouraging women to consider a career in the financial services industry.

It is incredibly rewarding to help individuals feel a sense of clarity, confidence and control over their investments and more importantly their future. “Years ago, the industry might have been all about stocks and performance, and while that’s still important, now everything is much more holistic. Client’s dreams, goals and fears are what drive the investment process. Women are skilled at connecting and getting people to talk about what is most meaningful to them, as well as what their fears and concerns are, which makes them excellent financial advisors,” she says.

While the number one cause of chronic stress among adults is finances, she finds that the truth is that when you dig deeper, most people are not concerned just about what they’re investing in, but how their finances can work for them by supporting them and their future plans.

A Focus on Providing Solace During Divorce

Guinan began her career at Smith Barney in New York, focusing on this type of holistic investment planning, which has always been the core of her business. She moved to Wells Fargo Advisors in 2009, where she was able to continue that commitment to ensuring each of her clients has a solid plan driving their investment decisions. “I feel fortunate that I’ve always loved what I do, and what creates that satisfaction is my long-term, meaningful connection with the clients; you almost become family because you’re one of the first phone calls when something exciting happens or when they have a need.”

Over the past several years, Guinan has created a niche practice, with nearly 70 percent of her clients being women in transition – divorce, widowhood or financial changes. She has earned her designation as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) and has built a strong rapport with divorce attorneys, mediators, accountants, psychologists and therapists. Most recently, she has teamed up with a prominent attorney in New London, CT, for what they call “Second Saturday” events, where they deliver a presentation aimed at giving advice to these clients as they begin to explore the beginning process of their transition, and have received an excellent response.

“I’ve always wanted to make a difference, and here I am able to work with women going through the most difficult times of their lives and give them hope and a new perspective as they move forward. We aim to offer them clarity around their proposed settlements, confidence by showing them where they stand by illustrating it in their investment plan and a sense of control as they start to rewrite their new chapter.”

Her confidence in exploring this area comes from lessons she has learned over the years including that if you are authentic, you will attract clients with whom you connect. Previously, she had assumed you had to emulate what a man might be like – more subdued. However, as Guinan has transitioned to being her ‘real self,’ she discovered that she is attracting clients with whom she find a good fit.

She advises younger professionals to connect with clients who are aligned with their process and to be selective when onboarding new clients. “I still have a great majority of clients with whom I started my practice, and my assistant and I have noticed that our success has come from working with like-minded clients, where it becomes reciprocal and they want to welcome you inter their inner circle by referring their family and friends. But it’s important to spend time upfront having the ‘fit’ meeting since you can’t be all things to all people,” Guinan says. Not only is the new prospective client interviewing you, you are also interviewing them to see if they are a good fit.

Finding Balance in Circles of Support

One important support system she has found through Wells Fargo Advisors is the annual Women’s Summit that gathers advisors from around the country for collaboration and vision sharing. She went the first year she joined the firm and hasn’t missed one since.

Sylvia obtained the firm’s DELTA designation, which is a high-end practice management coaching program that Wells Fargo offers their advisors. Upon completing the 19 modules with firm trained coaches, Sylvia became fully implemented and attends their annual meeting. She is also in a DELTA peer group she and seven other advisors started to support each other and share best practices. Sylvia said DELTA is by far the best training she has ever received.

Additionally she feels revived being with her three children. Living across the street from the beach, they enjoy being near the water and reveling in the beauty of the sunsets.

The family also enjoys traveling and have been to Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Thomas and Cuba, among other locations. She has a tradition when each of her kids turns 15 in which they do a one-on-one trip; so far, she has been to the Bahamas with her son and Bali with one daughter.

She also faithfully practices yoga, which she calls “meditation in motion,” allowing her to clear her head and ‘fill her cup’ so she can be more present when she is with clients, family and friends. “It trains you to release distractions and go with the flow, which helps me be more observant,” Guinan says, adding that she particularly appreciates the practice of ending every session with “Namaste,” which means “the light in me honors the light in you.”

“It’s a beautiful message that I hope I am able to convey in all my relationships, especially in this day and age,” she says.

Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured / NO Bank Guarantee / MAY Lose Value

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How Are Women Unique as Leaders?

Guest Contributed by Sam Bowman

Self-care in leadershipWomen are rising up in the ranks, leading companies, global organizations, and even countries.

According to a Pew Research Center study, the number of world leaders who are women has doubled since 2005.

Women simply make great leaders. As WGU points out, women are more effective than men in leadership roles. They’re also more innovative and cooperative problems solvers who tend to see the bigger picture as they work toward goals.

