Heidi Pellerano, Chief Commercial Officer, The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf)

Heidi PelleranoWorking in the sports industry makes Heidi Pellerano very visible as a woman.

But she is able to lean on a philosophy that helps athletes themselves as they strive for success. “I might not be the best athlete, but no one will outwork me,” she says. “You might have to work harder if fewer doors are open, but it’s something I’m proud of.”

Connecting Her Passion to a Career

Many professionals take unusual paths, but that is an understatement to describe Pellerano’s career. She studied as an electrical engineer and worked in the field for three years as a military consultant. But then, she had “that moment” where she was considering that she had a long career ahead of her and wanted to make the most of it. “It was a difficult process and took some soul searching, but making a shift allowed me to be true to myself.”

Although she didn’t come from a typical “sports family,” she’d always been passionate about them and decided to see what paths might open up. As a girls basketball coach at the time, she leaned on some of the parents to help set up informational interviews as she realized it was a tough industry to break into, especially given her background. “I offered to work for free and do whatever it took, but nobody picked me up on my offer,” she says. Through the advice of the parents, she identified an opportunity to earn a master’s degree in sports management at the University of Massachusetts, which would demonstrate she was serious.

During her program, Pellerano became uneasy as she started hearing about the decisive plans her classmates had, and it became clear that even if it wasn’t a long-term goal, she needed something that would differentiate her. It was the 1998 timeframe when women’s sports were growing, and she realized that could be a niche. She specialized all her projects to establish herself, and was approached by a classmate whose dad wanted to bring a WNBA team to Orlando, which opened the door to an internship.

Recognizing it’s an industry that’s all about networking and connections, she focused on meeting other professionals, which paid off when one of the women she had met went to work at the NBA in New York and hired Pellerano. Soon she decided that a marketing degree would complement her skills so she went back to school at Duke University, where she once again was vocal about her goals. A classmate referred her to a small consulting agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, OnSport, which became her entry point to strategic consulting in sports and entertainment.

When the firm was sold to industry giant Wasserman, Pellerano stayed on and just left last year to become Chief Commercial Officer at The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), one of FIFA’s six continental confederations. She is excited to tell the story of the group’s 60th anniversary next year as the most recent hire of a recently transformed leadership team. “There is a tremendous upside and potential with all the changes that have happened in recent years.”

Making Your Voice Heard

Today when she meets with prospective hires or conducts informational interviews, Pellerano sees potential that others might not. That’s because she had been pigeon holed by her major, without someone to help connect the dots. By doing it herself, she has been able to create the career she wanted, and today can help others with a non-traditional background see where they might fit.

She has realized sports is an industry where it’s easy to be overlooked—one not designed for introverts, meaning she has to make adaptations as one herself. “The extroverts are very comfortable being seen and heard, and I’ve talked to a lot of people about how it’s fine to be introverted, but you have to understand how to shine at the right moments or it can have a limiting effect on your future.”

She acknowledges that as a former military consultant, she has gone from one male-dominated industry to another, and it’s important to focus on developing relationships.

At Wasserman she worked with an HR specialist, who posed an analogy that helped the issue of diversity and inclusion click. “When you look at the network of those in leadership, it will look like people like them, which is how underrepresentation continues,” she says. “Therefore, the best way to increase inclusion is to commit to open doors and advocate for advancement.”

“In many organizations, the biggest hurdle for women and minorities is they feel like they are meeting a quota,” says Pellerano. “If that’s the case, then forget what opened the door and prove them wrong.”

In fact, she exudes what she calls the “boxer mentality.” That means you may wonder how someone can withstand the pain, yet still have that attitude of never giving up. “Someone else has to call them out; it won’t be them,” she says, noting that there are days you wonder whether the struggle is worth it. “You have to realize everything will pay off for the next generations.”

