Men Who Get It: Larry Ostendorf, Senior Director Business Development, Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company

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“We’re all in this together; it doesn’t matter what your gender, race or creed is.”Larry Ostendorf

That is the philosophy of Larry Ostendorf, who oversees business development for the aerospace and defense market for Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company. With only a few competitors, the sales environment is largely based on the relationships he builds with his customers, which include aerospace and defense companies, the U.S. government and foreign customers. “My role is to make sure we’re well thought of, to make sure that we have the opportunity to share our capabilities.”

Ostendorf graduated from West Point and spent five years on active duty in the US Army, then he earned his MBA. He’s spent over 15 years in the corporate world as a project manager and business development professional. He has augmented his leadership background with 15 years in the National Guard holding various command and staff positions along the way.

No Rank in Civilian Life

Ostendorf says the corporate world is different from the military because it is a level playing field. He acknowledges that championing diversity has a generational component, and has found that millennials have a different approach than he does, as does the generation ahead of him. “Part of it is how you were brought up, which you can’t help; but also your influences.”

At his current positon, Ostendorf makes sure that all his team has a voice. “They are all successful professionals so I view my role as someone who can be there to guide them rather than give them a lot of direction. To me a major factor of inclusion is that everyone has a say, and that’s how my department runs.”

Ostendorf acknowledges that it is a challenge to find women to join the team. The aerospace and defense industry lacks diversity overall with too many men that have a military background or who have spent their whole career in the aerospace and defense industry.

When looking for candidates, he encourages leaders to broaden their search, reaching out, for example, to the Women’s Society of Engineers or other alternative places to find diverse candidates.

Another example of tapping a non-traditional hiring network occurred when his company was looking to fill a finance position and sent out a request through his National Guard leadership. His company ended up hiring a female soldier from his command, whom he otherwise wouldn’t have thought about. She has blossomed at the firm, and as Ostendorf says, “It’s about opening the door, and then they make it what they want. Diversity is about opportunity. If they don’t run with it, then that’s on them, but if you don’t ever give them the chance, you could be missing out on someone special.”

Standing up for Diversity

Given that it’s a small industry with few women, Ostendorf says that actually provides a lot of opportunity for women to stand out and make a name for themselves. At the same time, he sees that there remains the potential for the “double standard,” where men can perceive strong women negatively.

“We have to make that go away, and to do that, you have to set a good example in the organization. We have to have the courage to stand up and say, ‘Hey! Time out!’ and police our own ranks rather than letting it go, even if it’s a bunch of guys in the room after the woman leaves.”

As a leader, Ostendorf knows that his example influences others, through informal coaching and acting as a resource to help others navigate the job.

Advice for Other Leaders

His main advice for other leaders is “not to play old tape.” In other words, he thinks there’s a blind spot where leaders might pigeonhole people and not see their growth, even after they have changed roles.

He challenges leaders to take a hard look at their interaction and make sure that they are not inadvertently sabotaging others. “Are you cutting off women? Not treating them the same? We have to really examine our behaviors and see where we can make a positive change.”

He says that time and again in his career, he knows that issues in leadership will permeate the organization and manifest themselves as problems at the lower level. “If there are things going wrong, you have to examine the leadership climate. Whether it’s a company or a military organization, you can peel the onion back and see that problems beget problems,” he says. “It all comes back to leadership – the people who are in charge set the tone.

“We all have differences, but we need to embrace those and be sure we’re leveraging the different strengths everyone offers, because at the end of the day, it comes down to whether accomplishing the mission.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Men Who Get It: Mark Pestrella, Chief Deputy Director for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works

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Mark PestrellaMark Pestrella knows that everyone has a story, and that women in particular need to feel they can tell their story without looking like they’re weak. “Really listening to my employees’ stories can change the whole environment.”

As the Chief Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Pestrella is essentially the COO of all types of infrastructure that protect residents from natural and manmade hazards in Los Angeles County. With a service area that covers 4,000 square miles and 88 cities including Los Angeles, the department is made up of special districts that provide emergency services, waste management, water resource management, development services, transportation services and public building construction.

With a background in engineering, Pestrella started with the department as a civil engineer assistant, designing and reviewing storm drains.

Now 28 years later, his role as overseer for the 4,000 employees at 78 facilities involves “managing people, not things,” he says. “We have a large and very diverse workforce, which allows us to operate at optimum capabilities.” Pestrella knows that having a diverse workforce enables them to serve a diverse community, but it’s more than that. “If you are trying to create solutions without a group that reflects diversity in education, gender and culture, you’ll get a siloed response.”

Raised With Diversity

From a business standpoint it’s clear to Pestrella that the diversity of his team has to reflect the community, but he emphasizes that it’s also a personal value for which he credits his family dynamic. As a Pacific Islander, his father came to the country as a minority, but says he was “put in the box of mainstream white males.” Growing up with four sisters, a strong mother and a dad who believed in tolerance helped form his thinking, augmented by his childhood in San Bernardino, Calif., an area ripe with diversity.

Addressing and Overcoming Blind Spots

While acknowledging that everyone has blind spots, Pestrella says that he works consistently to address his, even asking trusted colleagues to help him identify them.

Public Works is primarily an engineering organization and as such, has historically been predominantly a male-based agency, but under his guidance, gender recruitment has improved greatly. Even so, he knew he had to address intolerance.

“I could see it happening throughout the organization, where the women were feeling they had to be superheroes to think they deserved a promotion,” he says, adding that in extreme cases he’s had to fire people whose blind spots were interfering with their ability to treat people with equity.

“I could see it happening throughout the organization, where the women were feeling they had to be superheroes to think they deserved a promotion,”

One solution he sees is for men to acknowledge and value differences, rather than seeing them as problems. “We’re being taught you can’t act like anyone is different but that’s not true, and not the best way to deal with gender diversity. There are built-in biases that we have to understand, respect and deal with.”

For example, he says that the way men approach a woman boss often should be different because their styles are usually different. As an example, the first woman director of Public Works for L.A. County is Pestrella’s boss, and he knows that when he comes to her with an issue, she wants him to also offer two or three solutions and then allow time for her to process them. “You have to educate yourself that there are some differences in style.”

And blind spots aren’t just for men. He recounts a woman employee who was so frustrated with the department that she wanted to share her concerns publicly through a complaint. Pestrella says she was one of the department’s best engineers at the time and had potential to be a top leader. He knew that her blind spot was causing her to miss the bigger picture. “She was hearing what she wanted to hear,” he says. Ultimately he was able to broker an arrangement where he would meet with her monthly to discuss her concerns in lieu of her continuing with her complaint. “I wasn’t trying to change her mind, but I felt that she was making a mistake in waving the woman flag. I was able to address her issues, and she has progressed in her career path.”

“I wasn’t trying to change her mind, but I felt that she was making a mistake in waving the woman flag. I was able to address her issues, and she has progressed in her career path.”

A Successful Technique To Start New Employees on the Path to Success

Pestrella believes much of his managerial success comes from a successful technique he uses with new employees. He’ll schedule an introductory meeting, and to ensure that he is in the right mind set, he turns off his computer and devices for a few minutes before they come in. “I want to make sure I am meeting them with an open mind,” he says.

They then embark on a meeting where there’s no note taking, just an opportunity for the new employee to share his or her background. “Over the years, it’s been an unbelievable journey of getting to truly know the people who work with me, and a real asset to establish that trust right off the bat,” he says. “I learn things about people I would never have imagined and almost without fail, I know I would have put them in a different box when I compare what I would have thought about them had we not had the meeting and conversation.”

Though he identifies himself as a private person, he makes a point to coach his employees and says there are several women over the years with whom he has felt comfortable sharing his philosophy. “When I see people who have great potential and the drive to be a public servant, it’s natural to want to share with them what has been successful to me.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Men Who Get It: Douglas Kennedy, President/CEO, Peapack-Gladstone Bank

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Doug KennedyDoug Kennedy has always been committed to championing women in the workforce throughout his banking career, which began as a full-time teller working his way through college.

Not only did his teller position begin his career in banking, but it also earned him a wife. After college, he joined the training program of a local Connecticut bank, where he began by working in a branch. As the industry deregulated, banks were increasingly growing, and so did Kennedy’s career. He held leadership roles with a number of banks, most recently with Capital One where he was responsible for commercial lending in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast; he was also market president for New Jersey. Two years ago, he joined Peapack-Gladstone Bank as its president and CEO.

A Diversity Champion

Diversity has always been important to Kennedy.

“If there wasn’t diversity, the world would be a boring place, and you’d never progress beyond your own beliefs and capabilities,” Kennedy says. For him, diversity starts in his family life. “At the end of the day, I am aware of the diversity in my personal life; this life experience translates easily to what diversity means at the bank.”

Over his 35-year career, Kennedy has worked alongside many talented women and has championed women’s issues, including a job-share situation early in his career with two women whom he knew were top performers that the bank needed to keep.

“It was not well received at the time, and I really had to push for it since management feared that male clients wouldn’t appreciate it.”

Kennedy collected statistics that showed that the job-share employees were more productive than their male counterparts. Armed with the numbers, his human resources department invited him to an off-site meeting of 400 bank leaders, where he was able to show that it wasn’t a crazy, far-fetched idea. “The proof was in the numbers,” he says. “Having math to prove something as a banker elevates it from just an opinion to a fact.” His presentation helped pave the way for additional similar job-share situations — a huge advance at a time when the lack of technology made it harder for women to stay in the workforce.

Maintain Diversity

Currently, more than half of Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s employees are female, and six months ago, he was instrumental in starting a woman’s organization called LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development) which invites senior women in to speak about their careers and the challenges they have faced. The bank’s executive vice president, Karen Rockoff, acts as the senior female leader, and has created a curriculum that speaks to women’s needs and interests and is helping the company develop an agenda to support them.

His goals for the year include accessing female senior leaders in the organization who can organize talks around wealth and how to plan for retirement. “Women can have a gap with financial issues, and since that’s one of our core competencies, we want to deliver those insights to our employees,” he says. In addition, the curriculum will double as an outreach for other corporations with women’s groups.

Kennedy says that he approaches diversity from an enlightened perspective. “I just never have differentiated people on the basis of gender, starting with my wife and I, who have always viewed each other as equal partners. Just because I had the role of breadwinner didn’t give me any authority above hers managing the family and household. So with an equal partnership at home it has been a fairly natural approach when I come to work.”

He says that he would always consider the best person for a position — whether it is a man or a woman. “You have to look at each position and ask yourself, ‘What are the skills each candidate has, what are the skills that are needed, and do they align?’”

Advice for Leaders

Though he sees the prejudice changing, he believes that men would benefit from listening more. “If you are willing to listen to different perspectives, at the end of the day you will end up benefitting. Despite my experience and leadership, it doesn’t mean I have all the answers. We all gain by paying attention to diverse views.”