It’s not a stretch to say that as leaders, women are unique. Here are just a few of the exceptional traits they bring to the leadership table and how women can highlight these strengths to move up in their chosen field.

Women Are Empathetic

When leading people, it’s important to be able to put yourself in their shoes. Leaders must understand the different perspectives people bring to the table and empathize with them in order to be effective.

This is not to say that men aren’t empathetic, but it’s a trait that research supports as being a strength possessed and utilized more effectively by more women in leadership roles than men. The ability to empathize also assists leaders in being more flexible and able to build stronger interpersonal relationships with subordinates than their male counterparts.

Women Communicate Effectively

If you want to lead, then you must be an effective communicator, especially when it comes to communicating across cultural lines. Many studies done over the years indicate that women are better at communication than men. A study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that women’s brains possess a “language protein” that may explain the communication differences between men and women.

In the workplace, women put these communication gifts to good use. Their naturally interactive leadership style encourages participation and the sharing of information at all levels. This makes them better at getting results from their teams since they’re able to communicate what they want and set expectations clearly.

Women Collaborate

It’s important for leaders to understand that team members simply approach problems differently than they might and value those different perspectives. Women seem to possess an innate quality for working well with others and enjoy learning about new solutions to solve problems together. This all relates back to the fact that women value teamwork and can make everyone on the team feel as if their contributions are valued.

Women can also use this collaboration skill to keep information flowing throughout teams and departments, ensuring that everyone has the data needed to do the job right.

Women Are Convincing

The willingness to build interpersonal relationships in the workplace also helps them to be more persuasive leaders. This is due to the fact that many women are empathetic listeners that take the time to learn about people in order to appeal to their sensibilities and needs. The result? Women tend to understand concerns or objections others may have to ideas and can effectively formulate a response that bears these facts in mind.

Women Are Generous

Many women are givers in their personal lives and that translates to the workplace, too. It’s easy for women to encourage the people around them and allow them to thrive as team members. They inspire and uplift the people they’re surrounded by, which is part of what makes women such great long-term strategic thinkers in the workplace. They want others to do well because they recognize that if their team does well, they do well too.

Don’t mistake generosity in the workplace for weakness, however. Women may be willing to be inclusive, but that doesn’t mean they are playing the role of mother to the people on the team. They’re not there to make sure you have your lunch, they’re there to make sure you’re participating in an environment that welcomes your ideas.

How to Highlight Your Unique Skills

Remember, being a positive and effective leader isn’t a position you apply for or a title you’re given, it’s something you show through example and action. When writing a compelling resume or cover letter, it serves you well to include your leadership skills and expertise, highlighting how you use these skills to set you apart from the crowd.

To showcase your workplace leadership styles and skills, you should:

● Discuss them: In your cover letter, address the leadership experience you have that makes you a successful manager or executive. Talk about the qualities you possess concisely to help convince a prospective employer that you have what it takes to be an effective leader.
● Prove it: You can say that you’re great at solving problems or delegating work, but you have to be able to demonstrate it with your resume too. Back up claims you make with bullet points that show your achievements and describe how you’ve leveraged this skill set in the past. Also, think about how you have used your leadership skills in the past to benefit employers and make sure to point these out in detail.
● Prepare: Whatever skills you choose to highlight in your resume must be backed up in conversation. You should expect to be pressed for details on these subjects, so think about how these skills make you perfect for this job and come to the table with examples.

Women Make the Workplace Successful!

Research has shown that companies that have women as a representative portion of their management teams perform better financially than those that don’t. While women still face many challenges in the workplace and must work hard to show they’re up to the task, progress is being made. As women continue to chip away at the barriers they face, organizations only become stronger. Lead by example and soon enough, people begin to follow.

About the Author

Sam Bowman writes about marketing, tech, and how the two merge. He enjoys getting to utilize the internet for community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore.

The opinions and views expressed by guest contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of theglasshammer.com

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Voice of Experience: Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, Head of International Personal Bank (IPB) U.S., Citibank

Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann

“Be more of you.”

That’s the one piece of advice that Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann would share above all others that she’s come across during her career. So many people try to fit into a box of what they think they need to be, she adds, but if you are true to yourself, trust your intuition, and work hard – all of the pieces will fall into place. Being yourself will give you the confidence to discover worthwhile career opportunities that will lead you to the role you were destined for, she says. “I wish I’d taken this advice myself seven to 10 years earlier. That confidence will carry you through to find the best place to be – and it’s probably in a role that you didn’t even know you could handle.”

An International Flair

Macieira-Kaufmann spent the early part of her career abroad, working in France, Finland, Hong Kong and England. As a management consultant in London she spent most of her time traveling on multinational accounts due to her language skills and international experience. After three years in London, she returned home to her native San Francisco and began working in credit card product management at First Deposit, which became Providian Financial.