Sports remain a passion in her personal life, and she also enjoys traveling with her family and friends, with favorite destinations being anything outdoors. “Since my job requires me to spend so much time inside, I love to get fresh air, whether it’s mountains, oceans or rivers. A beautiful landscape makes me happy.”

by Cathie Ericson

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Far Too Few Latinx Executives: When Will the C-Suite Stop Resisting Reality?

Theglasshammer is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 with profiles of Latina leaders. Enjoy our 2020 update progress!

The gap between workforce participation and leadership presence is wider for Hispanics than any other group in the U.S., and Latina executives report cultural barriers to inclusion. The result of these barriers is far too few Latinx executives, which is an inequitable representation of not only the growing Hispanic population but also of its buying power. What will it take for the C-Suite to understand this?

Hispanics make up 18.3% of the U.S. population and 17% of the workforce, but only 4.3% of executive positions. Though female CEOs amidst the Fortune 500 hit a record high this year (37, vs. 33 last year), only three are of color, and none are Latina or black.

Latina women also experience the worse gender wage gap, earning 46% less than white men and 31% less than white women. As for the pipeline, for every 100 entry-level men who are promoted to manager, according to a McKinsey study, only 68 Latinas are.

High Workforce Participation, Few Leadership Positions

In New York, Hispanics represent 22.6% of the workforce, but only 4.5% of executives. In LA, Hispanics represent 34.2% of the workforce and 8% of executives. In Houston, they are 43% of the workforce and 10.3% of executives.

Secondary cities with a smaller Hispanic population of less than 4% seem to exhibit more equity in leadership representation, such as Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis and Cincinnati.

Miami, where the benefits of cultural and linguistic diversity are likely more valued, and where Latin America media-based companies like Telemundo are based, is an exception with 44.1% of the population and 24.6% of executives being Hispanic.

Cultural Barriers to Inclusion

“I am just one of millions of people who have been told that in order to fulfill my dreams, in order to contribute my talents to my world, I have to resist the truth of who I am,” expressed award-winning actress America Ferrera in her Ted Talk last year, “I, for one, am ready to stop resisting and to start existing as my full and authentic self.”

Along these lines, a recent qualitative study by the Network of Executive Women (NEW) and Latinarrific explored barriers to inclusion for Latina leaders, as possible insight into the exodus from big companies. The focus group study was based upon 36 Latina leaders, 25 mid-level executives and 11 senior executives.

The executive participants mentioned several Latinx cultural aspects that clashed with U.S. big corporate culture and inhibited “authentic advancement.”

These “barriers of inclusion” included:

Collectivist (vs. Individualistic)
Whereas corporate culture exalts an individualistic culture of assertiveness, independence and push-back, Latinas come from a more collectivist culture that emphasizes being selfless, giving and respectful of authority. Participants felt this focus on collaboration and end results rather than self promotion can create the impression that Latinas are less “hungry” for individual advancement, and they get overlooked.

Latina Expressiveness (vs. Reserve)
Some women spoke of their “Latina-ness” as being “too much”, with phrases like “too colorful” or “too expressive” or “tone it down.” Others referred to being perceived as having a “Latin temper.” Compared to a cultural norm of expressiveness and gesturing, the office “poker-face” can be enigmatic.

Personalismo (vs. “Too Familiar”)
The Latin comfort with physical proximity, openness and touch as personal and respectful ways to do business can clash with the more distant and removed norm of the U.S. boardroom and more uptight cultures.

Prioritizing family (vs. “Whatever it Takes”)
Latinas put a big importance on sharing time with family and reject the notion that spending more time with family diminishes their commitment to or delivery on the job. Despite lip-service, the corporate line remains an attitude of doing “whatever it takes” for work.

COVID-19: A Catalyst to Embracing Latina Leadership?

“Most Latinas feel they’re not being listened to or supported because their values do not align to the corporate culture,” said NEW member Iliana Rojas Saldana, Founder and CEO of BeLIVE Coaching & Consulting, who turned to entrepreneurship like many, only after holding executive positions in Fortune 500 companies.

But that could be changing in the light of the pandemic impact.