He says that the key to success in an organization is hiring people who are thoughtful, who have more knowledge about a particular subject and then tapping into that talent — no matter who it is – which will always end up delivering better results. Listening will help any leader find great ideas and solutions to problems.

“If everyone at our company had identical experiences and thoughts, we would be a colossal failure. Diversity is one of the principle assets of any organization and is essential to achieving our future success.”

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Men Who Get It: Roger Mitchell, Managing Director, TIAA-CREF, IT Business and Resource Management

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Roger Mitchell“Increasing diversity is not the responsibility of women or the minority group alone,” says Roger Mitchell. “What is often overlooked is that everybody benefits from diversity, because there is a clear impact on the bottom line, and strong correlation to increased performance, engagement and innovation.”

On his journey to becoming a strong champion of diversity, Mitchell began his career in the UK with Ford Motor Company in a series of human resources roles.Ford eventually offered him the opportunity to move to Detroit, where he lived for 15 years. After a stint as head of HR for Ford’s global IT group, Mitchell segued into a position leading the global IT strategy team. He later joined Fidelity as a member of the HR leadership team. Mitchell subsequently came to TIAA-CREF as the managing director of IT business and resource management, and as a member of the IT leadership team.

Throughout his career, Mitchell has identified the need to expand roles for women as a business imperative. “In IT specifically there’s already a shortage of talent, and it’s tightening even more,” he says. “There’s a necessity to attract and retain both talented women and men, because we are under a tremendous amount of pressure for those skills.”

The Light Bulb Moment

Mitchell first became a diversity champion during his time at Ford when he ended up in a significant disagreement with his boss over missing a meeting to take his kids to the doctor. “When he asked me why my wife couldn’t do it, I had to explain that she worked too, and she had an important meeting at that time and couldn’t miss it,” Mitchell recounts, adding that was when he realized that everyone benefits from flexibility.

He recalls that earlier in his career it was expected that men would put in unlimited numbers of hours as the breadwinner, and he found there were times he didn’t get to spend the time he wanted to with his own family.

Part of changing this traditional mindset is challenging premises such as “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” as espoused by John Gray in his best-selling book.

“I don’t believe that our differences are so extreme, that we might as well be from different planets. I frame it more as men are from earth, and women are from earth too.”

While he agrees that there may be some differences in communication styles, he points out that there are differences even among people of the same gender or across different cultures. “I find it more productive to spend my time focusing on similarities between men and women and any other groups,” he said emphasizing how focusing on differences is divisive and can be the catalyst for unconscious bias.

Identifying and Managing Unconscious Bias

Mitchell is sensitive to unconscious bias, and one example he has seen is how women are judged more on performance than on their potential. He also finds that they are remembered for their mistakes more than their achievements, and that they continually walk a tightrope between being too masculine or too feminine.

“You are either not liked or not respected when you get on the wrong side of the tightrope,” he says.

In Mitchell’s view, systemic change is what will count. He sees his role as impacting those systems to advocate for diversity and inclusion — whether that’s in the areas of employee development or compensation.

“Early in my career we would look at numbers and targets and make symbolic appointments but if they were the wrong appointments, that would set everything back,” he said.

One systemic change he is working on is reviewing job descriptions to check for unconscious bias. He has found implied hours of work or exaggerated amounts of travel that might deter women when in fact they might not really be necessary. To help solve the problem, he says he asks his team to really think about whether the targets they are offering are typical or an extreme example.

Other areas ripe for diversity opportunities are talent review meetings where high potential females are identified. Mitchell says he has challenged his peers in those meetings to validate their selections and compare them to the female candidates.

“We have to look at all of our processes and make sure that there are no unconscious biases,” Mitchell said. “My role as an advocate is to remind people to make sure we’re not missing those who might not be getting the attention and exposure they deserve.”

He also knows that you have to interrupt unconscious bias as it is happening – maybe when you notice that someone is not being heard in a meeting, try to stop the flow of conversation and help them get the floor to make their point.

Spending Political Capital Wisely

Throughout his career, Mitchell has often acted as a sponsor, and in doing so realized that it requires him to use some of his own political capital. He also appreciates that his own sponsors, who value his judgment, help him lobby for those whom he is sponsoring. “It is crucial to focus on talent and use your political capital wisely or you lose the trust of your peers and your own sponsors.” He tries to maximize female opportunities by looking for talented women and putting them on key projects that allow them to exhibit their best capabilities. He also says that as a strong advocate for expanding talent, he tries to hire people who are better than himself and to not feel threatened but to see this as an opportunity to challenge himself. A crucial part of identifying and developing top talent is providing them support and placing them in challenging stretch assignments.

“It is crucial to focus on talent and use your political capital wisely or you lose the trust of your peers and your own sponsors.”

Mitchell admits that his blind spot earlier in his career was to pick people who were just like him, assuming that if he was successful and chose people close to his profile, that they would be too.

“I know now that is flawed logic, and that you need employees with different perspectives and backgrounds,” he says. “I learned that hiring those in my own image wasn’t giving me as successful a team as I could have had. You need spirited conversation and push back to arrive at the right viewpoint.”

Advice for Leaders

Mitchell says that having two daughters of his own in the workforce gives him a unique perspective since he’s heard their stories. He advises others to listen to the experiences of female colleagues and never assume you understand how they feel.

“When you’re speaking, all you’re doing is repeating what you already know. When you’re listening, you’re potentially learning something new.”

He also believes that women have a role to play – notably by making sure that they state their needs rather than letting someone make an assumption. For example, a woman back from maternity leave or one with a young family needs to tell her boss if she’s willing to travel. If she has a partner who will follow and therefore is mobile, say so. People will make assumptions based on stereotypes so you have tell them what you are thinking.