From there, Macieira-Kaufmann moved to Wells Fargo to run marketing for the insurance division. Her roles expanded over time and she ended up running all of Wells Fargo’s small business segment, overseeing two million customers. This success led to an offer from Citi to become president of Citibank’s retail banking unit in California, where she combined the northern and southern region into one.

Today, 11 years into her tenure at Citi, Macieira-Kaufmann is once again in a role with international elements as the head of Citibank’s IPB U.S. group. In this role she manages the wealth needs of international clients who are based abroad and want to bank in the U.S. An enjoyable position, she is building a high-performance team and focused on nurturing talent that will succeed by working cohesively.

The common thread throughout her career has been her ability to transform divisions and companies and bring them to scale. Currently she is pursuing that same vision by helping make life easier for clients with Citibank’s growing digital capabilities; for example helping large corporations that are moving executives around the world, yet want to pay employees in dollars. “We are making it simpler and safer for our clients to bank as they desire.”

A Diverse Pipeline

Macieira-Kaufmann feels fortunate that throughout her career she has been a part of teams that are focused on people development. “It’s vital to have that supportive person who helps clear your path, and maybe even pushes you to a role you’re not sure you’re ready for,” she says, adding that women will often hesitate to jump in if they aren’t confident that they already know a role inside and out.

“You have to have a bias for action, and go for it,” she says. “Surround yourself with yaysayers, not naysayers, because they will help you go for it.” While she knows that it can be hard for executives to find the time to support and mentor women, she says it’s important to find the time.

She is particularly proud of Citi’s Women’s Diversity Initiative, within Citi’s U.S. Retail Bank and Mortgage group, which supports greater gender diversity in order to improve Citi’s teams and communities, while exploring new ways to empower women at all levels. “We want to provide more visibility into the pipeline and help women build their networks,” Macieira-Kaufmann says.

Citi’s Women’s Diversity Initiative aims to provide women within Citi more opportunities to advance their careers, while arming them with useful tools to help them achieve their goals. She adds that women may not be aware that there is an opportunity if they aren’t looking for a specific role. “We must get information out so that candidates feel like they have been tapped on the shoulder,” Macieira-Kaufmann muses. “We have to open up transparency in the recruiting pipeline to make sure that people aren’t being screened out inadvertently.”

Macieira-Kaufmann herself has been the beneficiary of a number of women’s groups, both inside and outside of the workplace. She has particularly found value in being part of the Financial Women of San Francisco, as well as a cross-industry group called the International Women’s Forum, where she’s been able to interact across industries with everyone from female pilots to authors.

A devotee of the arts, Macieira-Kaufmann plays the piano and participates in a dance class when she’s home. She also serves on the Board of Governors for the San Francisco Symphony. Although she travels extensively for business, she also enjoys personal travel and spending time with her family, including a son who is 22 and a daughter, age 20.

“I have many outlets, and that’s what allows me to be my personal best,” she says. “Every day may not be perfectly balanced, but all in all, I have a whole life.”

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Intrepid Woman: Adrienne Rubin, Author and Entrepreneur

Adrienne Rubin “Don’t think too hard about your next career step; try whatever is your fancy and give it a go. That’s how you will find success in both your personal and professional life,” says Adrienne Rubin.

In fact, the first page of her soon-to-be-released book Diamonds and Scoundrels: My Life in the Jewelry Business is a poem with the first line, “Somebody said that it couldn’t be done.” But it can, Rubin says. “Whatever you want to do, make it happen. You have it within you.”

From Teaching to Business Building

Rubin started as a French teacher in the ‘60s and ‘70s; even though she had thought about law school, most women in that era didn’t tackle that sort of career—instead, if women worked at all, it was mostly either teaching or stenography as the breadth of careers available.

After Rubin’s second child was born, she became a substitute teacher, but quickly found that they weren’t respected, unlike her attorney husband, which caused frustration. She turned her attention to volunteer work, but she soon learned that volunteer work also wasn’t for her. On vacation she was offered the opportunity to be an importer of silver jewelry, and she jumped at the chance finding that business offered both money and respect.

However, Rubin soon found that silver wasn’t the top seller she had expected….instead, gold was the trend, and women were even buying it for themselves. She pivoted to gold and soon added rubies, sapphires and other gems to her line. “I learned on the road, taking my merchandise to jewelry stores, where I would listen to their advice about what they needed from suppliers and manufacturers.” After more research, Rubin became a supplier for charms, charm holders and chains, and expanded her marketing by attending industry conferences where she connected to gift stores, which became a large part of her selling success.

