Voice of Experience: Toan Huynh, Managing Director, Accenture Technology

Toan Huynh“At the start of my career, I wish I grasped how important it was to not only enjoy the work that you do but, potentially most importantly, to enjoy the people you work with,” says Accenture’s Toan Huynh. During her early days, Huynh was careful to put walls up between her work and her personal life, but now realizes that the best way to make it all work – to be successful – is to combine the two. “Throughout my career, the people that I work with have become more than colleagues. They are friends, advisors and – more than anything – have become pathways for me to gain more personal growth, more learning and to experience more adventures than I could have imagined.”

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics and International Relations, Huynh was faced with a dilemma of sorts when she received two job offers, one in investment banking and the other in consulting. “I chose consulting because of the amazing learning opportunities I knew it would allow me, for the impact I believed I could make.” She never looked back, and since has worked across a variety of problem solving roles during her career, including being a co-founder of one of the most well respected boutique cloud services brokerage and advisory firms in the world, Cloud Sherpas, which was strategically acquired by Accenture late last year.

Accenture is a leader in helping organizations move to the cloud to take advantage of a new era of service delivery and flexibility, where applications, infrastructure and business processes are brought together and delivered As-a-Service. Accenture’s Cloud First agenda offers comprehensive, industry-focused cloud services including strategy, implementation, migration and managed services, and assets including the Accenture Cloud Platform that can drive broader transformational programs for clients. Cloud Sherpas became of an integral part of Accenture’s aptly named Cloud First Applications team, which delivers cloud services for Salesforce, Workday, ServiceNow, Google and other “pure play” cloud technologies.

“We are constantly innovating around how to be the next generation customer care solutions providers – how to stay ahead,” says Huynh, who credits much of her success and achievements to a great passion for her job and teamwork. She also is working with Accenture’s New York Metro Office to integrate the company deeper in the local NYC community, around both fintech innovation and corporate citizenship collaboration with its non-profit partners. Although Huynh has had the chance to work in most major cities around the world, “NYC continues to be a hub for all things” for her.

A Rapidly Changing World

Huynh is kept on her toes with the constantly changing environment within which she works. “Within my space, we work with forward thinking insurers and financial services firms to springboard passed the legacy system constraints and corporate culture – the old ways of customer interactions – and modernize legacy systems and processes. Customer expectations around financial services companies are changing at a rapid pace, especially as digital disruptors have changed how and where customers want to engage, across a variety of communication channels. At Accenture, our goal is to help our customers innovate using our digital and Cloud First platforms. The work has been so exciting and rewarding to see customers transform into new icons in their ecosystems.”

In Tech, More Women Leaders

Although Huynh agrees that, traditionally, the financial services and technology space has been dominated by men, she notes that, “this is changing quite drastically and with good reason.” Huynh attributes this change to more women having greater access to (and encouragement) in taking technical training, but moreover she sees the biggest area for women to succeed in this field through mentoring. “Mentorship is paramount to helping one another build networks that foster and develop women leaders in this space,” and she adds, “Accenture is a leader in this way and I am proud to do my part to mentor up-and-coming young women.”

Accenture’s commitment to women really starts at the top, with its CEO making a personal commitment to advancing gender equality, and it also set a goal to grow its’ percentage of women new hires globally to at least 40 percent by 2017. Personally, Huynh is involved with the NYC Women’s Employees Resources Group, which drives programs that support women and help them build strong networks at Accenture and in the broader community, which she finds particularly important.

“My advice for young women? Be fearless in your educational pursuits and find a great mentors early, men and women, to be your advocate and help you navigate. For my women peers? I encourage each of us to continue to use our influence and experience to help women navigate and progress in their careers, and to be a resource pool to help elevate women leaders wherever we work and volunteer.”

Life, Outside Work

As a woman tech start up founder, Huynh does her part within the tech alley and entrepreneurial community to encourage others to do what she did, by being on panels and speaking to organizations. “I want others to take a big leap of faith and dare to do something different.” She also is part of the 37 Angels – a woman only angel investing network that invests in early stage seed start-ups started by male and female founders. “Being present and being daringly ‘out there’ will hopefully help pave the way for more women leaders in the workforce.”

Huynh and her family support Opening Act, an organization which provides after school theatre programing for underprivileged kids, as a way to develop skills for life. They also support Words without Borders, which provides translations of literary works across languages to break down barriers for knowledge exchange.

She uses the skills she’s acquired throughout her career to be the best mom possible to her 21 month old daughter.