And that includes being specific about career aspirations. He finds that women tend to be more modest and talk about growth and development, whereas men are more likely to be specific and state that they want to be CTO in three years.

A key component to success will be establishing a strong network which is how you create connections that may lead to opportunities, whether it’s volunteering to be engaged in high-priority projects or finding an empathetic sponsor.

“With men still holding many of the senior corporate roles, we must make sure that they in turn become sponsors for women, and help move them into senior roles, “says Mitchell.He views his role in mobilizing other men behind this cause as crucial to the success of any firm’s diversity and inclusion effort.

By Cathie Ericson

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Gender Champion: William “Bill” Johnson, CEO, Citi Retail Services

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Bill JohnsonLeaders must always be conscious of the shadow they cast for their teams, says Bill Johnson, CEO of Citi Retail Services. “You can ‘talk the talk, but people watch you and your behavior, and what you do day in and day out is far more important than what you say. You should never ask anyone to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself, and you certainly should not behave in ways you wouldn’t want your team to emulate. The impression you leave behind is your shadow.”

For Johnson, that shadow extends to a deep passion for diversity. He credits this focus to two strong female role models that he had in his mother and grandmother, who both overcame adversity in their lives to become successful beyond what their education and opportunities would have normally allowed. He was always very aware of the decisions they made and the activities they pursued to advance themselves, and how those decisions helped them overcome some of the bias they faced in life. “Seeing what those two strong women accomplished helped give me better perspective on how to guide talent, irrespective of gender, to achieve their potential,” he says.

Carving Out His Path

Bill Johnson joined Citi in 1999 and has held a number of roles in the North America cards business over the years. Currently he serves as CEO of Citi Retail Services, a leading provider of private label credit cards to a virtual “who’s who” of retailers: major chains like The Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy’s and Sears; prominent specialty retailers like Staples, Brooks Brothers and The Children’s Place; large gas companies like Shell and ExxonMobil; and leaders in the automotive space, including Goodyear, Ford, Lincoln and Volkswagen U.S. In addition to private label and co-brand cards, Citi Retail Services specializes in research, data and analytics to help retailers grow sales through enhanced customer marketing, loyalty and compelling value propositions.

Prior to joining Citi, he spent 10 years at GE Capital, where he learned the retail card industry along with skills that have served him well in business development, relationship management and operational discipline.

A Diverse Team Starts at the Top

Johnson says his goal is to make sure thatevery person on the team has the right opportunities to succeed and that those who are smart, hardworking and committed to the business get exposure to the company’s leaders and retail partners. “I see this as doing the right thing for our business and our people. I look at our team and see diversity, which I’m proud of, but I’m more proud of the performance of the team,” he said.

To continue to build the team’s diversity, it’s important to him to ensure that a diverse slate of candidates is available. He believes it’s important that those in the organization who are doing the hiring expand where they look and source a diverse slate to encourage a range of perspectives and experiences that provide fresh ideas and expertise.
Twice a year, the business conducts rigorous talent reviews, and Johnson requires the entire leadership team to participate so that each member is familiar with the broader talent base as well as emerging talent deeper in the organization.

And that commitment to diversity manifests itself in his core leadership team:four of his six direct reports are women as well as two of his matrix reports. He has either hired or promoted each of these women, who lead major roles in partner management, marketing, risk, strategic initiatives, human resources and compliance.The next level of management is approximately one-third women, and they are always working to continue to grow that number.

Presenting Choices to Promote Sound Decisions

Over the last 30 years Johnson has mentored and sponsored a number of women, sharing his perspective on how to be successful in an environment that isn’t typically gender-diverse.

He finds it most valuable to help emerging talent – women in particular – think about the future and understand how the choices they make might be different from the choices others make. “It is important for anyone to understand that their career choices may be impacted by their personal choices. People – women and men – have to do what is right for them, personally and for their family. Making a choice isn’t a bad thing; it’s just part of life.”

He believes that his role as a sponsor isn’t about helping someone make those choices, but rather to help the individual give full consideration to all the aspects that go into making the decision and considering all the possible outcomes. By ensuring they consider all the consequences of their decisions, they not only can make the best choice for themselves, but they are also owning the choice themselves. “If you make a decision for someone, it gives them the liberty of not taking ownership for the outcome which is where regret and blame originate.”

Balancing the Team

Johnson recounts a story of a young woman who worked for him as a sales representative many years ago, when the industry was dominated by male clients. One particular client team was very traditional and was uncomfortable having a woman in the room. While it would have been easier to remove her from the account, Johnson believed she was a fantastic salesperson with potential to advance and was aware of the impact a reassignment could have on her career. Instead, they worked together to improve her executive presence. In future meetings, she was better able to contribute and ended up being very successful.

Johnson has carried that ethos during his work in Retail Services, where they believe in making the best decisions in the interest of the business while balancing the needs of the teams and their partners. They look for people who are curious and agile and who act with integrity but also realize that ensuring someone is a cultural fit is just as important as having the right skill set. “Given two candidates with similar skills, we gravitate every time toward the candidate who embodies our principles and values,” he said. “Over time, we’re more concerned with people who will do the right thing personally and make sure that others do the right thing. You have to hire the right people for the right reasons.