“In a way none of us could have predicted, many of the traits the Latina professionals in our focus group cited as drawbacks within the traditional, white male dominated workplace – expressiveness, empathy, a desire for work-life balance – have become celebrated assets in the COVID-19 work-from-home landscape,” shared study co-author Karianne Gomez.

Even as the stay-at-home orders loosen, Saldana suspects the opportunities for Latina executives could improve. “Companies are rethinking the working environment; seeing how employees can be productive – especially Latinas who (successfully) manage family and business.”

The study authors observe that Latina executives have the competitive edge of having “a foot in two worlds,” and this has never been more valuable than now.

“A Latina’s cultural heritage has genetically engineered her for the work-from-home paradigm shift prompted by COVID-19,” said study co-author Arminda Figueroa. “Freed from the stress of babysitters, elder-care and long commutes, she can seize her full potential as ‘Chief Household Officer,’ being there for her family while managing her schedule and tapping into her overachieving nature to produce high quality work.”

“You are What the World Looks Like”

“My identity is not my obstacle. My identity is my superpower. Because the truth is, I am what the world looks like. You are what the world looks like. Collectively, we are what the world actually looks like,” spoke America Ferrera. “And in order for our systems to reflect that, they don’t have to create a new reality. They just have to stop resisting the one we already live in.”

With a 19.6% (and growing) Hispanic population in the U.S. that controls $1.5 trillion dollars in buying power, it’s time for corporate culture and the C-Suite to meet reality.

by Aimee Hansen

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Isela Bahena, Managing Director, Private Infrastructure Group, Nuveen Real Assets

Isela BahenaIn our careers, we oftentimes think ahead to potential impacts of any move, which while deliberate, can make us hesitant to grab an opportunity that doesn’t fit our exact narrative.

But what might seem like a career deviation can often turn out to be something you should embrace as a real opportunity, says Isela Bahena. “It might seem scary, but looking back I see a lot of growth when I took those chances,” she says. “There will be challenges, but sometimes the bridge is going to look different when you actually cross it.

This outlook has paid off in her career, but her demeanor, as well. In fact, she finds that younger colleagues often ask her why she doesn’t look nervous when changes are announced. “I tell them that’s because in the long run I always see them as opportunities.”

Embracing Change

Bahena has held this attitude throughout her career, which started in public finance and commercial lending, an area that she believes offered a strong foundation in skillsets for what she does now. After five years at Bank of America, she then decided the time was right to earn her MBA and attended Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. During her summer in between first and second year, she interned at TIAA, Nuveen’s parent company; her lending background attracted them to her as a candidate, and she received a full-time offer to join them after graduation.

She’s been there since 2004, working on a number of teams through various rotations, starting with the private placement and private equity funds and co-investment. She found that to be an especially exciting opportunity as she was the sole associate on the team at the time, supporting seven directors and managing directors.

“I was learning a lot because I was touching all sorts of deals, which quickly expanded my breadth of knowledge,” Bahena says. Her ability to underwrite equity investments was a big advantage, and she was soon tasked with joining a team that was building a new asset class in private equity infrastructure. A decade later, she is driving strategy as a senior member of the team. “Generating ideas and envisioning what the business will look like as part of the broader organization is exciting, and this is one of the most interesting things I’ve done,” Bahena says.

There is growing interest in the sector where she invests, as well as ESG and impacts of climate change, where the firm is a leader globally. “I am at exactly the right juncture to showcase our strength and leadership to the market.”

Subtly Encouraging Diversity

While progress has been made, Bahena points out that finance is still a very male-dominated industry, and she believes that increasing awareness is the first step to be more inclusive. What happens, she finds, is that successful professionals often look for a younger version of themselves in candidates, but she notes that we need to collectively change that perspective to introduce more diversity in the industry.

“You have to be able to see other versions of yourself so you can share opportunities with those who don’t look just like you,” she says. For example, when a male colleague mentions that a new candidate or hire reminds him of his younger self, she suggests he think about someone who reminds him of a daughter or niece as well. “I look forward to being part of that change,” she says.

Throughout your career, she says it’s vital to always keep learning and adding to your tool kit. “It keeps you fresh and keeps your career interesting,” she says. In fact, one of the professional achievements Bahena is most proud of was being chosen to participate in the Emerging Leaders program in 2012, an opportunity that allowed her to meet a small group of colleagues who are now leaders all over the organization. “It was a nice pat on the back to be included and it was important for my growth and development,” Bahena says.

While she appreciates participating in industry-oriented events targeted toward women as a way to collaborate and discuss challenges, the goal, of course, is that women won’t need those to thrive.

When mentoring others in her organization, either formally or informally, she encourages them
to consider the brand they want to portray. “What adjectives do you want colleagues to consider when your name is said? That impression will precede you, so you want to make sure you’re building the reputation you want to have to the best of your ability.”

Always Giving Back

Bahena says that philanthropy has been an important component of her life she has embraced for a long time—not just giving money, but also time and expertise.

“I stand on the shoulders of many who came before me to lay this foundation to be where I am today so I believe it’s my responsibility to help out,” she says. That’s why she donates her time to a number of different causes, such as education, where she has served on the board of a charter school; as well as working with nonprofits in a variety of areas, from a legal fund to community-oriented grassroots organizations focused on causes from women’s rights to climate change.

As the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, she believes her family set the stage for looking at different perspectives and viewpoints from a very young age. “My upbringing also helped me look at the future as being a glass that is half full, and seeing that empty half as an opportunity with room for me to fill it with more water.”

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Virginia Johnson; Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Legal; Global Atlantic Financial Group

Virginia JohnsonNever check your bag. Those words of wisdom have stuck with Virginia Johnson throughout her legal career since one of her first business trips as a first year associate. Traveling with a senior partner to embark on a lengthy trip, she arrived at the gate and when he asked where her suitcase was, he was shocked that she had checked it. “’Didn’t anyone ever teach you Associate Travel 101?’ he asked me.” Fortunately for Johnson, the bag quickly emerged from baggage claim as expected, but the advice has stuck with her…fast forward over 15 years and it still rings true, she says.

Wearing Many Hats Creates Exciting Opportunities

Of course, that’s just one small, but colorful, piece of advice that has helped propel her successful career. Johnson started as a corporate lawyer in 2002 at a large international law firm, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where she served as a securities and complex commercial litigator for nearly 9 years. She transferred from New York to Boston during her time at Weil, and eventually moved to a smaller Boston-based firm as a partner, where she could build her own book of business in an entrepreneurial environment. In 2012, she came across an opportunity to join the legal department of a wholly owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, and as she had always been intrigued by the idea of going “in house,” she made the leap.

Since its spin-out from Goldman in 2013, the company, which rebranded as Global Atlantic Financial Group, has dramatically transformed itself, in ways that Johnson says makes it “feel like it’s been 20 different jobs.” There, she currently heads up the corporate legal group and oversees just about everything a corporate legal department would need to handle, including contracts, licensing, cybersecurity, data privacy, litigation, employment, intellectual property, governance, risk, strategic transactions, cross-functional projects, business integration, and more.

She loves her current role where she can serve as a legal advisor but also assist with developing and shaping business strategy. “I am proud that I have been able to cultivate such a rewarding career, but also that I have built a reputation as a dependable problem solver in many contexts—a seasoned generalist who can jump into different types of situations,” she says. “As my expertise has adapted, I’ve been tapped by numerous leaders and have been able to expand my skill base. Business partners often tell me that if they don’t know who to call, they call me, as I have become known as somewhat of a ‘fixer,’ someone who can take on anything and just figure it out.”

Currently that covers leading her company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including introducing new initiatives, advising the business on legal risks and regulatory compliance, and conducting analysis of workplace safety logistics, company policies and procedures, employee benefits, and other aspects. While she acknowledges it is challenging, she also sees it as a chance to feel positive about something that is otherwise tragic. “Working on our response efforts is a way I can pour myself into the crisis and make a positive impact,” she says. “Most importantly, we are making sure we’re being flexible, fair and caring to our team and our customers.”

