Voices of Experience: Robin Gugick Mayer, Corporate Bonds Analyst at UBS

By: Jessica Titlebaum

“Opportunities are changing,” said Robin Gugick Mayer, a Corporate Bonds Analyst at UBS. “Companies are recognizing a talent pool that wasn’t recognized even just a few years ago and want to tap into it.”

Mrs. Mayer is referring to the pool of talented women who are returning to the workforce after a career break. As an on-ramper herself, she participated in the Career Comeback Program sponsored by UBS and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School to help her prepare for her return.

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Rising Stars: Katherine Bradford, Global Head of Marketing and Public Relations at Patsystems

By: Sophie Fletcher

“It’s important to have a woman mentor,” said Katherine Bradford, who was recently promoted to Global Head of Marketing at the trading technology firm, Patsystems. “Not only can you ask her about business and your career, you can also ask if it’s appropriate to wear dangly earrings in a business meeting.”

Joking aside, at the age of 26, Katherine Bradford has stepped into an important role at one of the leading technology providers in the futures industry. When I saw Katherine last, she had just returned from London, spending six weeks at the company’s headquarters. She was working with her new manager, colleagues, and clients to become better acquainted with Patsystems’ operations in Europe.
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30 Under 30: Jessica Zemple, Intellectual Property Exchange International

At 30, Jessica Zemple has taken on a big challenge. Her job is to build the technology infrastructure for the trading of an entirely new asset class. Traditionally, stocks and options for technology corporations derive their price from the market valuation of the enterprise as a whole. Zemple and the Intellectual Property Exchange International (IPXI) are asking investors to shift their thinking from broad-based valuations to looking at the specific valuation of intellectual property portfolios.

Jessica explained that a study by Ned Davis Research indicated that in 1975, intangible assets (patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets) comprised 16.8 percent of the market capitalization of companies in the S&P 500. That number increased to almost 80 percent in 2005. “We went from manufacturing products to manufacturing ideas,” Zemple said. “We feel the economic inversion is the perfect opportunity to build a new marketplace and we have several products that will allow investors, speculators, and hedgers to gain access to a new asset class, developing precise exposures to underlying technologies along the way.”

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Rising Stars Series: Interview with Ani M. Vartanian, VP of Rockwood Capital

Contributed by Heather Cassell

What a fascinating and dramatic world we live in, at least from Ani M. Vartanian’s perspective. With the credit crunch, Bear Stearns crumbling, foreclosure crisis, historical election year, political scandals, and the year hasn’t even hit the halfway mark yet.

“It’s better than reality TV,” said Vartanian, 32, vice president of the acquisition and asset management team of Rockwood Capital, a $6.2 billion private real estate investment company.

Vartanian likes to keep her finger on the pulse of the intersections between politics, business, and public policy, which has helped her rapidly climb the investment real estate ladder.

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Intrepid Women Series: Evening at the Russian Bath House

The Intrepid Women series follows brave women who venture into the traditionally male dominated domains that have long been sources of entertainment for men in law and finance, but where women rarely tread. Previous excursions include steak houses and cigar bars.

793238617_5d2328f9a7_m.jpgFor years, one of my Russian friends has been telling me about the Russian bathhouse in my neighborhood. I live in the Financial District of New York City, and apparently there is a secret den of tough love Eastern European style relaxation, right around the corner from Wall Street.

Walking down Fulton Street, it doesn’t look like much. Blink and you’ll miss it. The little white and blue sign reads Spa 88, and is sandwiched between a bodega and a fast food restaurant. I thought it was probably a discount nail salon as I walked past it every day.

Oh, was I wrong.

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Voice of Experience: Juliet Bullick, BlackRock

Recently, The publisher of Glass Hammer spoke to Juliet Bullick, Head of Institutional Account Management in the UK at BlackRock. Juliet shared her insights about her job, flexible work arrangements, and her advice to young women in finance.

Juliet made a good point when I spoke to her about her four-day work week, a flex-work arrangement she has had in place since her son was born almost six years ago.

“Not everyone wants to take a salary adjustment and deliver a full week’s work in 4 days.” She does emphasize that the key to making this arrangement work is flexibility on her part to work whenever needed.

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Passions: Canoeing in the Wilderness

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Contributed by Jane Lucken

a582238453_471172_7502.jpgYou want a stress-relieving break and are considering a spa vacation. They are great in principle, but often end up costing a lot more than you budgeted for and, if you’re like me, tend to involve more time spent on massages and pool-side lounging than giving your body the exercise it needs. If you are truly looking to escape your everyday life in the city and get healthy without too much effort, then I recommend a canoe trip in Algonquin Park.

A friend and I flew out from London last summer and found ourselves eating homemade muffins and fair trade coffee in a solar-powered lodge in a forest in Canada. The other guests were all participating in a training to become shamans and were wolfing down what was to be their last meal for a few days. We were pleased to see Chris, our guide, loading up food barrels with spices, organic vegetables and wild blueberries.

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Voice of Experience: Joan Bavaria, Founder and CEO of Trillium Asset Management

Contributed by Alana Elsner

From a student of the 1960s, to a single working mother, to Time’s “Hero for the Planet”, Joan Bavaria has certainly led an extraordinary life. “I was the generation of women who tried to do everything,” she explained. As founder and C.E.O. of Trillium Asset Management- one of the first and now oldest independent Socially Responsible Investment firms- Joan sits on numerous boards, has won various prizes, and even managed to start two non-profits- Ceres and the Social Investment Forum.

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Voice of Experience : Janet Lewis of SunGard

Janet Lewis, President of Global Accounts Management and Consulting Services at Sungard, answered the question before I had a chance to ask it.

“I’ve punched through the glass ceiling but I do believe there is more for me,” she said. “There is still more opportunity out there.”

She explained that she wanted to coach other women working up the ranks and mentor them. She didn’t have anyone like that in her career and hoped by sharing her experiences; she would be helping others along the way.

“Women’s progress has stalled and we need to get it back on track,” she said. “We need to be more supportive of each other and make sure that there is no gender discrimination in the workforce. We should strive for equal opportunity.”

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In Her Shoes: Female Attorneys on Golf and Stilettos

Advice to a new lawyer about golf, shoes and corporate culture. Inspired by the ferocious debate about Hillary Clinton, post-feminism, sexism, and stilettos.

Contributed by Jacqueline Church

224432608_1b5c78576c_m.jpg“Golf. That’s all they talk about at my firm – Golf!”

She wrinkled her nose as if you’d just put something smelly under it.

An accomplished, smart, young associate at a large law firm, my friend is determined to make her billable hours, do good work, learn everything she can, and make herself more valuable to the firm. She’s not really sure why that should include learning how to golf.

As a non-practicing attorney who was in her shoes not so long ago, I offered her the following advice:

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