Johnson has a sign in his office with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that reads, “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”
He believes that can be extended to apply to people as well – that it’s easier to succeed with a positive attitude, and that it’s critical to always try to find the best in people by assuming their thoughts and actions are intended positively. “With that comes the understanding that men and women may be different, yet both are equal.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Men Who Get It: John Covington, CISSP; Infrastructure Manager, Production Services; TIAA-CREF

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John Covington

“My main message is that people who feel more comfortable at work are more productive. I want to show people that my career has not been limited because I am gay.”

With 30 years of IT experience, initially as a technician, Covington currently manages two teams – the Service Now infrastructure team and the Identity and Access Management team. Having molded both teams, a total of 13 members strong, into a cohesive, collaborative unit, he is proud of how they work together to share information. “I encourage all of them to work hard and understand the value of attitude, cooperation and teamwork.”

Being a diversity champion is important to Covington because of how much the work environment has changed since he started. “When I entered the workforce, it was not the norm for someone to be out at work,” he said; in fact, he personally didn’t come out at work until he came to TIAA-CREF in 2006. “I feel like my goal is to provide a role model for others to help create the environment where people can be more comfortable at work,” he said.

Creating a Culture of Compassion

As the current co-chair of the Charlotte LGBT employee resource group (ERG), Covington helps plan and promote the monthly meetings, lunches and speakers. In addition, the group participates in community events like Charlotte Pride and the Human Rights Campaign. He is also a member of the IT Diversity Council, which is focused on attracting and retaining a diverse IT workforce.

He sees that even though he works for a very diversity-conscious company which has superior support from the senior leadership team, there is still room to improve the culture through social awareness and acceptance.

“I think a lot of young people still don’t feel comfortable at work. They don’t want to be on the LGBT ERG mailing list because they are concerned that if people see their names on that list, then it might hurt their careers.” He notes that the group only has 40 members in Charlotte, out of 5,000 employees. “If you do the math, that doesn’t add up.”

He urges LGBT individuals to be more active and visible and create the environment where people feel and offer acceptance.

Importance of Mentors and Allies

One plan in place to help move the needle is a mentor program that they are in the process of forming for LGBT associates. While the ERG requires attending meetings, having a mentor will provide someone the opportunity to meet privately, until they are ready to be more open.

He says that he wishes he had understood earlier the value of a mentor, and that he’d felt more comfortable, but most of all that the time had been different. “I worried that people wouldn’t want to work for a gay manager,” he said, adding that he believes that LGBT youth who are not yet comfortable would be well advised to have an LGBT mentor; not just for social reasons but to help navigate the workplace.

In addition, the ERG is also working to introduce a new Ally program in June to help promote a “Safe Place” at work.This would increase the number of people at ERG events and perhaps “provide cover” for those who might not yet be comfortable. “They can have a sticker in their office or wear a pin and it can be an ice breaker. It might be an easier entrée for those who are not yet ready to say, ‘This is what my partner and I did this weekend’.”

He also believes that if leaders get involved in the Ally program, it will send a very positive message, and help bring the issue to where it should be – just an everyday thing, and one that supports the core values of TIAA-CREF.

Covington is a native of North Carolina and has lived in the Charlotte area most of his adult life.He is an active cyclist, hits the gym regularly and participates in charity cycling events. He lives in Charlotte with his 92 lb. Doberman; Scarlette.

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Men Who Get It: Dave Meisel, Senior Director of Transportation and Aviation, PG&E

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Dave MeiselIt’s all about giving good people chances—not about whether they’re a man or a woman.

That’s the philosophy of Dave Meisel, who manages the full lifecycle of transportation needs at PG&E, from vehicle specification to maintenance to disposal. Starting his career as a mechanic, Meisel has worked in corporate America with a series of national utility fleets including Roadway Express, Frito-Lay and Consumers Energy before joining PG&E.

Breaking His Own Notions

He admits his career has been honed in a male-dominated industry, where for many years, he primarily worked with men—aside from a woman or two in administration roles. And yet, even with that background, diversity has always been important to Meisel from a personal and professional standpoint.

“I grew up in a house full of boys in the 1960s, and you learn a certain set of rules that are different than today,” Meisel says, adding he now has a house full of girls. “I quickly realized I didn’t know much about girls.”

He believes even more passionately that just because they’re girls, they shouldn’t have to work harder or be denied the same opportunities as boys, even though he grew up in a time when gender roles were more defined.

In fact, he says he has been surprised to find his girls had different interests than he had expected.

“My girls are good at lots of things that aren’t traditional,” he says, citing his youngest daughter who loves to hunt. “After seeing their interests, I figured out there wasn’t as big of a difference between boys and girls as I thought or had been taught, and that changed my view.”

He was able to take what he learned with his own girls, and apply it to interacting with the women with whom he works. “And along the way, I’m sure I learned more from them than they learned from me,” Meisel says.

He has increasingly seen smart women coming out of college and conquering the workplace in what has typically been a male-dominated industry.

“Even though they weren’t familiar with our industry, they exhibited a legitimate desire to learn it,” Meisel says. “With that, they brought a different perspective on what “good” looks like—they raise the bar.”

Sponsoring Talent

Over the years, Meisel has mentored lots of men and women, helping them learn about other parts of the company and acting as a sounding board.

But he knows the difference between being a mentor and sponsor, where you invest yourself more completely in their success. Meisel says he has helped many women over the years rise from clerical positions into technical or management roles when others hadn’t bothered to see their potential.

“I really believe most people just need a chance. I’ve tried to be vigilant about not stereotyping,” Meisel says. “When I know this person is smart and they can do well in a certain role, I develop a plan to help them reach that goal. And along the way, I make sure to give them support. I would never leave them to sink or swim.”