/by

Mover and Shaker Sylvia Favretto, Counsel, Financial Institutions Advisory & Financial Regulatory Group, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Sylvia Favretto“To be successful, you must present yourself as a reliable, responsive and knowledgeable member of the team,” says Shearman & Sterling’s Sylvia Favretto. “No matter how intelligent you are, or your level of expertise in your field, it will be difficult to advance in your legal career if you can’t project to your clients and colleagues self-assuredness and confidence in your abilities.” She adds that team members and clients alike need to know that they can depend on you for timely, accurate advice.

Finding the Right Fit Straight Out of Law School

After completing her undergraduate degree at Duke University, Favretto attended law school at the University of Michigan during which she served as a summer associate for Shearman, splitting time between the firm’s London and New York offices. In the fall of 2006 she started in the New York office in the leveraged finance practice group, ultimately transitioning to her current position in the financial advisory regulatory group. There, she finds she is constantly learning something new due to the dynamic nature of the group and its subject matter. “There is often not a large body of precedent for complying with new rules and regulations, so helping financial institutions adapt to the changing regulatory environment is both challenging and stimulating,” she says.

During law school Favretto had heard the common lore that the hours at big firms are intense and that associates would be living at the office with their whole lives revolving around work. “I had heard so many stories and warnings, that my expectation was that I would put my head down and work hard and that would be the primary way that I could add value and advance in my career,” she says. However, she found that while part of that is true, she soon learned that there is much more to being a successful lawyer — the key was not only to work hard and produce great results but also to network and market oneself both internally and externally.

Throughout her tenure at Shearman & Sterling she has been involved in its women’s network and has found it to be valuable not only for the internal training and mentoring but for the client and alumni events they organize and participate in. These events provide the opportunity for Favretto to meaningfully engage with successful women in law and industry with whom she wouldn’t necessarily otherwise interact.

Finding Meaning in Mentoring

Along the way, Favretto says she has been fortunate to have fantastic female mentors at Shearman, both informal and formal. “What was most valuable — and surprising to me — was that my mentors truly cared about my success and advancement,” she says. “They were generous with their time and had a genuine desire to invest in the careers of their mentees, rather than just doing so in order to check a mentoring ‘box.’ It really made a strong impression.” Favretto was surprised to discover just how meaningful mentoring relationships could be, and strives to serve in a similar capacity to associates in her firm.

Balancing Work and Life

Favretto’s two-year-old son, whom she calls “the light of her life,” has made her more efficient in her work. She’s learned to take a broader view of the concept of “work-life balance” by assessing what she achieves over the span of a week or month, rather than looking at any one single day. She says that when her son was first born, she wasn’t sure how she would be able to handle it all, but that it’s something she’s learned by doing.

“It’s tricky when you have a job you want to return to and excel at, yet you don’t want to neglect other, equally important aspects of your life. It’s difficult to plot out in advance how precisely you’ll achieve balance between your professional and personal life, but every person’s situation is different, and I believe everyone can find a balanced path forward that works for them.”

/by

Voice of Experience: Christine del Rosario, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

christine del rosario“Early on in your career, try to think about your aspirations and long-term goals and share them with the people who can help you realize them,” says Christine del Rosario, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers. While your colleagues will notice you’re giving it your all and might have a sense what you’re working toward, you have to be clear with them as to your goals, so they can help you build the skills to have the experiences you need to pursue opportunities. “If something is on your list, people who support you will tend to help you get to where you want to be.”

Career Path

Del Rosario joined the Orange County office of PwC in 1998 after graduating from UCLA and spent nine years in the assurance practice specializing in the industrial products sector. In her first coaching meeting, she recalls, she mentioned to her coach she wanted to do an international tour at some future stage in her career, and that aspiration was always revisited in their discussions from that point forward. Her plans materialized in 2007 when she moved to London for a three year assignment, and also had the opportunity to work in Tokyo during that time. Through this experience she was exposed to the financial services sector and decided to switch her specialization to financial services when she repatriated in 2010.

Over the years, del Rosario has seen that superiors give opportunities to people they like and in whom they see potential, and they will invest time in developing those individuals. She suggests for women to continue to find ways to connect with leaders in their organizations, both men and women alike. “It’s not so much about networking, but about developing relationships that are genuine because of the emotional investment you have made with those people, which creates a special bond that, almost always, stays with you forever.”

Del Rosario says she was fortunate to develop deep relationships with senior managers and partners early in her career, and she found those individuals looked after her, providing counsel and feedback. “Navigate your way to increase your visibility and likeability factor so you’re top of mind when opportunities arise,” she advises.

One program at PwC she feels has contributed to her success is “Breakthrough Leadership,” where high-potential senior managers who have been identified as future leaders gather for a two-day conference. They build skills, such as how to solicit candid feedback, and are connected with leaders who will help open doors and act as sponsors as they make the journey into the next stage of their careers. “It’s important that we make sure we have these opportunities to develop women, and support them as they progress towards getting admitted into the partnership,” she says. A key contributor is the ability to get exposure and network with leaders and other peers.

Exciting Times and Giving Back

Without hesitation she says that being admitted to the partnership is the achievement she’s most proud of. “Leading up to it you get such tremendous support and the partners truly make you feel they have your back, so when you get admitted it’s like being welcomed to this special family,” she says.

Currently, del Rosario is working closely with some new clients on the audit side. “New engagements with new teams are always a great opportunity to learn together and establish new processes, which is quite powerful when you realize you helped shape what people will continue to build upon for years to come,” she says. “These types of highly collaborative projects are very exciting to me.”

In addition to working on these new clients, del Rosario enjoys being constantly challenged and working to help clients understand how PwC’s five identified megatrends (demographic and social change, shift in economic power, rapid urbanization, climate change and resource scarcity, and technological breakthroughs) will shape the global and economic landscape, many of which may disrupt her clients’ businesses.

Del Rosario has always had an interest in developing others, which carries over into her philanthropy. She serves as an officer of the board of Ascend, a non-profit that focuses on diversity and inclusion and development of Pan-Asian leaders in the business community. Since having been involved in Ascend, “I have had the opportunity to help mentor a lot of wonderful and highly-engaged and motivated individuals as they work their way through their careers, and all of them inspire me to continue to try to make a difference each and every day,” she says.

A Travelling Family

Del Rosario appreciates the privilege she had of travelling around Europe when she and her husband were living in London and now she delights in taking her son places they went as a couple to rediscover them as a family. Before her son turned five, he had traveled over 100,000 miles, with each journey catalogued in a special travel book a friend created when he was born.

/by

Voice of Experience: Wendy Yun, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Wendy YunEvery experience offers learning opportunities and skills that can be applicable in the future, believes Goldman Sachs’ Wendy Yun. “Maximize every opportunity,” she says. “If you’re involved in meetings or invited to work on special projects, it’s always important to be prepared, think ahead about potential issues or action steps, have confidence to express your ideas or concerns and in general, find ways to add value.”

Building a Successful Career from Past Experiences

Yun began her career as a private practice attorney focusing on securitizations and structured products. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 and now oversees a team of lawyers and negotiators who cover derivatives and other products globally on behalf of the firm’s Investment Management Division.

While one of her proudest professional achievements is her promotion to managing director in 2012, she says she is equally proud of her role in helping members of her team develop their own voice and identity as professionals.

Reflecting on her career, Yun has realized the importance of being open to new challenges and of maximizing new opportunities. As a junior lawyer, she hoped to specialize in collateralized loan obligations and other securitized products, but was often assigned other types of deals and transactions as well. “Initially, I thought these projects were a distraction from my primary focus,” she says. “But over time I realized that having the opportunity to work on a variety of assignments helped me become a better lawyer by diversifying my skill set and expanding my outlook.”

And, she adds, learning opportunities that shape your perspective may come from jobs or experiences that might not be related to your current career path. “I tell junior lawyers that having a range of experiences, including waitressing in high school or working as a legal assistant before law school, helped me develop interpersonal and other skills that I rely on today in my current role,” Yun noted. “I learned early on that you must be adept at multi-tasking and prioritizing competing requests while simultaneously being sensitive to your clients’ specific needs and preferences and managing different personalities.”

That mindset will serve professionals well throughout their careers, which often take twists and turns they don’t envision, Yun says. In her current role, Yun spends an increasing amount of time analyzing and implementing new regulations that apply to derivatives and other products utilized by her businesses. While the work deviates from the transactions and trading agreements that her team negotiates, she finds it fascinating to observe the process of how new regulations are developed through her involvement with industry trade associations and meetings with regulators.

She also finds it important to maintain a global perspective on understanding how rules from multiple jurisdictions might differ. “As we support global businesses, we constantly have to be aware of how various regulations could affect our transactions with other multi-national organizations and our clients worldwide.”

Opportunities for Women

Yun has seen increased opportunities for women in the financial sector and is active in helping others build their skills. She believes that fostering women’s ambition can start at an early age and currently mentors a high school junior who is preparing for college through the Student Sponsor Partners program. She also serves on the Women’s Leadership Council of her alma mater Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., to help prepare female graduates to enter the workforce.

In addition, Yun mentors junior people at the firm and encourages them to develop their professional identity as thought leaders. “At Goldman Sachs we have a culture that encourages teamwork, but women also need to find their own voice and develop leadership skills.”

Yun finds that some women, even at senior levels, may be more risk adverse than male counterparts in taking positions, sharing views or asking questions. Over time and based on the responsibilities that Yun has been given in the course of her career, she has developed a greater willingness to express her perspectives among leaders in the business, with colleagues in her department and others in the industry. She also recognizes the importance that mentors have had in helping her to develop this greater confidence. “I would encourage women to seek advice and feedback from peers or mentors and not hesitate to ask questions and share thoughts,” she urges. “Take advantage of the support network you have through mentors, sponsors and colleagues.”

Use Travel to Develop a Global Understanding

An avid traveler, Yun encourages everyone to get out of their comfort zone and travel to develop a global perspective of the world. She cites her studies in Moscow as an experience that instilled in her a new outlook at a relatively young age. “Entering a culture where people did not have access to basic goods fundamentally changed my outlook and priorities,” she says. “Travel positively alters your view of not only global issues, but also your perspective of your own life.”

/by

Voice of Experience: Jennifer Tsahalis, Managing Director, Head of Planning, Execution & Operations, TIAA Digital

jennifer tsahalis featuredAs a woman in a male-dominated industry, I’ve made sure that my male counterparts know what I bring to the table to ensure I have a seat with them,” says TIAA’s Jenn Tsahalis. Although tech and finance are both male-dominated fields, Tsahalis shares that she hasn’t felt gender discrimination, always assuming positive intent.

Over the years if she was excluded from a meeting or important conversation, for example, she didn’t automatically assume it was because she’s a woman, but because the team wasn’t yet aware of her strengths, talents or ability to add value.

While Tsahalis has worked in financial services technology for many years, she initially attended the University of Vermont where she majored in Electrical Engineering, a path chosen because the school didn’t offer courses in architecture, her intended career of choice at that point.

During the course of interviewing for her first job after college, Tsahalis was particularly intrigued with Andersen Consulting, now Accenture, where she says “it was less about the bits and bytes and more about how you think and how you get work done.” She moved to Boston to work for them, which she says set her career path on its current trajectory. “Accenture taught me many essential skills. Their focus on the thought process and their encouragement to never stop learning has stuck with me.”

Building a Legacy of Success

During the tech bubble days in 2000, Tsahalis had a short stint at Razorfish, before deciding to pursue her next role as a tech lead at Fidelity Investments in the Health & Welfare Benefits Outsourcing division. It was there, while working Fidelity’s NetBenefits product that she says she found her niche and moved into technical project management. In her eventual role as Technology Delivery Manager Tsahalis ran some of the largest and most complex systems in the history of the firm, developing a reputation for bringing highly complex systems and highly matrixed teams together to deliver results.

Following her success at Fidelity, Tsahalis was offered an opportunity to join Merrill Lynch, helping to build the company’s digital presence. In her role as Director of Program Delivery for Online Channels, she led the design, development and delivery of the 3- year program to launch MyMerrill.com and Merrill Edge.com before moving the eventual ongoing day-to-day program delivery of the firm’s client facing (online, mobile, IVR and call center desktop) channels.

It was during this post-launch period that Jenn helped create a process that transitioned this launch of a brand new platform into a steady state development machine and is a period about which she is particularly proud. For Tsahalis, the satisfaction came from overcoming people and process resistance and developing a delivery methodology that made projects run both smoothly and transparently. “I’m one of those people who loves process,” she says. “It was gratifying to develop a process that would make someone’s job easier, in order to give them more time in the day to focus on being creative and innovative.”

In July 2015, Tsahalis joined TIAA as the Chief Operating Officer for the TIAA Digital organization – a group that spans both business and technology and is at the heart of TIAA’s quest to become a true digital company. Different from her technical program delivery past experience, she says working in a business operations role provides unending learning opportunities and challenges, all of which are immensely fulfilling and provide the same opportunity to establish right-sized processes and to grow professionally.

“It is fascinating to work on the business side of the TIAA Digital organization, developing strategic operational plans and delivering essential metrics,” she says. “Automating and improving both the customer experience and our back office operations is imperative to success, because in reality, every company must now become a technology company,” she says. “And this is absolutely true of a firm like TIAA.”

Investing in Each Other

Whether working on technical projects or driving business operations, Tsahalis has found one constant theme. “It’s important for women to support each other, regardless of their career stage,” says Tsahalis. “The workplace can be competitive and this sometimes can cause women to face off against each other. After experiencing some of this in the past, I’ve made it a focus to bond with my female peers and to invest in their teams and their goals, which helps to keep the competitive vibe at bay and better serves us in the long run.”

At TIAA, she has made it a point to join relevant groups including the company’s Women’s Employee Resource Group and the IT Women’s Council, where she recently participated in a panel discussion for International Women’s Day. “The panelists were fantastic – very transparent and candid. We really helped some of these younger women think about how they can manage their career and still have a good life balance,” she says. “I learned so much from the panelists myself – women really can do amazing things and I was inspired by my peers.”

Inspiring the Next Generation of Women

While Tsahalis says she didn’t understand the need to join women’s networking groups earlier in her career, she believes they can be of huge benefit to women because these groups offer an easy way to meet people, build your brand, contribute to a community and potentially even to find a mentor. She also encourages women to look to men as mentors to take advantage of the different perspective they can offer.

Tsahalis advises young women to have a vision for where they want to go and to reach out and build the relationships to get there. That’s an important topic for her as the mom of two daughters: Lily, age 11, and 18-month-old Violet. With a husband who’s also in IT, they focus on helping their daughters understand that they can aspire to any career.

“We spend a lot of time really encouraging them because we see the logical way their minds work to process information. Lily has become a very rational person as she applies logic and the principles of science to every decision – helping her to cut through the drama that can be associated with 6th grade girls.”

Tsahalis says that when she was growing up, she wasn’t aware of all the career options that were available and only landed in Electrical Engineering by accident. She is happy that girls now have so much opportunity presented to them through a wide variety of programs in their schools and communities.

In addition to taking advantage of women’s groups or other networking programs that may be available at school or work, Tsahalis also encourages all women to speak up for themselves and not to overthink their decisions. It is her experience that many women limit themselves just by not speaking up or trying something new. She believes that working hard, being confident in one’s skills, networking and supporting one’s peers are all keys to a successful career.

/by

Voice of Experience, Hila Goldenberg, Head of Ultra – High Net Worth Clients in Israel, UBS Wealth Management

Hila GoldenbergBy Cathie Ericson

“Ask for more,” advises UBS’ Hila Goldenberg. “Women often expect to be promoted or be included on a high-profile project, but are too shy to speak up and ask for what they want. It won’t just happen; they need to ask for professional development and define their career goals, then express these plans to their superiors as they strive for more.”

Throughout her career, Goldenberg has seen the benefits of being open about a desire for increased responsibility. She began her career at a law firm in Israel and then went to work as an assistant to the General Director for the Israel Antitrust Authority, a unique experience that allowed her to meet a wide variety of business, parliamentary and government leaders.

Realizing she had an interest and aptitude in business, she went back to school and earned her MBA at INSEAD in Fontainebleau and Singapore, ranked as the best global MBA program in the world. After graduating, she joined Citi Private Bank in London as part of the team that covered Israel, later moving back to Israel when they opened an office there. She stayed there until 2014 when she was invited to UBS to form and lead its ultra-high net worth team in Israel.

Helping Her Clients Make a Difference

This decision to join UBS to start a new venture and create a new coverage team is a professional achievement of which she is particularly proud. In her role, she is able to help wealthy individuals with a full array of services far beyond asset management, everything from philanthropic endeavors and impact investments to next generation wealth transfer and art selection. “We are partners in their endeavors and work with them to help develop the legacy they want to leave, such as creating a tangible impact on society or helping disadvantaged socioeconomic groups,” she says. “Many have concerns that the next generation must not rely solely on the great wealth they are inheriting. We advise them on best practices for setting personal and professional milestones and provide assistance on structuring their wealth for the generations to come.”

The other part of her role that is meaningful to her is overseeing the Social Impact Bond UBS has launched in Israel to help fight diabetes. The funds will be used to identify and work with high-risk populations on lifestyle changes they can implement to help prevent diabetes, work that she says will make dramatic differences. “Impact investing provides a vehicle that has a social effect and also offers solid financial benefits for investors,” she says. “We have seen much interest from clients in this theme.”

Diversity Creates Success

Goldenberg has been involved in an annual Women in Wealth networking forum at UBS that allows participants to learn about other cultures and best practices. She appreciates that UBS has a focused emphasis on diversity and inclusion and views it as an asset in the organization’s recruiting endeavors. “Whether it’s diversity of gender, culture or even just a different educational expertise, such as arts and sciences, we look to hire people from various backgrounds,” she says, adding that the goal is always to look at the individual to find the best talent.

“We benefit from these different viewpoints because they lead to more quality decision making as we consider perspectives of people who can share a broader variety of input,” she says.

Travel as an Integral Part of Work and Family

With a partner and two boys, ages three and four-and-a half, Goldenberg strives to balance the challenge of a successful, fulfilling career with the needs of her family. Her position requires extensive travel, so while she finds it hard to leave, she is proud to articulate to her family that she loves what she does, even though she misses them.

And they are able to share in adventures with frequent travel as a family, both around Israel and abroad. They take a trip to Asia every year and are currently preparing for a trip to Thailand. “We love discovering different cultures and history and immersing ourselves in the entire experience,” she says.

/by

Thought Leader: Elizabeth Diep, Partner, Asset and Wealth Management Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Elizabeth DiepBy Cathie Ericson

Don’t be afraid to pursue the big assignment or job even if you think you don’t meet 100 percent of the qualifications,” says PwC’s Elizabeth Diep. She urges women not to limit themselves because although you won’t always hit it out of the park, you learn from every experience, and often even more from the ones that don’t succeed. “Big jobs are scary but the only way you learn is by practicing.”

And, she cautions, if you say no too many times, people will start assuming you’re not interested and you’ll no longer be on the list for consideration. “Along the way you have to take calculated risks.”
As an assurance partner in the audit practice, Diep focuses on alternative investment clients, which include endowments, hedge funds and private equity clients, ranging from highly complex, multi-national companies to smaller, locally based equity funds. As Diep puts it, that is her “day job,” as she is also involved in other firm business, including assisting with people initiatives as a Human Capital (human resources) partner, where she focuses on helping a group of about 150 more junior colleagues navigate the firm, providing guidance on their development, education and experience.

A Changing Industry Full of Challenges

Because the asset management world within the financial services industry is still fairly male dominated, Diep sees it as one ripe with opportunity. “If someone wants to thrive and be challenged every day, this is the field for them,” she says, noting that in an ever-changing industry, there are constantly new financial instruments being created. “As the world gets more complex, the industry gets more complex,” she says.

The industry also is appealing to anyone with an international mindset. “The opportunities that lie abroad push you to be more open to the world because we’re interacting in a global society every day.”

The industry also calls for flexibility since your day can change with every phone call or email articulating a new client need. “I might have a client interested in investing in transportation out of Greece and Panama so I need to see what resources PwC has to support those needs,” she says. And that’s why success lies in delivering relationships before you need them.

“You’re not just working with people in your office, but other partners and members of the global network. You have to be resourceful and know who can help you find the answer you need. Those connectors become critical to your success.”

She says that today’s workforce is different from generations past when people were expected to have all the answers. Today, it’s more important to know which expert can help you get the answer rather than being expected to know everything personally.

Flexibility Remains a Challenge

Diep cites a recent PwC survey of millennials that explores the importance of flexibility, and unfortunately, she finds that while many firms promote work/life balance, employees still worry that taking advantage of these programs could have a negative impact. And that translates into a pervasive feeling among many women, especially working moms at the mid-career level, that the industry is too demanding if they want to perform well and also have a family.

One program designed to help is the “He for She” program, of which PwC is a sponsor with a goal of having 80 percent of the men join. “At the end of the day it’s primarily men sitting around the table so we have to get them involved in this conversation and advance women’s causes,” Diep says. “When we move away from just women talking about the challenges but have men supporting them, it will be a game changer.”

She says that she has been bolstered in her own career by mentors and sponsors who served as role models with a balance that she has learned to emulate. “It’s not always equal,” she says, noting that sometimes they were working late hours but then they still always made time to disconnect on vacation or take off for their kids’ birthdays. “They gave me an example of how you can use the day how it works best for you, to balance all your key life relationships, while always completing high-quality work.”

/by

Thought Leader: Deborah Lorenzen, Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Global Product & Marketing; State Street Global Advisors

Deborah Lorenzen 2To Deborah Lorenzen, talent is everything for a business’ success.