Johnson also is involved in a number of technology initiatives at Global Atlantic, an area for which she has a personal passion. This is a time like no other, she says, to spotlight the importance of innovation. “I have seen attitudes change almost overnight toward remote work and the urgency of digitizing our business capabilities, and it’s vital to embrace it, not be afraid of it. This forward-thinking attitude is critical to the future of our workplaces.”

Building Relationships and Learning on the Job

While Johnson says that sponsors can play an integral role in a career she also sees the benefits of networking at all levels.

“During my undergraduate studies and law school, I believed that if you simply buckle down and work hard, that would be enough, and by becoming a subject matter expert, people will seek you out. But now I know, it’s more than that: You have to network and build relationships,” she says, adding that she makes sure to tell her mentees not to underestimate the value of your network and to begin to grow those relationships immediately in your career. Too many times she has seen people focus exclusively on their work, and then find years later that they are building those relationships from scratch.

She credits her career transitions with seeking out and nurturing connections that would pay off in years to come. Success in the world of law entails a blend of talent and effort, along with some luck, she says.

As she considers the many mentors she’s had, the traits she admires most are having a mastery of skills and a devotion to excellence, while still maintaining a life outside work and a sense of humor. “These things aren’t mutually exclusive,” she explains. And, she appreciates those who put a premium on diversity in hiring and foster an environment where people can offer divergent opinions and dissenting views.

Johnson is proud of helping found a women’s network, which has become a firmwide presence at Global Atlantic, offering a large network across all the offices. Acting as a senior sponsor, she finds the most rewarding part has been the ability to empower younger professionals as “office champions” to plan events and initiatives. She sees it as a way to both retain talent and attract new professionals.

A Full Life Inside and Outside Work

In addition to her mentoring work within the company, Johnson is active in external mentoring with Big Sisters and Mentorloop, a virtual networking site that matches pairs according to interests. While she has spent much of her career in the financial services industry, she is an innovation enthusiast who loves learning about emerging technologies, and she often attends tech-focused events and peer chats to satisfy her curiosities.

Johnson also loves music, film, theater, and travel, and looks forward to resuming those activities after the pandemic clears. Since working from home full-time during the coronavirus outbreak, she has enjoyed being able to exercise more, favoring virtual boxing classes and yoga. And she treasures time she can spend with family, friends and her pets. “It’s important to have a well-rounded life outside of work. It gives you valuable perspective in making business decisions and also when you’re done with the workday.”

by Cathie Ericson

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Six Ways Executive Coaching Can Improve Your Life

Improve Your Life

Coaching is often misunderstood. It is not consulting, as the objective of coaching is not teaching or giving advice, but to facilitate your ability to learn about yourself, unlock your own potential, and improve your life.

If you’ve advanced to the upper ranks of your profession, do you even need an executive coach? You got this far, right? Especially at the executive level, having a great coach can dramatically enhance both your leadership and your life. In these times when leading with empathy is a necessary trait, a coach can help you show up to your team with a profound and helpful way to navigate this insanely difficult year as a professional woman in financial services or anywhere.

What can an executive coach do for you? Here are 6 ways that professionally and personally, a coach can help you become the leader and the executive you want to, and need to be.

1. Own Your Leadership Strengths

Own and hone your abilities. Leadership is as learned and acquired as it is somewhat innate. Research regarding female twins explores how developmental experiences and genetics work in tandem to create female leaders. This work, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, has found that around 30% of factors that lead to women in leadership roles are genetically influenced. This research seems to find that some people are literally born for capacity to lead with executive capabilities inherently there. The other 70% has to do with direct experiences and family influences. Within that a large proportion of success is attributed to securing and occupying a leadership role in the first place or climbing the ladder.