“What drove me wasn’t a passion for jewelry itself, but for helping other people make money; I found that if I had the right product and could sell it to the retailer for the right price, they would prosper as well,” Rubin said.  For that reason she traveled extensively to find new products each and every season.

One of her biggest challenges was to avoid being taken advantage of as a businesswomen, and in hindsight, she realizes she wasn’t always strict enough in whom she sold to, which meant she often wasn’t paid. In fact, that’s the impetus behind the “scoundrels” reference in her book’s title. For example, one of her early clients was a gambler who took diamonds on loan and gambled them away. It required determination to get out of that situation—and others she encountered along the way—but she was able to do so with ingenuity.

Of course, trends change, and Rubin soon found herself working against a wide variety of factors. First of all, today’s younger generation isn’t as interested in jewelry, as they have turned to other priorities. “When it comes down to getting a new computer or a gold bracelet, they are apt to turn to the prospect of a new tech gadget,” she points out. In addition, gold prices have skyrocketed, necessitating a large amount of capital, and there is fierce competition from the internet. For this and other reasons, her attention now has turned to real estate, often refurbishing properties, which is her current way to stay in the business game.

Advice for Women, No Matter What the Business

“Be your own boss if you can,” Rubin recommends, and take equal care with those you hire and those you sell to. “It’s vital to vet both parties,” she says. “In any business you will run across unethical people, so you have to be business-minded to make sure they aren’t taking advantage of you or using poor judgement that could reflect on your own success.”

And to really go full steam ahead, don’t be afraid to make bold decisions, such as borrowing money as needed to get your business to the next level.

Finally, she recommends realizing that you need to find balance to be content. “Business can become a 24/7 proposition if you let it, particularly at the beginning when you want to be successful and get your career on the ground.” But that can lead to neglecting other parts of your life unless you pay attention and vow to keep things balanced. Rubin, for example, focused on making sure to have uninterrupted family time on an annual vacation to balance her other travel.

Today she is an active volunteer with Cedars Sinai Hospital and the Arthritis Foundation. In addition, she became an avid cyclist and for many years has participated in the “California Coast Classic,” biking from San Francisco to Los Angeles. While she initially wasn’t a bike rider per se, she equates acquiring the skill to learning many aspects of business. “You have to commit to learning in order to succeed.”

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How to Lead in a Fast-Isn’t-Fast-Enough World

female leaders

By Sara Canaday

Leaders are being challenged with increasingly complex demands every day, and they are expected to respond in record time.

Unfortunately, the conventional approaches they’ve always relied on simply don’t have the same impact in the context of this new business environment.

I work with thousands of leaders every year, and many of them feel like walking to-do lists and perpetual firefighters who never have enough hours in the day. These leaders recognize the need to change the way they respond to chaotic and inconceivable demands, but they aren’t entirely sure how to do that.

The common question is this: How am I supposed to lead successfully in a fast-isn’t-fast-enough world?

The good news is, we can uncover some clues to the answer by looking at the innovative approaches used by today’s modern thinkers and trailblazing leaders. Their strategic choices are oddly counterintuitive, undeniably successful, and downright fascinating.

I’d like to share with you six of the new practices and describe how they are helping talented professionals elevate themselves into modern leaders producing enviable results.

1. Shaking off the age-old bias for action and perfecting the use of the strategic pause.

Successful leaders in the modern era seem to have adopted a new habit. Instead of making action the default for every challenge, these leaders are pairing that alternative with an opposite response. It’s not about replacing action, which we know is a necessary leadership ingredient. We still need to reach our goals, meet deadlines, and produce results. This is different.

They think of it as developing a companion habit that celebrates BEING rather than DOING. It involves a strategic pause. A mental time-out. Space for their brains to percolate. Whatever we call it, this new habit requires consistently taking some time away from the chaos of business to let ourselves think.

2. Escaping from the prison of their own perspectives and passionately seeking out cognitive diversity.

Modern leaders know that their own decision-making doesn’t come from a mentally neutral position, so they push themselves to uncover other angles. Not a polite, obligatory surveying of the crowd to reach consensus, but a mold-breaking, eyebrow-raising exploration to prove themselves WRONG.

These leaders aren’t just finding success through an openness to new ideas; they passionately seek them out. They value cognitive diversity and invite team members to challenge them with radical alternatives. They let go of the need to validate their own perspectives, and they focus all of their energy on finding the best solution to meet shared goals. No matter where those solutions might originate.

3. Ditching the need to let hard data drive every decision and welcoming the insights of soft intelligence.

Trailblazing leaders today have recognized the tendency to be held hostage by information overload. Even though it feels unnatural, they give themselves permission to break free from their dependence on data. Do they still value the facts? Definitely. They just work to gain a broader context about its meaning. They’re willing to be informed by data but not ruled by it.