Since 2008, acquiring talent in the financial services sector has largely been a buyer’s market, where it’s been easier for firms to pick and choose the talent they want to bring in. Consequently, they haven’t had to spend as much time or effort making sure people are enthusiastic about joining the firm. But, says Lorenzen, savvy firms know they need to be prepared for the next cycle, which she calls the “War for Talent.”

“We can dramatically improve the front end of our hiring process, but we don’t spend enough time on it,” she says.To that end, she is currently focused on improving three different phases of the talent acquisition cycle.

Making Job Descriptions More Inclusive

First, she says that job descriptions need an overhaul, recommending that they be stripped of corporate speak and made more gender neutral. “Beyond articulating the job requirements, job descriptions are a marketing document, since they are read by hundreds of people who never even apply,” she says. “The majority of those who read them are people in my industry, and I want to leave them with a positive impression of my company.”

One remedy is tools that use an analytical perspective to identify which words attract which people by mapping the factors of a job description that ultimately led to a certain type of hire.

Entering existing job descriptions into the tool yields instant feedback, such as which words are likely to attract female or male candidates, which can then be used to incorporate more balanced verbiage. One lesser-known fact is that if your job description is filled with acronyms, research shows that men are more likely to apply even if they don’t understand the corporate jargon.

“We’re excluding large swaths of the population by how we word things,” Lorenzen says.

Maintaining Consistency Throughout the Interview Process

While competency-based interviews have become the norm, there is still a need to improve consistency. To that end, Lorenzen has helped create tools that lead to better interviews. Managers can quickly select the key competencies for the job they are filling, which brings up a set of pre-worded questions that will give them insight into candidates by prompting specific, measurable examples specific to that skill, such as “Give me an example of a time that you displayed teamwork.” For a trait such as global acumen, managers can choose different questions based on the depth of expertise required by the position level.

After key questions are chosen and position specific questions are added, the manager then can print out the job interview form and use it consistently with all of their candidates. “It allows them to compare apples to apples rather than having different experiences with different people,” she says. “The tools should be intuitive so we set our managers up for success.”

Pre-boarding for Success

In the United States, there is typically a two-week lag from when someone accepts the job until they actually start. In other parts of the world, people might have up to 90 days, a lengthy transition period when companies must engage with their future employees throughout the gap.

Among the support her division supplies are links to company information, “acronym decoders” and details on what to expect the first day. “This is about emotional engagement, so our new hires believe they have made the best decision of their career.”

For example, new employees will learn what to expect on the first day, and what activities to expect in the first 10 days. Setting expectations improves time-to-productivity, which is a key metric for the business.

Another key component of pre-boarding is discussing the wide variety of Employee Resource Groups available. “We want them to know that our company is proud of our diversity and whatever their gender, orientation, culture or background, there’s someone like them here already.”

Data Analytics Drive Decisions

In addition to a focus on better hiring, Lorenzen is immersed in technology infrastructure and data analytics. “Data is the key to understanding both our current environment and our next move,” she says. We can use data to identify products which are high performers and which aren’t meeting expectations, and track those products in real time.

Since decision science is a relatively new field, Lorenzen and her team are constantly tasked with finding the best talent. “They have to come in with diversity of thought, which comes from diversity of experience,” she says. “We must have a variety of perspectives in the room since there’s constant demand to improve the technology architecture.”

A Word for Women

Finally, Lorenzen believes that women have a special role in the industry to help others. And while she sees this as a responsibility, the rewards are mutual. “It gives me great joy to watch young people come up in the organization,” she says.

And she adds, there are few industries that are more competitive. “People are always going to be looking to take you out, but it’s not because you’re a girl, it is because you are competition. We need to raise our voices, as uncomfortable and dangerous as it can feel, when we see bias.” Why? Because for our businesses to thrive in this rapidly changing landscape we need the smartest, most innovative team we can muster, which by definition brings a diversity of thought to the table. This is an obligation for senior executives, including women.

The views expressed in this material are the views of Deborah Lorenzen of State Street Global Advisors through the period ended April 13, 2016.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without State Street express written consent.

State Street Corporation, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111-2900

© 2016 State Street Corporation – All Rights Reserved

/by

Change Leader: A Q&A with Christine Hurtsellers, CIO Fixed Income, Voya

Christine HurtsellersWe caught up with Christine Hurtsellers, Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income for Voya Investment Management (IM), to talk about the future of the financial services industry.

