Movers and Shakers: Laura Herman, Managing Director, FSG Social Impact Advisors

Laura Herman 3.09By Andrea Newell (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

At age 14, Laura Herman spent the summer on the north coast of Spain with a host family. It was her first taste of independence, immersion into another culture and glimpse of a society affected by political unrest. Once back in the quiet Boston suburb where she grew up, she determined that not only would she go back to Spain the following summer, but she would do something “international” with her life. That experience kindled a lifelong passion for other cultures and an interest in social issues. Herman not only returned to Spain for the subsequent three summers, but has visited, volunteered and worked in more than 40 countries to date.

When Laura first arrived at the University of Michigan, she thought she would major in International Studies and then join the Peace Corp, but she was ultimately drawn to the U of M Business School. “I came to this huge university from a small high school with a graduating class of 100 students. Entering the business school was a way to make the university seem smaller and I liked the cohesion of the business program.” While at U of M, Herman spent a summer as an intern working in Prague at a new foundation just after the Berlin wall came down.

Abject Poverty and Multinational Companies

After Herman earned her undergraduate international business degree, she spent five years at Deloitte Consulting. While she was learning the nuts and bolts of business consulting, she continued to travel and volunteer. During a leave from Deloitte, she spent nearly three months in southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia). As she traveled around the beautiful, yet economically desolate, countryside, she saw struggling communities alongside multinational companies. “I thought a lot about poverty, why poor people were poor, and exactly what was driving such poverty.” And she started to think about how they could work together.

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Voice of Experience: Wendy Stops, Global Managing Director, Quality & Client Satisfaction – Technology, Accenture

Wendy Stops AccentureBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Wendy Stops is a panelist at our upcoming event “Women in IT: Staying Technical and Getting to the Top.” We still have a few tickets left – to register, click here: https://theglasshammer.com/events/

“I guess it’s the individual, smaller things that inspire me. When I see very confident, articulate people who are genuine, and know what they want to achieve and share their story with you,” began Wendy Stops, Global Managing Director of Quality and Client Satisfaction for Technology at Accenture.

Stops’ career has brought her around the world – from Australia, to several locations across Southeast Asia, back to Australia, and now to New York City. She said, “My area of current experience and focus – consulting and tech – is helping our business delivery quality solutions for the client. Delivering these quality solutions is very important, and we are always looking to make improvements and changes. My challenge is to innovate how we can continually deliver high quality solutions.” She explained, “I like change – I like dealing with things I know are going to make a difference.”

She continued, “I get inspired by people who are not afraid to make tough decisions – who aren’t hiding and [are willing to] admit when they make mistakes. That’s the sort of person I want to be.”

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Celebrating Two of LA’s History-Making Female Lawyers

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iStock_000002362162XSmallBy Tina Vasquez (Los Angeles)

Twelve of the nation’s largest law firms are centrally located in the city of Los Angeles and according to numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 556,790 lawyers in California – not including those who are self-employed. As a lawyer, making a name for yourself in this city may not be the easiest of tasks, but if you’re incredibly dedicated to your work, your clients, and your profession – such as the women heralded by the Los Angeles Times as the city’s Women Leaders in the Law – chances are, you’ll make a name for yourself.

The supplement to the Times featured a number of Los Angeles’ top female lawyers, including a revered firm’s first female attorney and a lawyer who was behind a landmark civil rights case. Let’s get to know Amy Fisch Solomon and Deborah Chang, two lawyers who took a different path to making history.

Amy Fisch Solomon, Girardi Keese

If it weren’t for a severe injury, Amy Solomon’s life might have turned out much differently. In third grade she made a deal with her mother: her mom would continue to pay for ballet lessons if Solomon promised to work hard in school and always have something to fall back on. The deal continued well after high school when Solomon began dancing professionally, but after sustaining an injury, she was forced to reevaluate her life. “I enrolled in college and was Pre-Med my first year. I decided that it was too much science and not enough ‘people stuff,’ so I focused on preparing to go to law school,” Solomon said.

Only a former dancer, still in love with the art, could equate her performances on the stage with her performance in front of a jury. “From the beginning I always knew I wanted to be a trial lawyer because of the similarity of performing as a dancer,” Solomon said. “It was the same idea: connecting with an audience to tell them a story that will move them. When I discovered that I could tell stories for people who had no voice – ‘the little guy’ – I was immediately drawn to that area.”

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Voice of Experience: Agnès Hussherr, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

agnesBy Elizabeth Harrin (London)

For the last five years, Agnès Hussherr, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, has led the Women in PwC project in France. It’s part of a challenging and interesting role that has kept her at the company for over twenty years.

“I joined PwC twenty years ago just after graduation, aged 22, as an auditor, and was appointed partner at 33,” she says. “In the early days of my career, I worked on a variety of projects including non-audit work. Also, I had the opportunity to be on one job which widened my knowledge of the banking sector. This meant I didn’t become too specialised which might have limited my opportunities to become a partner.”

As a young partner, for six years Hussherr split her work 50/50 as a client partner and as a technical partner specialised in IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), which gave her a strong technical background and the opportunity to work within a worldwide global and virtual team. However, while the technical background has given her a good grounding, it is not the most critical part of her road to success. “Working long hours and being a technical expert are not the most important things,” she says. “The most important are relationships, both with clients and internally.”