Leaders who are open to the idea of Whole Data—a more comprehensive view of the facts— stretch beyond the usual quantitative boundaries to incorporate intangible elements. They better serve their teams and their customers by paying attention to stories and narratives, emotions and attitudes, worries and complaints, risks and vulnerabilities. They search for the qualitative information that paints a more vivid picture.

4. Dropping their dependence on the usual routine and letting go of outdated tasks and deliverables.

Today’s forward-thinking leaders have realized that everything consuming their time must earn the right to be on their to-do lists. To establish that competition, they have adopted a new approach that defies their normal logic.

Most leaders have a competitive streak that pushes them to take on more rather than do less, but they are seeing the wisdom in that concept. Narrowing their focus to expand their perspectives. Minimizing their actions to maximize performance. Doing less to achieve more. Through the ingenuity of letting go, they are finding abundant success.

5. Defeating the drag on their communication and creating positive experiences that expand their influence.

Modern leaders embrace the idea of disrupting their typical approach to communication. They start in reverse. Instead of trying to determine what information needs to go out, they concentrate on the end result. What impact do they want to make? What are the challenges and perspectives of their audience members? What experience would they like to create?

With that in mind, they peel away all the layers of complexity that have been clogging up their communication and get down to messages that are authentic and engaging. They present them in novel ways. They aren’t afraid to open a window into their motives and rationale. And they create a meaningful, compelling experience that communicates in a more powerful way.

6. Committing to metaphorically resigning their roles as experts and approaching tasks with the spirit of a beginner.

Modern leaders are accelerating their careers by breaking free from the expert trap. They no longer allow themselves to remain captives of their expertise. They are finding the courage to change the tired, old narrative with a new attitude, some genuine vulnerability, and the never-ending desire to learn.

Success for these leaders means deliberately putting themselves in positions to humbly learn and grow. Every single day. They have learned to value questions just as much as the answers. And, perhaps more importantly, they work hard to ask the right questions—many of which start with, “What if…?”

While these exciting new principles are remarkably effective, the most compelling thing about them is the way they are applied. It’s a selective process. Not a simple swap of out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new. There’s a firm acknowledgement that the old rules aren’t completely obsolete. The most successful leaders have a knack for knowing when to stick with the traditional approaches and when to break away. They’ve adopted a new brand of wisdom, and they know when to use it.

If you’d like to learn more about the strategies behind this fresh approach to leadership—one that is ripe for our challenging times—I invite you to read my new book.

Author Bio

Sara Canaday is a leadership expert, keynote speaker, LinkedIn Learning instructor and author. She works with leaders and high-potential professionals from organizations around the world to expand their capacity to innovate, influence, engage, and perform. Her new book, Leadership Unchained: Defy Conventional Wisdom for Breakthrough Performance, is now available on Amazon. For more information, please visit SaraCanaday.com.

The opinions and views expressed by guest contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of theglasshammer.com

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Voice of Experience: Neddy Perez, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Talent Management COE, McCormick & Company

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Neddy PerezWhile mentors are important, Neddy Perez also encourages women to seek sponsors.

“Mentors are great sounding boards and coaches on developmental areas; however when it comes to organizational advancement, the majority of research points to the need for women to have a sponsor. In particular, having a male sponsor accelerates the advancement of women, especially because they still hold the majority of executive level positions in corporations,” she says.

There are other factors that women need to take into consideration in managing their careers. “It is important to also think about any special assignments or projects you take on and ask, ‘where is this project leading me?’ Look for projects that are stretch assignments and that give you exposure to rising leaders or leaders who are well respected for their management capabilities.”

Pivoting to Find Her Passion

Perez started her journey as a public relations and communications professional. One of her early positions was working for UPS; at the time they were undergoing a work stoppage in Mexico and the vice president of HR decided to send her “because I spoke Spanish and people trusted me,” she says. In preparation, he covered some HR basics so she could report back properly, which was her introduction to the field.

Once she arrived she realized there had been a breakdown in policies, with the company banning religious artifacts in the environment, and the workers upset as it was an important religious holiday. She was able to satisfactorily broker a solution that allowed for religious accommodations, her boss started including her in more HR-related work and within a year she went back to school to pursue a master’s degree in international business and HR.

She was recruited by Shell Oil in Texas, where she initially supported its existing diversity function, and then ended up becoming manager of D&I for two of their businesses. She became known for her prowess in negotiating and improving difficult D&I issues, and subsequently worked with many large companies, such as Ingersoll Rand, KPMG and Sodexho. She has also done consultancy work with corporations that needed to reset their D&I strategies as a result of mergers and acquisitions or class action lawsuits and has coached companies starting new programs. She has also worked with many new Chief Diversity Officers entering the space for the first time who needed support on establishing a strategy or department.

Ultimately Perez left consulting to set up the diversity talent acquisition initiatives at TIAA, and today serves at McCormick & Company as global head of D&I. With facilities in 50 locations in 26 countries, they have a vision to double the organization, which she finds to be an exciting challenge at the forefront of finding the right diverse talent to support significant growth and creating a corporate culture that builds off existing core values but also can adapt to the changing trends of the marketplace.

Standing for STEM

In addition to a passion for D&I, Perez is focused on trying to advance STEM talent in the workplace. She first became involved while at Shell where they donated computers to communities around the world through an initiative that was ultimately recognized by the United Nations. She is also a founding member and thought leader for STEMConnector.org which has blossomed to become a stand-alone organization that connects corporations, nonprofits and colleges and universities with STEM talent.

“Getting more women into STEM and leadership is all about building pipelines for the future. We have so many jobs becoming available, but not enough of the right kind of talent to fulfill them,” she says.

And building pipelines is crucial. “One of the reasons women don’t advance more quickly is because they are not in operational roles where there is an opportunity to show a more direct impact on the business and generating revenue,” she says, adding that she might have pursued a degree in finance and accounting had she known the importance of being able to make a financial impact.

“Women are still socialized to put their heads down and work hard with the hope that someone will recognize your success. The reality is you have to become your own best advocate. As long as you feel comfortable with 70% of requirements of a job then go for it,” Perez says. “No one is ever 100% ready for their next job; we just have to get comfortable with asking for what we want and going for it.”

Perez has worked in five countries and is passionate about traveling so she has visited more 30 cities in the U.S. and around the globe. She loves photography and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of diversity leaders and women globally. In her time off, she is actively involved in serving on a number of boards for nonprofit organizations.

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Heather von Zuben, Managing Director, Consumer and Investment Management Division, Goldman Sachs

Heather von Zuben

Armed with a degree from Columbia Law School, Heather von Zuben began her law career advising on mergers and acquisitions and investment management.

However, after an initial period in law, she quickly realized that she was truly interested in being closer to clients and commercial activity.

A Career Change Leads to New Opportunities

“I found the intellectual rigor of legal work very engaging, but I wanted to be closer to my clients’ commercial objectives and help them achieve their goals, so I embarked on a career change,” says von Zuben, global head of Client Portfolio Solutions within the Alternative Investment and Manager Selection Group (AIMS). “I ultimately pursued a role at Goldman Sachs because the people I met at the firm were so dynamic and had such impressive arcs to their careers. I was excited to be a part of that and learn from them.”

Von Zuben initially joined Goldman Sachs in the Alternative Capital Markets (ACM) Group, which is responsible for product development, pipeline generation and engaging with Private Wealth Management clients on alternative investments and private placements. She was named the head of the ACM Americas business in 2014. “ACM is a fast-paced environment, and during the decade that I was a part of the team, we adapted and grew the business through significant change in client demand and market dynamics,” says von Zuben. “It was a great place to start as it gave me insight across a broad array of alternative investments as well as exposure to many different parts of the firm.”

Last year, von Zuben was named to her current position leading AIMS Client Portfolio Solutions, a self-described “stretch role” that allows her to engage with and support institutional and private wealth clients across both alternative and traditional asset classes. “As an open-architecture, multi-asset class platform, we’re able to partner with a wide range of clients collaboratively to identify their opportunities and challenges and leverage our broad range of solutions to help them achieve their unique goals,” she explains.

One of von Zuben’s current focuses is Launch With GS – Goldman Sachs’ commitment to invest $500 million in women-led companies and investment managers. In her new seat in AIMS, von Zuben introduces clients to the Launch With GS initiative and resources available across the firm as they think about integrating diversity and inclusion into their investment programs. “We think investing in diverse teams is a compelling investment proposition because diversity of thought and background leads to better decision making, and can drive outperformance and growth for our clients,” says von Zuben. “When we’re discussing Launch With GS with clients, we also have an opportunity to engage on the firm’s broader diversity and inclusion efforts as well as our clients’ diversity and inclusion objectives.”

Seeking Feedback From Others to Grow

“I’ve benefited greatly from the guidance of many mentors and sponsors over the course of my career, and I put a lot of energy into paying that forward by mentoring and engaging with the people on my team and throughout the firm,” says von Zuben. “I love connecting with the amazing people who work here: getting to know them, what motivates them, and helping them think through how to achieve their goals.”

