Susan L. Harper, Director at the Bates Group LLC and President of the Financial Women’s Association of New York, Inc. (FWA) has always been a staunch supporter of women’s advancement. This year, she used her position within the FWA to draw a greater focus on the topics of women in the public and political realm and negotiation for women.

“The FWA has been a leader in the areas of mentoring programs and sponsorship initiatives,” Harper said. “But I truly believe for us to get ahead that we need to take ownership of our advancement, become self advocates and harness our own negotiation power.”

This has been one of Harper’s signature initiatives, with events designed around salary and severance negotiation, advocating for work position advancement, and skills development workshops for emerging leaders. She explained, “With respect to women and the pay gap, it’s very important that we understand that we do have the power to negotiate and ask for what we want and deserve. If you’re at that point where a company has made you an offer and they want you, they are more than likely open to negotiating with you.” She continued, “In terms of pay equity issues, the phrase I like to say is, ‘Debt does not discriminate.’ With all things being equal, no one’s going to say ‘Sorry you make 77 cents to every man’s dollar. No worries. We’ll discount your bill because of that. No business in its right mind would ever do something like that, barring extenuating circumstances. So let me ask you this, why should you allow your paycheck to be discounted?”

“Remember, what we negotiate today will impact us years down the road in our retirement years. You need to take the initiative,” she added “it will benefit you and your family.”

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“There are so many things I know now that I wish I had known when I was younger,” Marilyn Nagel said with a laugh. Nagel, CEO of Watermark, continued, “I think the biggest thing I wish I had known is that who is in your network is just as important as the work you deliver. I had a belief that a company was more of a meritocracy and my work would stand on its own.”

“But the truth is, doing excellent work is table stakes. Having a network to support you is what is going to help you and make you successful in the long run.”

That view fits nicely with the work Watermark is doing to connect powerful professional women. “I think that we have to continue to refine our offerings and what we do. We want to help women make their mark in and for their careers, their companies and their communities.”

The group organizes networking events for professional women, development programs, and advocates for diversity, particularly in the boardroom. “I think we are at an inflection point,” she added. “Women are still facing inequality in pay, despite strong data showing that companies are do better when they have a strong gender mix. Open positions are still being filled with people who are already known and that just perpetuates the status quo. But I think pay equity and better board balance will change that.”

She added, “I feel very privileged to lead Watermark, an organization that fits with my values and passion around making a difference. The women I work with are just a treasure.”

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Cheri Warren, Vice President of Asset Management at National Grid, is fascinated by the potential of the power grid to change the way people live their lives. As head of the company’s smart grid initiative – called Utility of the Future – she said, “We are on the precipice of transformation and I’m really proud to be a part of that.”

Her passion for the energy space grew out of her early interest in engineering in high school and college. She explained that her Girl Scout troop leader was an Air Force recruiter and encouraged her to apply for an Air Force ROTC scholarship so she afford college. Even though the scholarship was delayed, because this was the ’80’s and a computer glitch declared her “legally dead” for a few months, she never wavered. she recalled. “Going to school would make all the difference in the world.”

Warren dreamed of joining NASA’s space shuttle program, so she studied electrical engineering for her bachelor’s degree and then followed that with a master’s degree in engineering. But, after injuring her knee while training for a marathon, she realized she would have to seek a new path. Nevertheless, her engineering background gave her a boost, she said. “Having that advantage helped a lot as I continued throughout my career.”

After landing an internship at GE, Warren found herself fascinated with the utilities industry, particularly the power industry. “I got really lucky,” she said. “I got a job at PTI [Power Technologies International], which is now owned by Siemens, and by my second summer I was redesigning how to protect the power system from lightning strikes.”

She worked in electric distribution consulting in the early ’90s and then moved into information systems for a few years then back to T&D studies before joining a management consulting firm. After 9/11, Warren’s interest in the power grid was further invigorated. “I decided to work for National Grid and I’ve never looked back,” she said.

Today, as National Grid’s Vice President of Asset Management, Warren is responsible for all of the company’s electric transmission and distribution assets where she and her team invest about $1 billion each year on behalf of customers, as well as the company’s smart grid activities. “The smart grid is transforming the industry. It will mean a better grid that allows people to live their lives in different ways,” Warren explained. “The grid we have today is 125 years old. I have a line that Edison himself built and it’s still alive today. Clearly it’s time for innovation.”

She is also enjoying the people-management part of her job. “The people development aspect is incredible to me right now. There’s a point in your career where you go from mentee to mentor, and then you’re a mentor with a capital M,” Warren explained. “One of my top lieutenants was trying to make the next step and become VP for a few years, and I’m proud to say he was promoted in January.”

Warren is also a member of the industry group IEEE and is on it’s board of directors. She got involved with IEEE as a student, but really ramped up her involvement back when she worked for PTI on the advice of her boss at the time. It has enabled her to publish papers and, in 2007, she was awarded the group’s Excellence in Power Distribution Award. “It’s a group that is changing the way we do what we do. It’s phenomenal,” she said.

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Harlo Holmes, a Research Fellow at the Guardian Project, says she is just getting started in her career. But as a lead developer on two of the Guardian Project’s biggest endeavors – ObscuraCam and InformaCam, the latter of which just received a sizeable grant from the Knight Foundation – she is certainly a rising star in the open source technology space.

She believes there are some challenges for women and people of color in the tech world, but it depends on the norms of each particular area of the industry. “It’s really difficult in any field for anyone who doesn’t fit the status quo to thrive. But I’m incredibly optimistic about it,” she said.

In the Silicon Valley atmosphere – of which, Holmes emphasized, she is not a part – those challenges may be more pronounced. “I think it’s difficult for anyone who’s not in the status quo, but I think it’s less a problem of overt sexism or racism, but rather more of nepotism or a level of comfort with people who look like them, who fit a model they have seen in college or their grad program. It’s harder to get attention if you don’t fit the mold.”

The open source space is different, she continued. “Why I’m incredibly optimistic about my field is that it feels more like a meritocracy. You can contribute for years and no one knows your identity. The ethos is that we all work together where we can be useful so our project thrives.”

“In the circles we run in, there are more minorities – you’re not the only one in the room. You’re not a unicorn,” she continued with a laugh. “There need to be more and I believe there will be more. You can see the result of increasing diversity – we’re getting better and better.”

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Rashaan Reid, Director in the Mortgage & Securitized Products Sales Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the most important factor in succeeding on Wall Street is drive.

“Having the passion is the first thing – it takes a lot of energy and stamina,” she explained.

Next important, she continued, is the willingness to learn. She encouraged people just beginning their careers in the industry to hone their curiosity and build a broad foundation of knowledge. “Seeing different aspects of the business gives you a well roundedness and a better ability to provide solutions for your client. You have to ask questions and learn the business from the ground up.”

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