Part of executive coaching is unearthing the natural leader you already are, including identifying your unique strengths and styles. This includes bringing into your awareness the inherent talents that you might not be aware of, or are not valuing enough.

If you are gifted at visioning future opportunities or quality listening or making unexpected connections, you might take that skill for granted. An executive coach can reflect back your unique aptitudes, validate them and help to leverage them more. A coach helps build self-assurance so you can be relaxed in your own skin as a leader.

2. Transition into Leadership Mindset

As you move up, it becomes necessary to re-orient your focus towards your leader role. Coaching will provide valuable “cold, hard truth” about your weaker areas that can be developed.

Part of moving up in an organization is letting go of your comfort zone (how you focused your attention and efforts before your current position).

Putting your head down and doing your own quality work was enough before, but now must evolve to motivating and inspiring others. Coaching can help you to develop a new set of responses and priorities at work.

3. Expand Your Self-Awareness

Executive coaching can help executives focus on self-awareness, so you can see both yourself and others more clearly. A coach helps you to pause and reflect on your unconscious thinking and to question your assumptions and beliefs.

When you dismantle core ways in which you are inhibiting yourself, your perception can widen to transform both your professional and personal life.

Most of us don’t see ourselves clearly, but self-awareness is highly correlated with effectiveness as a leader and with attracting followers. It includes being able to understand how you see yourself and the world, what biases you hold, what beliefs you possess and the impact you might have on others.

With your coach, you examine the way you think and process circumstances and how that creates outcomes. You might consider what thinking process led to a specific action and outcome, and how you could have perceived and responded differently.

You will question core limiting beliefs, often hidden from your conscious awareness, that keep you trapped in emotional cycles, self-sabotage or repeating “safe” behaviors that undermine your potential.

Coaching serves to elevate your emotional intelligence, which becomes more essential the higher you go, and affects your quality of presence, how you respond within a moment and perhaps what kind of skills you need to seek in those around you.

The more emotional intelligence you have, the higher you will go at work.

Research shows that some women have more emotional intelligence than men, if you are one of those women use it. If you are not, and there are many women who do not fit this stereotype, then work with a coach to develop it.

4. Enhance Quality of Relationships

Coaching helps you to gain a more accurate sense of how others perceive you as a leader, which can throw the light on challenge areas to affect better outcomes.

Over 70% of people have shared that coaching improves work performance, relationships and effective communication skills. It helps you to see others more clearly, and to see interpersonal issues between you and others more clearly.

Coaching can help you to examine your limited beliefs about others, especially those who aren’t like you, so you can form productive and rewarding relationships with a more diverse range of people.

5. Improve Focus and Decision-Making

Tony Robbins asks, “Are you majoring in minor things?”

Coaching helps to clarify your core personal and professional values, so you can structure and direct your attention in ways that create real fulfillment. A coach helps you discern between being busy and being effective, so you can better focus your precious energy.

A coach provides valuable external perspective on your strategic thinking and ideas – bringing new angles to consider, pointing out blindspots, giving validation, helping you to articulate your ideas more clearly and step-by-step and helping to navigate execution, even in making bolder moves.

A coach can challenge the assumptions that are limiting your progress. By providing a reflection on patterns or fears that hinder and obstruct your thinking, a coach can help you become more effective at decision-making.

6. Gain A Dedicated Ally

In the feminine version of the heroic journey, there is help along the road. A coach represents an ally that walks the path with you, always in your corner, supporting your development and achievement.

Whether it’s truth-talking on where you’re stuck or advocating for your gifts, a coach will be your confidante and champion in the leadership journey. A coach offers a detached perspective that helps to bring life into clarity, focus and often wider possibility.

As well as helping clarify what you want, outlining how to get there, and then helping navigate the path, your coach becomes your accountability partner along the road to your goals, reminding you of your intentions, where you want to go and why.

With the mental, emotional and strategic inspiration and support of coaching, the leadership road becomes a more personal and expansive journey than you may have ever imagined.

by Aimee Hansen

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