He says the women he works with perform as well or better than the men, describing them as smart, bright, articulate, and thirsty to learn. “They don’t take anything for granted, whereas some men might believe that since they’re in a men’s business they deserve the growth opportunity.”

PG&E attracts lots of diverse candidates—men and women, different ages and different cultures. And since there are so many different types of jobs at the company, they can start in one area and be moved around. “We’re fortunate in the quality of people we attract and how hard they work when they’re put in those roles,” he says.

Choosing Teams

Meisel knows the prevailing viewpoint in the company is to be collaborative. “We try to actively engage people other than those we traditionally work with. When we put a diverse group on a project, we get so many views that are different than we would otherwise get and ultimately, a better result. The bottom line is if you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.”

Meisel says it’s easy to tell if a team is suitably diverse: Look at the people you’re working with to solve problems. If they all look like you, then that’s the problem.

“As a leader, you have to stand up and say, ’I want more opinions. I want more diversity.’ We’re more successful when we have a broader based view than when we don’t. The ultimate goal is to run the business well, and a diverse view of the world helps us run the business better. You can’t keep perpetuating the same old team if you want different opinions.”

Taking Chances

Meisel thinks many companies worry too much about “taking a chance” when they promote someone. “Smart people are smart people, and they don’t have any boundaries. Good people get to where they are because they’re hard workers, so moving them one level higher isn’t really taking a chance. They are where they are because they performed and there’s no reason to expect they won’t continue to perform.”

Meisel has also found it’s in everyone’s interest to mix up roles. If there’s something they traditionally thought men could or would do better, leaders might be surprised when they find women are every bit as willing and successful in the tasks. “If no one gives them a chance,” he says, “how do you expect them to grow?”

And Meisel finds diversity extends to age, and how impressive he finds the electronic savvy of young people. “I don’t consider myself technically illiterate and yet their skill set is so far beyond mine,” he says. “You have to look at that skill set and say it doesn’t matter how old they are. If they can do the task, give them the chance.”

Ultimately, Meisel says there’s truth in the adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover, even though many people still do. “Often the book is so much better than the cover.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Men Who Get It: Mike Jones, CEO, Core Consulting

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Mike Jones“As a country, we are 80 years away from gender equality.” That statistic, which was shared during the World Economic Forum, caught Mike Jones’ attention, because as he says, “If that’s true, I won’t live to see it.”

Jones is CEO of Core Consulting, a technology and management consulting firm. His personal mission is reflected in the company motto: “Have a positive impact on the lives of others – do that and you’ll be ok.”

Jones’ varied career spans from his early years in banking to a stint in IT for an international insurance company to eight years with a large consumer electronics retailer. Along the way, he has had numerous career-defining moments that have underscored the importance of increasing gender equality.

He recalls an incident in the early 1980s when the bank president took a female loan officer to a customer lunch. The customer later called and said “If you replace my current loan officer with the woman you introduced me to, I am leaving the bank.” In Jones’ eyes, the customer was wrong, but the bank president wouldn’t stand up for his female loan officer. Jones recalls that he said that it was the customer’s choice, and the male colleague remained as the loan officer, even though the female had excellent credentials.

“Life might not be fair, but I realized that some of us could play referee and arrange the game so it’s a better playing field,” Jones said.

He sees gender inequality heightened by the lack of role models. At the electronics retailer, Jones said that only one of the 16 decision makers were women. “When she left, we became an all-male society, and we all knew we needed more balance.” He knows that the problem can be self-fulfilling. “How do we give our female middle managers someone to aspire to be and learn from? Who will they turn to for mentoring opportunities and to discuss the issues with which they are wrestling?”

A Strong Commitment to Giving Back

As a seasoned volunteer, Jones has spent ample time in the non-profit world, which he finds to be more balanced with women in key positions.

As part of his work on the board for the United Way, their Women’s Leadership Initiative held a breakfast attended by 600 women leaders. He said it was empowering to see how people will flock to support something when you establish the support mechanism.

He has also been supportive of Women in Technology, a subgroup within RichTech (Richmond Technology), which regularly meets to tackle relevant issues facing women in leadership. His company also organizes a dinner every other month that helps support and encourage women executives in technology.

Diversity in all areas is important to Jones. As he says, he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. In 1990, he began working with Partnership for the Future, a non-profit that pairs CEOS with potential interns from the inner city. “We work with them to help them rise above the hand they were dealt, and give them a lift. We provide interviewing skills; match what they save dollar for dollar; help them get scholarships and essentially give them the tools they need. Many in this group would be lost if we didn’t lend a helping hand.”

Jones says he was inspired by his boss at the time to become involved. “He taught me you have to stand up for things that aren’t fair and give people a chance they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Promoting the Best Person

At the boutique firm he leads, he tries not to draw a distinction between men and women, but always hires the best person for the job. The controller and the vice president of recruiting and staffing are women, but he says that he can only draw from the pool that he is offered, which is why he knows that women need to be reached earlier.

He sees that the problem starts young, noting that there’s a point in middle schools where boys continue to pursue STEM endeavors and girls drop out. “I believe we have to reach young women earlier in their school career if they want to be ready for the boardroom,” he says. We are seeing that young girls are lacking confidence and don’t have seat at the table. We have to start earlier, to find ways to increase and maintain their interest at a young age and in the tech and science industries and then help they see how they can be leaders like Carly Fiorina.”

A Lifelong Mentor

Mentoring is part of the fabric of Jones’ life. He is part of an organized group at the

Virginia Commonwealth University’s graduate school, where he mentors one or two students a year.

He also lends a hand to anyone who asks or with whom he interacts, particularly helping those who need an injection of confidence. “My goal is to ‘encourage greatness,’ he says, adding that he mentors anyone who transitions through his life who needs encouragement. He even compiled his advice into a book, called “Hello Old Friend,” designed as a resource for career development.

“My mentoring is mostly not part of a formal program; I just live it. People have to care,” he says.

His mantra is to exceed the Golden Rule with what he calls the “Platinum Rule,” which focuses on paying it forward.

“I have never turned away someone who wanted to network or needed a hand, because we’re all one step away from needing that help.”

Advice for other Leaders

He firmly believes that promoting diversity is everyone’s job, and that you can’t be caught up in your own myopic world. “You have to engage and listen and recognize the need and then do something about it. Be the change agenda, and have the courage to stand up for what you believe in.”

In his view, a career is composed of two halves – the first half, which is when you’re taking and learning and building, and the second, when you find out what you’re called to do.

“Everyone should have their own personal ‘why,’ and mine is to inspire others to find what inspires them. We can be both a student and a teacher at every level of our career.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Men Who Get It: Justin Gmelich, Global Head of Credit Trading, Management Committee Member; Goldman Sachs

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Gmelich Justin“Embracing diversity is like a subway car — it should run underneath everything you do.” Justin Gmelich, who has been with Goldman Sachs for 17 years and was named partner in 2004, practices what he preaches bringing his devotion to diversity to both the workplace and to his family and life experiences.

The father of six, including four daughters, Gmelich is intimately familiar with the dynamics of diversity. He understands the opportunities and challenges ahead for his own daughters in the workplace, drawing from his personal experience and the insight from his wife, a former mortgage bond trader, and sister, who also works on Wall Street.

“This awareness definitely weighs on how I think about the world and what I’d like to see happen on Wall Street in general, and at Goldman Sachs in particular,” Gmelich says.

“Building a better framework to get the most out of the organization requires a different viewpoint around diversity. I’m keenly aware of the dynamics at Goldman and committed to working to bolster our culture and atmosphere to allow all our people to succeed.”

Starting Them Young

As part of Gmelich’s passion for education, he and his wife have invested both time and energy in creating the next generation of leaders.

They developed a scholarship program in their son’s name to fund private education for at-risk kids through high school. The program has resulted in more than three dozen graduates around the country.
These philanthropic endeavors migrated into the development of a need-blind STEM high school, Trinity Hall in Monmouth, N.J. Their oldest daughter, a sophomore, is part of the inaugural class.

Gmelich says that the goal of the high school is to change the way our society teaches girls about their job opportunities. “There’s some cultural bias that steers young women away from rigorous quantitative career paths,” he says, adding that Trinity Hall focuses on coding, physics, math and other skills needed to succeed in STEM careers.

Mentoring at Work

This allegiance to raising up the next generation of successful women is complemented by his current work at Goldman Sachs. “I wear the hat at work and at home,” he says.

To that end, he is active in a program at Goldman Sachs called the Women’s Trader Initiative, which he says is meant to demystify the trading function, as well as provide support and sponsorship for women traders in a department where there are fewer female role models.

He says that his goal as a mentor is to be involved in people’s careers by acting as a sounding board. “The best traders are those who can learn from other people — if you’re an effective mentor, you’re trying to prevent your mentees from making the same mistakes you might have made. I think it creates empathy when you share your own war stories of how best to navigate the job.”

Over the years Gmelich has found that one secret to career success is to embrace the tough conversations and seek appropriate feedback. “Many of the most successful people in the organization are the ones who want to spend 55 minutes of a 60 minute feedback session knowing what they can do better. That’s what makes people grow and develop.”

He says that it’s the obligation of mentors to offer that feedback through the lens of constructive criticism. “We can disagree but we don’t have to be disagreeable.”

Gmelich knows that the best way for leaders to advance those conversations is to underscore the importance of communication and accessibility “You have to use the type of mitigating language that lets people know they can speak their mind, by setting up a communication system where people are comfortable coming to you early and often.”

One way to nurture that feeling of trust is for leaders to show vulnerability and empathy, so that colleagues can see that even if he has a senior role, he’s overcome challenges in his career like anyone else.

“There’s a lot of humanity around that,” he says. “Empathy really matters and whether the recipient agrees with your perception or not, they appreciate that you are trying to give visibility to their career – someone is thinking about how to help them succeed.”

Diversity Must Be Omnipresent

Gmelich doesn’t believe in the common perception that the benefit of diversity advocacy goes to those who receive it. “We mistake the beneficiary,” he says. “With socioeconomic leveling I believe those who benefit equally are those who are getting the exposure to different viewpoints when we open the door.”

He says that when you look around Goldman Sachs, the decision-making process is strengthened when diverse groups actively participate and bring new approaches and perspectives to solving traditional problems. “It’s critical for any organization to realize that.”

As Gmelich demonstrates through his personal and professional life, diversity isn’t a switch you can flip on and off. “You have to practice what you preach in every aspect of your life.”

He advocates that those who want to expand their world spend time volunteering, whether at a high school or another non-profit that speaks to them.

“The more you do it, the better you get,” he says. “When I think about the interplay between my diversity work at Goldman Sachs and my philanthropic endeavors, you could say I’m a believer, both on and off the job.”

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Men Who Get It: Larry Hughes, CEO BNY Mellon Wealth Management

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By Cathie EricsonLarry Hughes

Larry Hughes “gets it” for many reasons: he knows what it’s like to come from a “diverse” background, since he himself comes from a blue-collar upbringing – not what one might expect from the CEO of a wealth management business. Additionally, he has an ambitious 29-year-old daughter who is much like the up-and-coming women he works with around the globe. But most of all, he “gets it” because a diverse and inclusive workforce makes good business sense.

Hughes has been at BNY Mellon Wealth Management for almost 24 years, holding eight different roles over the years.

And throughout his tenure he has actively championed the business case for diversity. As committee chair of BNY Mellon’s Wealth Management diversity and inclusion committee, he saw the diversity agenda as more than just gender, race, age or religion – he believes it also encompasses social status diversity, a viewpoint he holds due to his background growing up in inner city Boston. The son of a truck driver father and waitress mother, Hughes knows what it’s like to forge his own path. He has held a job every day of his life since he was 10, including working his way through college and his MBA program.

“I value people who are self-made and come from all walks of life; in fact, I consider it an advantage that I didn’t have a privileged upbringing. I had the opportunity to learn so much working my way through school, earning practical expertise that some others may not have.”

Championing Women Formally and Informally

Although he holds an inclusive view of diversity and inclusion, Hughes nonetheless has been a tireless advocate specifically for women’s advancement across the enterprise. He is a keen supporter of a variety of development programs that cover mentoring, rotational development, engagement, internships, career development and career advancement training through an initiative called “Career Talk,” where business leads hold national conference calls that address a wide range of topics focused on skills and capabilities development.

Hughes has mentored talented women over the years both through formal programs and also through informal interactions. “Just today I met with a Wealth Management colleague who worked her way up in the organization from when I hired her as an analyst years ago. I have taken an interest in her development and offer advice whenever I can,” he says. He stresses that each mentorship opportunity teaches him as well.

In fact, that is the goal behind the firm’s Reverse Mentoring program, where he recently spent a day experiencing the challenges of an associate level employee whom he recently spent the day shadowing.

He also holds periodic lunches with a group of a dozen or so relatively entry to mid-level employees, including many women, where he offers career advice, similar to that which he has given his own daughter over the years. “It’s common-sense advice, but, people love it when I share.”

Among the tips are: “Do anything it takes to get the job done; don’t let ego get in the way; working hard still matters – work a little harder than anyone else; and try to understand other people’s objectives and find common ground.”

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is spending time with employees who are at an early stage in their career, and are so energizing and enthusiastic in a different way than others.”

He also has been a strong advocate for flexible work arrangements. “I am always considering how we can accommodate employees and provide for an inclusive environment,” he says, noting that the issue is important for both men and women, and extends beyond child care to other family care and any case where flexibility might be needed. This is particularly important within Hughes’ business, where the competitive Wealth Management landscape keeps him keenly focused on retaining talent.

Looking Past the Surface

Hughes acknowledges that he has many opportunities to act as a sponsor in his role, because he has the luxury and obligation to step out of the day-to-day viewpoint and look at the big picture. In addition to his role as CEO for Wealth Management, he is also the Chairman for BNY Mellon New England and this provides him the opportunity to influence and help set the tone across business lines and into the broader organization.

“My role is to consider factors like ‘What are we trying to achieve?’ ‘Why is it important?’ I can take the more strategic role as I look at promoting the people who will position our business for success.”

Many times that manifests itself as identifying a candidate who might lack one particular skill but offers leadership potential for the future. Hughes then can figure out how the company can provide resources to coach them around the skill they need to develop. And, at an enterprise level, it also manifests itself in the types of programs and initiatives he supports on behalf of BNY Mellon such as diversity forums and external networking events focused on the advancement of women in the workplace.

Leading by Example

Hughes knows that having a diverse team as direct reports is also crucial. The leaders attend a training program on overcoming unconscious bias and being open-minded about candidates and opportunities. He expects his management team to own and drive the diversity and inclusion agenda throughout their businesses in support of a workplace that attracts and retains diverse talent at every level of the enterprise to support clients globally as a great place to work.

“I make sure I have people on my management team who challenge me, every day,” he says, pointing to his own team which, for example, includes a CFO who is a female African American and is also among other senior women on his management team who bring diverse viewpoints and challenge him differently.

As he considers his leadership team, he notes that across all their regions, there are more women leading markets than men. “If we don’t have a strong and capable group of women in key positions, we can’t be successful in the business,” he says. “Promoting diversity will feed on itself, as more senior women and people with diverse backgrounds become mentors to others who can then see the path ahead.”

Hughes seizes the opportunity to consider diverse candidates when considering internal mobility or external hiring. He sees it as his job to challenge his team to think differently. It’s not always about the perceived easy answer; it’s important to take the extra time and extra step to get it right. Hughes knows that thinking long-term on decisions being made today is critical.

He mentions a specific search for a leader for the largest market, the New York region. Though Hughes didn’t have a predetermined outlook, he said he needed to see a diverse set of candidates, which took time. Without this established focus at the start of the recruiting process they may not have found the senior leader whom they ultimately ended up hiring.

“That’s the kind of thinking we have to put into practice, insisting on being able to consider candidates who are women, LGBT or ethnic minorities,” he says.

Part of his role is to explain to employees why diversity and inclusion matters.

Every business is different but wealth management is very diverse,” he says. “Clients want to know the organization they are dealing with is inclusive, and that people like them are welcome and can succeed. There are communities where you need to have people who can fit in and socialize, or you’ll never be able to connect with them. Without diversity, you’ll only be successful in certain niches.”

“People readily grasp social justice, but I need them to understand the diversity business case as well.”

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