by Elizabeth Harrin (London)
You wouldn’t expect a biochemistry degree to open many doors in financial services but Denise Pollard-Knight has found that her life sciences background has given her an excellent grounding for bioscience investment management. She is now Managing Director of Nomura Phase4 Ventures, a venture capital subsidiary of Asia-based investment bank Nomura, and has just been confirmed as the Financial Services Category winner in the Women in the City awards 2008.
by Sima Matthes (New York City)
Of the six companies among the Fortune 100 ranking for this industry—Boeing (#27), United Technologies (#39), Lockheed Martin (#57), Honeywell (#73) , Northrop Grumman (#76) and General Dynamics (#87)—all have women in the C-suite.
by Elizabeth Harrin (London)
“I don’t think women find it harder to succeed than men,” says Sara Caplan. “I think often they choose a different lifestyle.” And management consultancy is a very specific lifestyle choice. It can involve long hours, being away from home, and being expected to hit the ground running as soon as you arrive at the client site. You can’t have an off-day and you can’t always predict how your working week will plan out. This can make it a difficult choice for women.
by Ellen Armstrong (New York City)
These days, we look for the bright spots in finance and the economy anywhere we can find them. Fortunately, in the case of the Wall Street Journal’s 50 Women to Watch, there are plenty of bright stars on whom we can focus our attention.
First on the list is Sheila Bair, the Chairwoman of the FDIC, who has been in the headlines of late, between her cogent testimony on Capitol Hill on the roots of the financial crisis and her key role in negotiations of various federal bailout packages. She has been an outspoken advocate of protecting homeowners facing foreclosure, as well as protecting America’s bank accounts in the wake of one bank failure after another.
by Sima Matthes (New York City)
According to Progressive Grocer, the grocery industry – retail, wholesale and manufacturers – has traditionally had few, if any, females in the C-suites. The article, focusing on the Top Women in Grocery, published earlier this year, celebrated the progress women have made in recent years, “introducing a much-needed female perspective into the upper echelons of food industry management by taking the reins themselves.” To check out their complete list of top women from large and small grocery stores, industry alliances and manufacturers, please go here.
Here is another list–an express line, 10 items only, please—of the movers and shakers in the Fortune 1000 companies in this sector:
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by Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
In these tumultuous times, who could blame a gal who wants to escape for a little while into the nonsense that is “reality” television or to go a live concert to sing cheesy hair band songs of her youth at the top of her lungs? Here are some of the top women in Entertainment who make these guilty pleasures possible:
by Sima Matthes (New York City)
Kudos to Madelyn Lankton of Travelers Insurance (#93 on Fortune 500), who recently received the Women In Insurance Leadership Award from Insurance Networking News (INN).
Ms. Lankton is the senior VP of Travelers Claim Shared Services. She was recognized for making a “significant impact” on her business according to the INN. In her role as senior vice president, Ms. Lankton is reposible for Claim Shared Services, an organizaiton of over 1500 people that uses the latest in information and data analysis to help the company in reviewing claims and evaluating the results. Ms. Lankton also serves as an executive mentor for individuals in the Finance and Information Technology Leadership Development Program at Travelers. According to INN, Ms. Lankton initiated the development of Women’s Mentoring Forum for high potential young women in the IT department.
by Sima Matthes (New York City)
All eyes are on the market today, looking to see if the $700 billion “rescue plan” will have the desired effect of soothing nervous investors and turning around the downward market spiral. This intense market scrutiny put us in mind of those who, among other things, process the market transactions. And, as we focus on the stock tickers and market fluctuations, it seemed appropriate to note some women leading the way in the Financial Data Services industry.
by Sima Matthes (New York City)
We love it when companies on the Fortune 1000 are recognized for having women at the top! The October issue of U.S. Banker, profiles the 25 Women to Watch, a ranking that honors women whose leadership continues to shape the financial services industry.
by Sima Matthes (New York City)
When you think cutting edge, you think Silicon Valley. Within the Valley, there’s a smaller community of internet companies, and, regrettably, these companies can hardly be called cutting–or leading–edge on gender equity.
So why the dearth of women? Quoted in a 2007 article in the Guardian UK, Jenny Slade, the communications director of the National Center for Women and Information Technology [UK] said “There were fewer women in 2006 getting computer degrees than in 1985. Women’s participation in computer-related occupations is low overall and it decreases as women climb the corporate ladder.”
That said, the following women are proof that there are some exceptionally qualified women who are blazing trails along the high tech highway: