Voice of Experience: Mary O’Hara, Partner, Human Resource Services, PwC Ireland

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By Cathie Ericsonmary

There is great value in being able to simplify complex problems, says PwC’s Mary O’Hara, but it’s something you might not realize when you’re starting out and are impressed by technical talk and “consultancy speak.”

“Technical excellence is a prerequisite in my role, but the trick is you have to be able to talk about it in simple terms so that you bring everyone in the room along with you so they feel like they can engage with the issue and aren’t excluded. You have to learn to eliminate jargon to get your message across.”

One Firm, Many Roles

And certainly her technical expertise is vast. During her younger years, O’Hara developed a love of STEM subjects, studying applied mathematics, physics and accountancy. Upon graduation she looked into options in engineering, actuarial and accounting, and was delighted to receive a job offer from PwC to join its training program.

Although she has spent her entire career there, she notes there’s never a feeling of sameness, as both the firm and her role have transformed immeasurably and been reinvented numerous times over the years.

Since she built her career there, being named partner is the professional achievement she is most proud of so far, along with raising a family. And she has overseen remarkable growth in her business division, which started with just a handful of people and has since grown to more than 120 professionals. She’s also proud of the gender balance – of the six partners in her division, half are women.

Her work now entails supporting multinational companies in rewarding and mobilizing their workforces — work that is changing along with the ability to work anywhere and be connected by technology. But while technology assists in many kinds of work, it can block engagement with coworkers and clients if you’re not thoughtful about it. “Email is great, but you still need to breathe the air with them,” she says. “You have to make technology work for you without interfering with relationships.”

As with most industries, her clients are affected by megatrends and technological breakthroughs, such as robotics and AI, as well as the proliferation of data and the importance of leveraging analytics to help companies to make better business decisions.

These advances, which are fundamentally changing the environment in which we all work, will be especially important to the coming generations and will present both great challenges and great opportunities, she notes. “To succeed, businesses must adapt to the changing ways that people work and help companies navigate them to have an engaged workforce.”

As the speed of change has accelerated over the past five years, it has instilled a desire in younger generations to know the purpose they serve and focus on development, through new experiences in new places. And, these new generations want to be part of an organization that has strong value systems, so she finds it an exciting challenge to help employers navigate these new waters.

Helping Women Achieve and Advance

O’Hara believes that any conversation about gender equity starts with making sure that the business case is properly understood — for all stakeholders to realize why a diverse gender pool is important. Then you can examine the culture in your organization and identify what biases exist.

While it can appear to be a benign bias, if women are not given opportunities to advance their careers, you have to break down what the issues are.

Sometimes it’s a need for a sponsor who can accelerate exposure for women. It’s important to embrace the effect that sponsorship can play in a career trajectory, when women have someone early in their career advocating for them and bolstering their career progression.

“You have to take ownership of your career from day one, and seek out opportunities to enhance your experiences, build a strong professional network and collect and act on feedback,” she says.

She believes it’s important for women in her position to talk about issues and get them out in the open. “It’s not a mystery how we got to where we are, but those of us in senior positions need to remember that the climb itself can be so hard that it might dissuade talented women. While our senior roles might be challenging, they are often more doable because of the autonomy we now have, which is often a well-kept secret that might encourage others.”

O’Hara is heartened by the fact that gender diversity is on the PwC agenda, starting from the top. If they are not bringing through equal numbers of men and women, they have a conversation about why and how to fix it.

PwC in Ireland has also established a diversity council around four pillars: international, gender, GLEE and generational, with people throughout the organization at different levels helping to figure out what can make a difference on the ground. “Our focus is on engaging with our people, valuing differences and helping everyone to be the best they can be” she says.

Outside of work, her time is devoted to her family, which includes her husband, young son, and five step children, as well as a close-knit circle of friends.

And she brings her focus on gender diversity outside of her immediate firm, serving on the steering committee of the 30% Club in Ireland as one of the founding members in 2014. The 30% Club is a group of Chairs and CEOs committed to better gender balance at all levels of their organisations through voluntary actions.

“It’s been a phenomenal journey to see what can be done within leading organisations, including professional services firms, to promote gender balances as we share ideas and best practices.” But she notes that while it’s been a way she can give back to the wider business community, she ends up being as much a receiver, given the wide network she’s earned through her time with the group. “It’s very rewarding to be part of something that’s making a difference,” she says.

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Voice of Experience: Vidya Lakshmi, Managing Director, Head of Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs, Bengaluru

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Lakshmi

By Cathie Ericson

“A senior leader once asked me asked me about which seat I would choose when I enter a conference room and I promptly responded that I’d like to be seated in a quiet corner. The advice I received was to take a central position in the conference room to ensure that I was heard.” Vidya Lakshmi says she encourages women to be deliberate about their career by building technical expertise and firmly being rooted in one’s passion.

An Illustrious Career Spanning Functions and Locations

Born in India, Vidya spent a large part of her childhood in Kenya. She moved back to India and enrolled in college to complete her bachelor’s degree in economics.  She then earned her Chartered Accountancy degree (CPA equivalent), and began her journey in the corporate world.

In her first job as an auditor with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Vidya gained exposure to clients across different industries, had the opportunity to travel and strengthened her technical skillset as an auditor.

Vidya joined Goldman Sachs in 2004 and with no background in banking, her foray into the world of investment banking was one of the risks she took early on in her career that paid healthy dividends. Looking back on this decision, she encourages women to step out of their comfort zone, learn to say an emphatic ‘yes’ to opportunities and be vocal about their ambitions.  

She spent her first five years at Goldman Sachs in banking, initially in India and then relocated to New York in 2007. Working in investment banking in the middle of the financial crisis in New York was a key learning moment in her career. “The New York stint taught me resilience, the need to make tough decisions and pushed me to strive for excellence in everything I do,” says Vidya.

Since then, Vidya has relocated back to India and has held multiple roles, including serving as the Chief of Staff to the CEO of Goldman Sachs Bengaluru, building the analytic and quantitative capabilities in the Securities Division and running a myriad of functions within Human Capital Management.

In 2016, Vidya assumed her current role as head of Human Capital Management in Bengaluru. Currently, she is excited about engaging and hiring top engineering talent from engineering campuses across India to address cutting-edge areas such as machine learning, process automation and workflow digitization. Another key aspect of her role is responding to the needs of a millennial talent pool, as 85 percent of the Bengaluru office is composed of millennials.

Helping Overcome Cultural Norms and Other Challenges for Women

 Vidya observes that Indian women typically step back from their careers in order to balance family life, and are likely to quit jobs mid-career due to the “double burden syndrome,” a culture in which both men and women feel family and household duties are primarily a woman’s responsibility. Due to these social norms, she says organizations play a critical role in fostering an environment that supports and retains women in the workforce.

“My husband is a CPA, and given the strong career trajectories we both have had, the traditional roles expected to be played by husband and wife have become blurred. We have supported each other through the highs and lows of our careers. For example, my children recently spent two years in Zurich with my husband while he was on assignment, while I stayed in Bengaluru to continue working at Goldman Sachs.”  She believes that one of the biggest decisions a woman makes in her life is the partner she chooses to spend her life with.

  In her career, Vidya has learned that women need to be wary of understating their own abilities and that one way to bolster their career is through sponsorship. “Unlike mentors, sponsors go beyond career advice and are invested in one’s career,” she notes. “Finding sponsors for women within an organization and investing in those relationships can help create a strong pipeline.”

Vidya is involved in a number of initiatives, including Women Emerging in Finance, which aims to dispel myths young Indian women may have about the financial services industry, particularly regarding work/life balance, that may keep them from pursuing a finance career. Every year, they aspire to speak with at least 1,000 young women across engineering and management campuses, to provide them with more information to make an informed decision and encourage them to join the financial services industry – and ideally — Goldman Sachs.

Vidya understands the challenges women face in the workplace throughout various life stages.  She has experienced the benefits of leveraging the infrastructure the firm provides to continue to pursue her career. An example that stands out is Goldman Sachs’ on-site Children’s center, which she is proud to oversee in her current role.

“Life throws us many curveballs. I have learned to stay the course, build resilience and in moments of doubt, to reflect on my own journey,” Vidya recommends.

A Full Life Outside of Work

Vidya loves learning new languages and is currently learning German on the weekends. “It was a passion I left behind when I got busy in the corporate world, and I am thrilled that I have intentionally carved out time to do something I enjoy,” she says.

She also loves spending time with her two boys, Harsh and Aditya, and enjoys traveling with them. In the last two years Vidya and her family have traveled extensively across Europe.

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Mover and Shaker: Katherine Ferguson, Vice President, Marketing, WEX

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By Cathie EricsonKatherine Ferguson

When considering the path of your career, one factor that WEX’s Katherine Ferguson always suggests younger women focus on is sponsorship. She says it’s vital not only to have someone who is supportive of your path, but is willing to take risks to advocate for you and pull you up. “Find that person and build a relationship, and it will serve you well throughout your career,” she says.

For her part, she says she has been fortunate to have had experience working with amazing leaders who have served as models as she attempts to emulate the qualities she admires, including a calm presence, authenticity and supportive leadership.

“I have learned how important relationships are, and how you have to take the time to nurture them, whether they are colleagues, peers, team members or those in senior roles,” she says. “Often when you enter your career, you are focused on getting the work done, but you have to remember to take the time to network and develop relationships that will be instrumental in your path for years to come.”

Searching For and Finding Her Passion

After completing degrees in art history and accounting, Ferguson began a career in accounting, including a stint at the Smithsonian that tied her two interests together. She soon decided that she wanted to move out of accounting and realized marketing appealed to her, with the balance of creativity, data and analytics.

Ferguson joined American Express out of graduate school and spent 14 years there serving different customer and geographic segments. She then decided she wanted to take her experience to a company that was smaller, but growing fast, where she would have an impactful role transforming the brand and customer experiences.

WEX was a perfect fit, particularly due to its culture. Having grown up with a father who was an executive, she had some sense of what the corporate world would be like, but over her career she has grown to appreciate the fact that each company has a different culture that impacts your career and working environment. That has helped inform her path along the way, as she assesses the culture of various roles and then strives to build a great culture among her team.

Right now, she is enjoying challenging her team as they elevate marketing into a best-in-class organization, including launching new products, new partnerships and new customer journeys.

One of her secrets to success is to hire people who are smarter than you, set them up for success, then get out of their way, she says.

A Focus on Mentoring Women

Currently, Ferguson is working with two senior executives on a recently launched women’s network. “I’ve been so impressed by WEX in general and the importance it places on supporting women, from our female CEO, cascading down to numerous senior female executives and beyond. This emphasis really speaks to our community and culture,” she says.

The network is designed to help build a community of women throughout the organization who will support each other and collaborate through common challenges. “It’s a concept that’s near and dear to my heart,” Ferguson says.

Aside from the many hats she wears at work, Ferguson makes time to find balance in her life — from spending time with her family to nurturing friendships and giving back to the community.

A recent newcomer to the Portland area, she has jumped right in, joining the boards of the Portland Museum of Art and United Way. She is also very proud of the time she spent mentoring a refugee student from Somalia at Portland High School last year. Although the woman spoke four languages, English was not one of them until she arrived in the United States, so Ferguson helped her with her school work and the college application process, celebrating the fact that she is now a student at the University of Southern Maine.

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Intrepid Woman: Marie Heron, Executive Director at On-Track Career and Employment Services

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As part of disability awareness month, we are giving a platform to women to tell their stories. Marie Heron

Successful, career oriented, and a visionary, Marie Heron has transformed her $100,000 funded agency into multiple delivery sites and more than 1.5 million dollars in funding. Over the years, she has been an adult educator, career counsellor and eventually an Executive Director. Heron’s career path, however, was far from barrier free.

At the age of 24, Heron worked as a sales representative for an International Personnel Agency. A self described over achiever, Heron strived to climb the career ladder to become a site manager. Her life, however, was about to take an unexpected turn, beginning with an emergency visit to St. Michael’s Hospital. After three days of testing, Heron was diagnosed as having the chronic illness Multiple Sclerosis.

Left with more questions than answers, Heron returned to work, where she quickly learned that life was not what it was before. ”After the initial diagnosis, I had three successive relapses, which required time off of work,” said Heron. “My employer had to let me go because I was taking so much time off work.”

Taking a Step Back to Move Forward

Not wanting to repeat this experience, Heron made the decision to take on shorter-term contracts while she adapted to life with a chronic illness. Although, it was a choice that resulted in significantly less money, it was a necessary step to gain a better understanding of her illness and what she would need to do to adapt. Over time, Heron realized that she could either sit and wallow in self pity or proceed forward with her dreams. And so, she moved forward, determined to construct her own career path. “Physically I was having periodic episodes of vertigo, vision loss and falls, intermixed with periods of remission,” said Heron. “I recognized that I was the only one responsible for my career, so I took control.” The answer for Heron was to start her own business, the Art of Reception, a training company for receptionists.   The business started out small, with a few key staff members that she could trust to take the lead during periods of relapse.

After a few years, Heron recognized the company’s potential for growth, but to do so she would require additional capital. “I went to a local politician’s office, every week, for a year and half, with the hopes of obtaining federal funding,” said Heron. Her perseverance paid off. “I was the youngest and first woman to get that much federal funding,” said Heron. “But it was what my contact said when the funding was received that was both surprising and inspiring.” The politician shared that he had helped to knock down the doors, but what Heron did beyond the doors was up to her.

And that is exactly what she did, continuing to break down barriers and expand her company. With the growth of the company, Heron became less forthcoming about her illness to her staff. “When people heard that I had multiple sclerosis, immediately they started to research and develop biases that impacted our interactions,” said Heron. “And so, I made the decisions to not tell people about my illness, as it did not define who I was.”

Strange Side Effects of the Illness

Navigating a career with a chronic illness, equipped Heron with both a positive attitude and perseverance that helped to both inspire and motivate her clients. Because she had such high expectations for herself, she, found herself expecting her staff to follow her example. “Because I had done so much myself, “said Heron. “I found that I had developed extremely high expectations for my employees.” To help manage her expectations, Heron hired a human resources consultant to assist her with both management techniques and to develop policies and procedures for her company.

Over the years, Heron has learned a lot about growing her career and the importance of self-care, but this wasn’t always the case. In her twenties and thirties, Heron, would often find herself working overtime, including weekends, to get in documents days before the deadline. Today, she’s learned to take things a bit slower, still ensuring that the deadline is met, but also taking the time to rest and rejuvenate.

“I recently read an article by Jack Osborne, who shared that there is a silver lining with being diagnosed“, said Heron. “He said, that if you can maintain your positivity, you can steer your progression. It resonated with me because I’ve always tried to be positive.” Although, multiple sclerosis does not define Heron, there is no question that it has helped evolve her to the person that she is today.

About Marie-Heron

Marie Heron, Executive Director at On-Track Career & Employment Services, was diagnosed with M.S. at 24. She has created a new podcast, “Truth Be Told” so that young people living with M.S. can find a safe resource for hope, inspiration, and advocacy.

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Intrepid Woman: Dr. Marilyn Fraser, CEO, Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH)

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By Cathie EricsonDr Fraser

Dr. Marilyn Fraser has always had a passion for patient education and talking to people about health, considering it one of her favorite aspects of medicine. That’s why when she was facing a crossroads regarding career direction after completing medical school, she was delighted to hear of the opportunity at the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH), located at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. The more she went into the community to talk about health, the more she realized it was a career path where she would stay.

The Institute was founded by Arthur Ashe, an activist, tennis champion and humanitarian interested in addressing health inequities, including the underrepresentation of people of color in the health profession, and implementing innovative community outreach programs. The Institute has a stated long-term goal of reducing morbidity and mortality by improving health knowledge, facilitating behavior change and expanding access to care among the most vulnerable populations in urban areas.

A central component of the mission is to create partnerships and research the needs of communities, then develop best practices or make policy recommendations to address the issues, she adds. The Brooklyn Health Disparities Center, a key collaboration of the Institute with SUNY Downstate and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, is a great example of such a partnership.

Tackling Challenges to Advance the Mission

From growing up in the West Indies to her time living in Brooklyn, Fraser knows firsthand that there are communities that are underserved, with limited access to care. In addition, education is sorely needed as some people are not aware of resources that are available. “We try to link them to those resources because sometimes they can’t afford the care they need or lack access to care,” she points out.

In addition, groups like AAIUH play a key role in dispelling myths about health and disease. “We want people to be aware of what’s going on in their bodies and not be afraid,” she says, adding that they are realizing that even simple conversations can provide clues to social issues that might be coming into play and hampering the ability of the community to access healthcare.

“One of our biggest challenges is funding and how to conduct effective programs, including research as budgets are often cut with no warning,” she says.

Recently, the AAIUH, under Dr. Fraser’s leadership, was awarded a grant to lead a consortium to develop a strategic plan for community-based organizations (CBOs) to share their knowledge. The program, part of Delivery Systems Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program received a $2.5 million dollar grant to work with community-based organizations to lead a consortium to build the capacity of CBOs to address the DSRIP deliverables focused on improving health outcomes .

They are currently a little more than halfway through the one-year grant, which they hope will promote sustainability and also create systems to address healthcare inequalities. “The award recognized the Institute’s leadership, and I personally found that being acknowledged by peers and selected to carry out this important mission is one of the greatest honors anyone could have,” Fraser says.

Relationships Are the Key

Fraser has helped keep her passion alive by building relationships within communities. But she adds, “It’s important to realize that we must stay mindful of the fact that the people who live these experiences are the experts, and you can’t come in with preconceived notions. In medical school they taught us to listen to our patients because it can be all too easy to rely on our own ideas and discount what is actually being said.”

She acknowledges that nothing is done overnight and that it takes time to foster relationships, especially while also handling administrative needs. “You have to find a balance between the many relationships and create and maintain a culture that speaks to people with varying needs, priorities and agendas,” she says. While she knew that politics would play a big role, she has come to realize just how important it is – and how much time is needed to devote to political issues, compared to her former deputy role.

As the years go by, Fraser says she finds that the general public isn’t as aware of Ashe and his mission, which is why they work to keep his legacy in the forefront. “If we are cognizant of making sure that we maintain the essence of who he was and why he created the Institute, I am confident we will do the work in the same vein that it was intended and sustain it, which is the important factor,” she says. She particularly appreciates how her role is made easier because of the support she is offered from her entire team, including the board.

Dr. Fraser carries her love of cultures over into a passion for travel, always wanting to experience new places and people. One of the Institute’s programs has been replicated in Trinidad & Tobago, in collaboration with the University of the West Indies. In addition, she notes that a big part of everything she does is spurred on by her faith, and she finds that her family, including her nieces and nephews, keep her grounded. Friends play a key role too. “In addition to prayer, cooking is my stress reliever and I love to invite groups over to join me,” she says.

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Voice of Experience: Ximena Herrera-Bernal, Counsel in the International Arbitration Group; Shearman & Sterling, London

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Xinema

By Cathie Ericson

For counsel Ximena Herrera-Bernal, a multi-cultural background offers plenty of advantages including better emotional intelligence about how to adapt to different cultures and changing environments. Versatility and resilience also come as the result of operating in different legal cultures.  “Starting my career in Latin America, where barriers for women are perhaps more evident than in more developed countries, forced me to developed a thicker skin for the challenges of being a woman lawyer,” she says.

“Early on I found the professional world wasn’t as gender-neutral as might be hoped. You have to learn to deal with those barriers and not let it get to you. However, one can find one’s own strength actually developed because of such obstacles”, she says, adding that it is highly gratifying to see positive change over the years, particularly in Colombia where the number of women working in prominent positions is increasing.

Her multicultural background also ensures she can successfully relate to a diverse clientele, which has been beneficial throughout her journey.

Pivoting to The Ideal Law Specialty

While earning her JD in Colombia, Herrera-Bernal began working at a local law firm, finding it valuable to gain practical experience while completing her studies. She then clerked for two Justices of the Constitutional Court of Colombia. She found this to be an exciting experience, given the country’s historical moment, which involved constitutional reform and the transition of a guerrilla group to civil society. She felt that she was involved in making a difference.

After completing her LL.M. degree at Harvard, Herrera-Bernal practiced corporate law in New York. But she soon realized that she preferred the more “contentious side of law”. So when she was offered the opportunity to work on an arbitration, she discovered an appealing new career direction. “When you’re fresh out of law school and your choices are all open, it can be challenging to decide on your career path. Many people don’t take the time to decide what they really like. When you’re planning on a long career, it’s worth taking the time to explore the different areas that are available.”

And Herrera-Bernal has never looked back from her career trajectory. From there she interned in the Latin American team at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris and then joined Shearman & Sterling’s Paris office. She practiced there for over eight years, until four years ago when she and some colleagues went to England to expand the firm’s London arbitration team.

While being named “of Counsel” last year was a significant achievement for Herrera-Bernal, she stresses that it’s also important to recognize the smaller achievements throughout your life and career that are less evident. “Every time you overcome a new challenge, realize that you can do it and do it right, even if you were initially unsure. That makes you become a better professional. Those moments are ultimately just as important and rewarding as the major milestones we tend to focus on.”

Herrera-Bernal’s current cases are wide-ranging, including two arbitrations that she describes as “David vs. Goliath” cases. She finds all her cases fascinating, including the many investment treaty arbitrations that she does. She enjoys them particularly because they combine international dispute resolution with public international law. She is also involved in a case with historical and legal implications.

Recognize Your Strengths as a Woman

Herrera-Bernal believes that women have many advantages in the world of dispute resolution, including their ability to appreciate different angles of a situation. However, she has noticed that women lawyers often hesitate to speak up in front of their colleagues.   “It is imperative to believe in your abilities and to make your views appropriately known,” Herrera-Bernal says.

This does not, in her view, mean becoming unnecessarily aggressive. She believes that women can be equally successful by staying true to themselves, without adopting an artificially aggressive shell. “When you’re doubting yourself, imagine that you are giving advice to a female friend who is experiencing the same issues. Then listen to your own advice,” she suggests.

Herrera-Bernal also notes the benefits she has received from being part of firm initiatives such as WISER (Women’s Initiative for Success, Excellence and Retention). “I have been fortunate to have wonderful woman partners at Shearman who are role models, and a head of practice who is supportive of women in the workplace.”

Even in her “off” time, she is devoted to the practice of law, conducting pro bono work in public international law. One highlight of that work was her secondment in 2012 to the UNCTR in Arusha. But despite the hectic pace of her professional life, most evenings Herrera-Bernal indulges herself in the luxury of pleasure reading, to disconnect from work and relax, along with her two dogs. She also ensures that she takes holidays in a new and exciting place every year.

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Voice of Experience: Lina Woods, Director, Global Digital Go-To-Market Leader, PwC

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Lina WoodsBy Cathie Ericson

When you’re just starting out, you’re not an expert in anything and that’s ok, says PwC’s Lina Woods. “There were times of stress when I should have realized it was ok to learn along with everyone else, and I see now that I could have harnessed that perceived vulnerability and realized you should just dive in and do your best.”

Using Her Expertise To Educate Up

Woods’ career began in the agency world, where she worked for respected public relations firms, including Fleishman Hillard and Brunswick Group. When the opportunity arose to join PwC, she knew that the in-house experience would be the perfect complement to help her understand the full construct of communications programs pubic relations. Her agency skill set has been a major benefit in her role in public relations and social media for PwC’s advisory consulting arm, as she has learned that client management is similar whether the clients are internal or external.

Given how large and diverse PwC is, Woods has found that her department is invaluable to creating a cohesive narrative within a multi-channel strategy. “My passion right now is digital tech and using the firm’s current digital transformation to tell our story,” she says. No longer is there one “silver bullet” or single approach to strategic communications, as the disciplines and available tools intersect. Whereas earned media used to be the main way that companies could tell their stories, now blogging and social media are powerful ways to cut through the clutter with strong visuals and messages, she notes, adding that it is an exciting time for communications professionals to truly add value.

As the communications function, marketing and PR continue to evolve, part of her role is educating leadership on what she does and why she does it. They might cling to tried-and-true PR tactics like press releases, but she is able to work with them to show how to reach audiences in a way that engages them, even though sometimes that means moving away from techniques and tactics that people are used to. “We are driving the line of service in a different way as we modernize it to better reach today’s consumers,” she says.

Part of Woods’ role has been to help to rebuild the PR team as they work to stay ahead of trends and push people outside of their comfort zones by developing an integrated approach to telling the PwC story. Her leadership has helped create a team that is confident in sharing their expertise and counseling the senior leaders of PwC’s largest line of service.

A Multicultural Background Helps Create Success

A native of Colombia, Woods says that growing up in a multicultural environment has helped boost her career because she has learned that people may understand the same message differently. “Effective communication has never been something I’ve taken for granted, and that is one of the reasons why I love working in this industry,” she says.

In fact, she learned the importance of communication early on when her family fled Colombia when she was 12, leaving everything and coming to the United States for their safety. Woods says she “became her mother’s voice, making use of the English I had picked up in my bilingual grade school to help navigate our new community,” including enrolling herself in school, and negotiating with landlords. That early experience helped shape her ability to speak up in situations where others might feel uncomfortable, a skill that has proved useful throughout her career.

Working in agencies, for example, you are surrounded by diverse viewpoints but you have to show that you deserve to be at the table, even in situations where you might doubt yourself. “Sometimes that’s easier for men but it’s really important for women to be confident and find their voice,” she says. “Trust your gut; you’re there for a reason and you should add value and not be afraid to be loud and proud.”

She also urges women to support one another and advocate for each other, becoming a community where as a leader you allow your team to be themselves and help them to thrive and grow in their roles. Woods says that within her PR advisory team she looks up to her leader, Caroline Nolan, who always makes sure everyone has the information they need and empowers her team members to improve every day.

An avid traveler, Woods particularly loves seeing new places and having unexpected experiences. Last October she visited India and hopes to go to Australia and Vietnam for her next adventures. She loves challenges and learning something new; whether it’s a new culture or just putting together a puzzle.

A strong supporter of Save the Children, Woods notes that growing up with a mom who dedicated her life to help children as a psychologist has helped inspire her to do her part to educate women in the world.

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Voice of Experience: Patricia McCarthy, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

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 By Cathie EricsonPatricia

It’s your responsibility to proactively guide and shape your career, recommends Goldman Sachs’ Patty McCarthy. “Being an active networker ensures that people think of you when opportunities arise, but it also allows you to be better at your current job,” she says. “Networking allows you to form relationships with people in your respective field, and provides avenues to solicit feedback and guidance from others.”

She also noted that finding strong mentors and nurturing such relationships is crucial to your career development, as you can solicit frank advice in order to constantly improve.

A Career Built on Seizing Opportunities

McCarthy credits her personal network with her career path, which she describes as “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride,” the loopy ride at Disney theme parks.

After earning a degree from Harvard Law School, she worked at a large corporate law firm for several years, supporting clients pursuing mergers and acquisitions, before joining the Spanish-language media company Univision, where she worked in business development. However, she soon discovered she missed working in the financial services sector, and began to explore other opportunities.

After connecting with a recruiter, to whom she expressed her interest in both private wealth management and real estate, she was excited when she was recommended to apply for a role on Goldman Sachs’ Private Wealth Management (PWM) legal team. She got the job, and following six years on the PWM legal team, she transitioned to the global management team. Commenting on her movement between different teams, McCarthy said: “Goldman Sachs prides itself on offering opportunities for internal mobility and I’m glad to have been able to take advantage of that.”

Throughout her time in PWM, she has built a reputation as a “go-to” person when key projects – big or small – need to be completed. “More than achieving a title or promotion, my biggest source of pride is establishing a personal brand as an individual who can improve a process,” she says. That’s why her current position is such a perfect fit, as she analyzes new technologies and procedures to constantly improve client service.

Lending Her Career Expertise To Others Across the Firm

McCarthy cautions women to combat their tendency to just put their head down and work hard. “In general, women usually are concerned about being perceived as too aggressive, but it can impact your career if you are afraid to speak up.” She frequently tells young women not to come to her after a meeting to share their great idea, but encourages them to speak up during a meeting.

“When you have good ideas, you need to voice them and add value. Remember that your job is to contribute to your team, and that entails being confident and pushing yourself beyond what your perceived role is,” she notes.

McCarthy acknowledges that confidence will come from building and relying on a strong network of peers with whom to discuss career transitions and work/life balance, and she cautions that the need for this type of support continues as your career progresses. “Sometimes, when you become more senior, you forget that you still need mentors and a sounding board, and often your peers step in to fill that role.”

As co-head of Goldman Sachs’ Hispanic Latino Network, McCarthy is proud to draw on her Cuban heritage to educate others about Hispanic culture, as well as further the development and retention of Hispanic and Latino professionals. She felt honored when she was recently asked to participate in a panel discussion on intersectionality, which focused on the potentially hidden aspects of diversity and the importance of bringing your whole self to work. The panel was co-sponsored by several Goldman Sachs affinity networks.

In addition, she is a member of the firm’s Women’s Network, which provides mentorship opportunities and hosts events to help guide women throughout their careers. McCarthy noted that she has benefitted from network sessions that provided information to aid in work/life balance, such as women’s health and education planning for children.

Outside of the office, McCarthy enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, ages 11 and 9, engaging in active outdoor water sports. In fact, she laughingly says that since she loves water in any form, she’s even embraced “frozen water” and taken up skiing, where she can enjoy the challenge of learning something new.

As a board member of the Thyroid Cancer Care Collaborative (TCCC), she also works to educate and support those affected by thyroid cancer. “Thyroid cancer often affects younger women, and it can be really scary when you initially receive a diagnosis. I appreciate the chance to help arm others with knowledge as they begin their journey towards a cancer-free life.”

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Voice of Experience: Priscila Palazzo, Legal Director, WEX Latin America

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By Cathie EricsonPriscilla

“While law might appear to be my main job, I also excel at understanding people and their behavior,” says WEX’s Priscila Palazzo. “It’s important to be open to new ideas and thoughts, but especially to feedback. If you seek it out and reflect on it, it can help show you areas where you can grow and improve. As women, we tend to follow our hearts and intuition, but we need to balance that with feedback.”

Law and Business Combine for Success

Palazzo’s “career” began at an early age when she worked with her dad as a child, making two pennies to start. But as she got older, he started including her in meetings which gave her a flavor for work situations. Although she had hoped to eventually work with him, she ended up pursuing a law degree. In her native country of Brazil, you can begin working as soon as you start law school, and so on her first day of class she started as a trainee in a law firm, experiencing the challenge of balancing work and school simultaneously.

With a specialty in labor and consumer law, Palazzo moved to the United States as soon as she graduated to take summer courses at Harvard, and on her return joined a firm specializing in business law. She became a partner at a young age, which gave her more exposure, and a larger law firm soon invited her to join the M & A team where she assisted the former company that became WEX.

She says that when WEX took over, she made what at the time was a joke that maybe they could actually sign her paycheck, but it wasn’t long before she realized that she was interested in leaving the law firm to go to the corporate environment. Though she had initially worried that she wouldn’t find it as inspiring to work for just one client, Palazzo has been there four years now and continues to appreciate the variety of work.

Recently she was invited to lead an exciting project that focuses on business, a fascinating intersection that keeps her connected to people all around the company. “Being a lawyer is amazing, but it’s also exciting to be able to reinvent yourself. I’ve had to learn how to communicate with different audiences, other than exclusively with lawyers,” she notes.

While she names her dad as her first sponsor, she also appreciates the foresight of the main partner at the boutique law firm who offered her a trainee job. As Palazzo says, since then she has been surrounded with good people who have been helpful in providing advice – and sometimes, most helpfully, sharing what not to do.

A Multi-Cultural Heritage Contributes to Success at the Global Company

Palazzo is delighted to be able to use her Latino heritage to make a difference; as WEX expands to multiple regions, the company has begun translating its internal communications into Spanish, and she has enjoyed sharing her knowledge.

That multi-cultural bent extends to her mentors, including José Roberto Kracochansky (CEO for WEX Latin America) and two colleagues, Hilary Rapkin and Keith Rodda, with whom she’s been working for four years. “Hilary is Canadian and Keith is from South Africa, so it’s not only language but behaviors and customs we have to integrate,” she says, adding that everyone has a different idea of the ideal model for practicing law.

                 Being attuned to different cultures is something that’s always been part of her makeup, with a big family who is half Spanish and half Italian. She speaks several languages and is an avid traveler, which began at an early age when she participated in exchange programs. Over the years, she has grown to appreciate the significant upsides that come from meeting new people and learning about their cultures. “The more you learn from other people, the more you can relate to others and learn cues to their behavior,” she says.

“I am also not a traditional lawyer; I laugh out loud and am not the buttoned-up stereotype you might imagine,” Palazzo says, to the point that she finds sometimes people are surprised to learn her occupation.

“I was always encouraged to live outside the box, and it has paid off in my ability to face different challenges,” she says.

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Voice of Experience: Kathleen Ziegler, Head of Distribution, AIG’s new technology-focused subsidiary

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By Cathie EricsonKathleen
As you move throughout your career, never underestimate the importance of your network, notes Kathleen Ziegler. “As an extrovert I have amassed a relatively robust network, but I don’t think it was until later in my career that I became strategic about it,” she says. “It’s never too early in your career to start thinking about how you should build relationships, taking care to create a balance of both women and men, as mentors and sponsors.”
 
A Global Career
 
In Ziegler’s case, her network has truly shaped her path. She says she never dreamed of a career in insurance, as an English/French major with parents who were both professors. After graduation, she wasn’t “quite ready for the real world,” so went overseas to teach English in the Czech Republic. At the end of her second year, she decided to market her other skills and started researching potential roles in advertising or public relations. After studying a hard copy of the American Chamber of Commerce’s listing of companies in Prague, she ended up working for a small PR agency that was run by an American woman. The position was perfect for her, opening up doors to meet local VIPs and see amazing venues and even travel.
 
After her time there, she decided to apply for graduate school and was considering a PhD in linguistics, but other opportunities came her way that led her to cut it short at the master level. A friend who was earning her MBA was distributing resumes at the campus job fair, so Ziegler went along to keep her company – and offer a few as well.
 
After receiving interest from entities as varied as the CIA and consulting firms, she accepted an offer from Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) where she spent five years primarily working with insurance clients which began her career trajectory. She left largely because of the grueling travel schedule and took a job with Zurich in underwriting; two years later she was approached by her manager to be considered for a position as chief of staff for the global CEO. She subsequently spent two years overseas in Switzerland, returning to New York to become COO of a relatively new business division they were launching. Her most recent post at Zurich came when she was asked to consider a P&L job, resulting in a positon running the northeast commercial markets business.
 
While she enjoyed the opportunity, she learned that a former mentor from Accenture had just taken on a global COO role at Marsh so she went there as head of operations and technology for the United States. Several years later, a mentor from Zurich persuaded her to join AIG which is where she is today.
 
After working on strategic initiatives in the company’s transformation office, Ziegler is currently managing distribution for AIG’s new technology-focused subsidiary. 
 
Helping Change the Company Face
 
While she acknowledges that the insurance industry doesn’t tend to be a trend setter, she sees the growing use of artificial intelligence as one that will provide more opportunities for women in the workplace as it supplants administrative tasks and encourages more strategic work and stakeholder engagement. “From what I’ve been reading, we will need more people with social networking, people development and coaching, and collaboration skills. There is a clear intersection between these soft skills, which generally play to women’s strengths in those areas,” she says.
 
Ziegler has been actively involved in advancing women throughout her career, a cultivation that became more pronounced in Switzerland when she noticed the dearth of women in executive roles. That motivated her to corral a number of smart women she knew to attend informal meetings, which progressively grew and ultimately became the women’s network group for Zurich which is still in place today and has expanded globally. “This group was a labor of love and genuinely borne out of a desire to create something that would help women,” she says.
 
The need was clear — pull up most insurance company websites and you will see their executive committee and boards don’t have the diversity they are aiming for. “While the pipeline is building, we are not progressing fast enough,” she says, adding that only 8 to 12 percent of the C-suite seats are currently held by women. That being said, AIG’s Executive Leadership Team of 12 now consists of six women which, according to Ziegler, “inspires employees about their opportunities at the firm.”
 
Ziegler is currently on the leadership committee for AIG’s women and allies employee resource group and believes strongly in progressing change to help elevate women into leadership roles. “I always want to play a role no matter what company I work for,” she says, noting that being involved helps you feel more connected to the company but also allows you to meet other people at all levels outside your department.
 
In her free time, she enjoys exploring with her husband, whom she met taking a Second City improv class in Chicago, and their eight-and-a-half-year-old son. “We are big on travel and the outdoors, and are currently making a point to visit as many national parks as we can.”
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