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Movers and Shakers: Claire Hughes Johnson, Vice President, Global Online Sales, Google

Claire JohnsonBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“My job at Google is to represent the customer,” explained Claire Hughes Johnson, Vice President, Global Online Sales at Google. And Johnson is enthusiastic about the ability for technology to improve business for her customers. “In terms of impact that grows a business, tech has the ability a lot of business sectors don’t.” In fact, Johnson recently penned a blog post announcing Google’s Economic Impact report for 2009 – revealing that the company “generated a total of $54 billion of economic activity for American businesses.”

Johnson energetically discussed the reasons she enjoys working in the technology field – the exhilarating rate of change, and the collaborative nature of her job. “What’s exciting about technology is that everything moves very fast. You have to watch the space constantly.”

She continued, “It’s exciting – and threatening. It’s going to look different in a few months.”

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Voice of Experience: Sandra Urie, President and CEO of Cambridge Associates

SandyUrie_Cropped_CMYK_hi_res[1]By Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)

“Figure out what you really like to do. Don’t do things because other people expect you to do them. If finance is your passion, then absolutely jump in fully. (Go ahead and get that CFA and MBA because they give you true credibility from the start.) But it is most important to do what you love,” advised Sandra Urie, the President and CEO of Cambridge Associates.

For her part, Urie said, “I love mission-driven, non-profit institutions. These institutions don’t exist to make money; they exist to achieve a mission, but they need money to do it. I strive to help these organizations have greater financial stability so they can focus on advancing their missions. I think there is a great psychic reward to doing that.”

Growing Up Feminist

Urie was born and raised in Massachusetts, where, she says, she “grew up in the company of women as one of four sisters.” She explained, “My parents were the first feminists I knew. They really inspired us to understand that the only limitations we had were the ones we put on ourselves and that we shouldn’t allow the world to tell us what we could be or do. In the 1950s, not many parents were communicating that message. My three sisters and I grew up thinking the world was our oyster.”

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Voice of Experience: Elisse B. Walter, Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission

Image Courtesy sec.gov

Image Courtesy sec.gov

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“We are still at a juncture in time where it’s very important for senior women to be a resource both for other women and men,” said Elisse B. Walter, Commissioner for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In describing her life and career, it’s clear that Commissioner Walter cherishes her position as a role model and a leader. She enthusiastically articulates the importance of guiding other women coming up the ranks.

And with over thirty years in public service, she has experience to share. Her advice for women working to advance in their careers: “Charge ahead.”

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Voice of Experience: Simela Karasavidis, Partner, White and Case

Karasavidis_Simela_c_siloBy Elizabeth Harrin (London)

“Since I was twelve I wanted to live and work abroad,” said Simela Karasavidis in a softly-spoken Australian accent.

Karasavidis, a Partner in the Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance Practice at global law firm White & Case LLP, holds two Bachelor degrees in law and economics, as well as a Masters of Laws. She studied and did her articles in Melbourne but always wanted to live and work overseas. “Melbourne was too small, but I didn’t realise how much I would miss the beach,” she said.

She knew that if she was serious about taking a job overseas she would need to aim for a Commonwealth country, and a position came up with Linklaters, so she moved to the UK with them. “I love London now; it’s been home for twelve years,” she said.

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Movers and Shakers: Liz Cornish, Author, Leadership Expert, Executive Coach and International Adventurer

LizCornish photoBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I’m very committed to making corporations be successful with the integration and promotion of women in leadership,” said Liz Cornish, an author, leadership expert, and the first women in the world to kayak the Zambezi River in Africa.

Describing her kayaking adventure, she said, “I talked my way across the border, navigated around crocodiles and hippos, and put myself into the complete unknown, traveling alone. If you just throw yourself in – it beats staying under the covers or on the pavement. And this goes beyond travel.”

“Risk is what you perceive it to be,” she said. “I think women hold themselves back because of unproductive fears I work with senior leaders to help them to understand the risk and move fear from a career limiter to a productive tool.”

Learning how to manage physical risk, Cornish has now soled above the Arctic Circle, led executives up Kilimanjaro, run the 100th Boston Marathon, and completed the Escape from the Rock Triathlon in San Francisco (which begins with a swim from Alcatraz Island) – just to name a few of the tough physical and emotional challenges she’s triumphed over.

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Voice of Experience: Anne Weisberg, Director, Talent, Deloitte

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weisberg photo (2)By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I have to say I love my job,” said Anne Weisberg, a Director in Talent at Deloitte. “It’s a big part of why I feel good about my work/life fit. You have to love what you do, or the sacrifices don’t feel worth it.”

Weisberg, having worked as a lawyer and a consultant, as well as having authored two books and several studies, is an expert on the issue of work/life fit. A frequent and passionate speaker on work/life issues, the importance of gender diversity in the workplace, and other talent issues, Weisberg is working to shift the structural norms that make it difficult for women and men to achieve their full potential in the workplace.

Her career and expertise is built around her own personal experiences. She explains, “I graduated from Harvard Law School in 1985 – when I was five months pregnant. I’ve been a working mom for my entire professional life.”

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