Von Zuben recommends junior professionals develop deep relationships with others, both within their own organization and on the client side, to solicit feedback, achieve their full potential and grow as leaders. “At the beginning of my career, I was focused on executing at the top of my game more than identifying ways I could help my team be more impactful. I needed to evolve my role from that of an executor to a leader,” says von Zuben. “As I sought feedback from colleagues, I realized the importance of making that transition and adopted leadership styles and qualities from senior individuals who I admired in order to help shape, develop and define my own brand of leadership.”

Today, von Zuben continues to mentor and develop programming for colleagues across Goldman Sachs in her role as co-head of the Firmwide Women’s Network, as well as serving on the managing director advisory board of the Firmwide Hispanic/Latino Network. Her advice to others seeking to grow in their careers includes:

  • Be Confident in What You Bring to the Table: “You have to believe in yourself before you draft others onto your team – don’t waste time doubting yourself; focus on all of the lessons you’ve learned and all of the challenges you’ve overcome to this point to give you the confidence to own your space, contribute to the conversation and drive the business forward.”
  • Focus on Your Mindset: “In a constantly evolving business, change, setbacks and uncertainty are inevitable. You can’t control what comes your way, but you can control how you choose to react to it. A positive, can-do attitude can help you stay motivated, move forward and identify new potential solutions in the face of challenges.”
  • Embrace Opportunities to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: “Make sure the work you’re doing continues to scale in terms of its impact. Take on new projects and responsibilities when they’re offered to you – even if they might be out of your comfort zone – to continue to learn and grow. ”
    Overcome the Need for Perfection: “Give yourself permission to make mistakes and to fail – if you’re waiting to be ‘perfect’ then you’re probably moving too slowly. Don’t dwell on things that don’t go your way – put your energy into finding a solution, learn the lesson for the future and move forward.”
  • Manage Your Brand: “Be deliberate and self-aware of your brand by seeking feedback from colleagues and executing on it in order to ensure that your perspective aligns with how others see your contributions.”
A Focus on Family

When she’s not in the office, you might find von Zuben cheering on her two daughters on a soccer or lacrosse field in or around New York City. “I spend every minute that I can outside of the office with my family,” she says. “We spend a lot of time exploring all that the city has to offer, from restaurants and museums to picnics or ice-skating in Central Park.” Both von Zuben and her husband are the children of immigrants, and they place a premium on traveling together as a family: “It’s important for us to take our daughters to see different parts of the world and experience different cultures to broaden their perspectives, plus we’ve had some amazing adventures together.”

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Design a Quitting Plan: Opportunity Cost is Real in Your Career

Nicki Gilmour
Stop doing things at work that don’t work. Heard this before?

Has anyone told you to quit unproductive habits, or even quit your job? Well, today we are going to talk about not quitting.  At least, when you shouldn’t.

How many of us quit at the wrong time? When the going gets tough? The other side of the coin is that so many more do not quit something when we should ( job, project, partner, habit etc.) to do something better that we do not know exists yet.

Beyond being a coach and keeping my knowledge up to par, I love reading good personal and professional development books. I can be found having a little peace away from the madding crowd on the floor of a Barnes and Noble in summer months when work is less crazy. Air conditioning an added bonus. Recently, I picked up Seth Godin’s “the dip: a little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick)” and it resonated deeply for this column and the career advice I offer. Seth has a great blog too and this book is based on this blog “The four curves of want and get.”

Basically, the dip, according to Seth, is the moment we want to quit in the hard bit. This means when we feel exhausted or frustrated in our career, working out, or trying to learn new skills generally. Sometimes, things get hard, setbacks happen. No new news there, but why this book is a good and quick read (but gender bias in his examples at every turn in the book with implicit assumptions around the best being portrayed as a man continually is my only critique of an otherwise fabulous read), is that it compels you to think about why you quit when you do.

What is worth pushing through to the other side?

This little gem of a book talks about what criteria can be created to give yourself the permission to quit for the right reasons and at the right time. Invaluable.

Why is it that some of us don’t quit when we should?  When there is a dead end or a cliff that ultimately creates a downfall or loss for us in some way?

It got me thinking about so many of the people I coach.

It is my opinion that we are all in a state of quitting, we just do not know it. Much like Steven Covey’s identified habit of ‘begin with the end in mind’ in his book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, success often comes with an exit strategy or a desired outcome.

We might be at the start of the curve and full of enthusiasm. But, over time it is inevitable that we are fighting entropy, boredom or irrelevance unless we find new ways to do things. We should know our mission and our end goal but change the product, tactic, approach where necessary, quit those things, but not the stuff that makes us great and makes us happy.

Seth Godin agrees, “The best quitters are those who decide to quit in advance, not because of panic or momentary dip. When you are being asked to settle for less, compromise or drop out, your desire to quit should be at its lowest. If it’s the easiest time to give up that is not the time to give up. “

He continues, “Strategic quitting is a conscious decision you make based on the choices that are available to you. If you realize you are at a dead end compared to what you could be investing in, quitting is not a reasonable choice, it’s a smart one.”

You should quit when you are facing a cliff or a dead end. Forget pride, sunken costs, quit when you know you can do better or be better or have more of what you want.

What is the bigger picture?

So, the message here is don’t quit your job if there is still value to you in the firm or industry, quit the way you do your job or quit the team or manager or even the firm. But, know what you want and need to know what you have to do to get it.

Need help figuring this all out? Work with a career coach – schedule a free exploratory chat to see if coaching is for you with Nicki Gilmour here.

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Voice of Experience: Constance A. Fratianni, Special Counsel, Katten

Constance FratianniAs a practicing lawyer since 1985, Connie Fratianni has seen a wide variety of cycles and changes.

But one thing that has not changed is the need for women to do more to mentor the women who are coming up. “We can’t forget where we came from; there are still too many women who are of the view that ‘no one helped me so I’m not going to help them,’ but that is the wrong attitude for all of us.”

As a member of Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), Fratianni herself tries to inspire young women attorneys. She believes that part of what has made her career so fulfilling is the bond she has developed with others in her firm, whether they worked together on the same deal or if they practiced in an area of law other than commercial finance. “That’s one of the great things about WLF; the opportunity to socialize with women outside of your own practice area. I encourage young women to take part in it.”

Juggling Responsibilities and Achieving Success

After graduating from University of Michigan School of Law, Fratianni had planned to work at a law firm in its real estate group for a couple years and then figured she would move on to a real estate company. But life didn’t quite go according to plan. She joined a law firm and found that she was doing interesting work with people whom she enjoyed. She was given the opportunity to use her broad legal knowledge to handle various transactions from bankruptcy and restructurings, to investment grade credit agreements to film financings among other interesting pursuits.

Along the way Fratianni had four children and subsequently became one of the first part-time partners at a previous firm, which is an achievement she is particularly proud of.

“I learned that it was about managing expectations; you can control the hours to a degree, but the only way you will develop your practice is by being there to serve. In that way, practicing law prepared me for motherhood, and motherhood helped me practice law better,” Fratianni says.

“The combination was both professionally and personally fulfilling. One of the things I find most gratifying was a former colleague who came up to me at an event and mentioned what an impact I had on her career many years ago. There’s nothing like seeing people I’ve mentored succeed.” Fratianni pivoted to various roles, including the global compliance attorney of a law firm, before deciding to join Katten in 2018 in its New York office.

Forging Your Own Path

Fratianni notes that success can be defined in many ways, and everyone needs to determine what that means for him or herself. “If you define success as making partner after eight years, well then, by that definition, I am a failure. In part because of my four maternity leaves, it took me longer to make partner but I eventually made it. I have four amazing kids and work I am proud of and have fun doing. To me, that is the definition of success.”

Even so, she adds that law school teaches the fundamentals but real world experience is invaluable. “It’s a harder road than it looks, and there’s always so much to learn,” she says.

Success comes from remaining true to yourself and not being afraid to speak up if your instincts tell you something is right or wrong, she says.

A Philanthropic Heart

In addition to her professional success, Fratianni finds fulfillment with philanthropic endeavors. In fact, one of her proudest achievements was working on a pro bono project to incorporate Operation Dreamseed as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization with a mission to provide school supplies to children in Afghanistan. Operation Dreamseed, founded by an Army captain, also rebuilt a school there in partnership with another philanthropic organization.

That heart for others extends to her children — two sons and two daughters who are in various life stages. Her oldest son is in his second year of a medical residency; a daughter is a special effects editor; her youngest son is a management consultant; and her youngest daughter is pursuing a nursing degree.

Deeply involved in her children’s education and activities, Fratianni helped organize hands on activities at her firm’s “take your child to work day.” She also created the role of “Working Parent Liaison” in her local PTA. In that role, she encouraged more parent friendly events at the school that were convenient for all parents working outside the home. As a Girl Scout leader, she was instrumental in starting “Operation Cookie” in her local Girl Scout council, which annually ships tens of thousands of boxes of Girl Scout cookies to service men and women overseas. “I was lucky to have healthy, self-starting kids and a supportive staff and family,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and realize that both personal and professional fulfillment is possible.”

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