Nicki: What has changed since we last interviewed you back in 2010?

Christine: I still have the same role, however, following our IPO in May 2013 and separation from ING Group, we rebranded as Voya. It’s been an exciting process to define Voya’s values and recalibrate our investment policies. In 2015, Pensions & Investments Magazine named Voya IM one of its “2015 Best Places to Work in Money Management” list for the first time. The firm also recently received distinction as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute for the third year in a row.

Nicki: Why do you think it is so important to help advance good talent, including more women in the industry?

Christine: I am passionate about making the investment industry better. I want to help rising stars in the industry that are women and provide them with a toolkit. I believe that women can be phenomenal investors, and I want to challenge and speak with them to help them grow as thoughtful investors. People entering this industry are looking for more than a paycheck. They value experience and want to work for places that are more values-based. I think it is great that millennials are thinking way more about linking their values to their workplace experience than previous generations.

Nicki: What is your advice to someone entering the industry or who is in the early stages of her career?

Christine: The cost of doing business is increasing and as a result we will see some consolidation. Some products are becoming more commoditized with ETFs showing up more for retail investors on that side of the business. It is an interesting time to be in the industry as institutional clients look for unique, customized approaches for their portfolio. The road is becoming more and more bifurcated. For people entering the industry, there is a temptation to become specialized early at a boutique firm. I believe it is critical to stay flexible to learn a variety of skills for the first 8-9 years of your career. My advice is to look for companies with multi-dimensional businesses to give yourself that opportunity.

Nicki: You recounted to me how one time a woman said you were an unrealistic role model. How did that make you feel?

Christine: I don’t want to be the poster child for women at work because I have five kids and I run marathons, that isn’t everyone’s version of life. How do we lift as we climb? That is the bigger question, and I think the answer is to share with people my failures and some of the decisions I have made. I try to be real and make sure my advice is very content oriented about the markets and investing. By challenging and teaching people, I can be a better role model. Lastly, if I can use my network to help women and make appropriate introductions, then I know I am walking the talk.

I try to hire women and I use my network because a long time ago a woman did the same for me and she was instrumental in helping me get my next job. She was in fixed income sales and she introduced me to many clients and people in the industry. This was crucial in me securing my next role at what is now Alliance Bernstein

Looking out for each other in times of trials is so important. To have someone put her credibility on the line and say “hey, talk to this person” is incredible, and this woman did that for me, so I want to pay it forward.

Nicki: How do we ensure other leaders are as accountable as they think they are for real change?

Christine: I think the best way to engage leaders in the discussion of having diversity in their teams is to challenge them to think about what they do to shape the culture.
Sometimes it isn’t obvious to other leaders that they need to create pathways and a culture for success for women that goes beyond mentioning their women’s network and other HR policies.

I want to see accountability for diversity, and if I start with the numbers – literally asking how many women are in senior roles – then it usually opens up an honest conversation with most male leaders to think more about how they can approach hiring and developing more women.

Nicki: How have you successfully built relationships in the industry – both within your firm and with people in other firms?

Christine: Networking can be such an implicit action; it’s just something we do. You meet interesting people along the way and share relevant insights with them – add value to the other person and they will reciprocate – like in a marriage you have to love and you have to love first.

I joined the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee in 2014 and I am enjoying working with really talented and intelligent people on a very interesting subject that has real consequences. I work at leaning in with them. Sending an article to a small group who share common interests, dropping them a note from time to time. It is about contributing as best as you can to further the task and mission. Building relationships is ongoing, and it is an honor to work with such great people providing recommendations to Treasury on a variety of debt management issues.

Nicki: Do women help other women at work?

Christine: I would go as far as saying that I believe that women help women in tough situations, more than men help other men. It is also important to look for your advocates in male and female leaders as I have great examples of how men have believed in me. Rob Leary, now CEO at TIAA Asset Management, was the person who gave me the job at Voya. I wasn’t the most obvious candidate, and he took a risk on me. He knew I was great with people and an exceptional investor, and I delivered for him.

Nicki: What is the one thing you know now that you wish you had known when you were first starting your career?

Christine: I went it alone for a long time. The power of networking peers and mentoring is something I wish I had considered when I started my career. I wish I had focused more on the quality of management, their values and ethics, and the culture they create at the company.

In life, you take every opportunity and you learn – in careers, as long as you maximize learning, you are on the right path. I ended up fine tuning my experience in mortgage derivatives when I made a move to Freddie Mac. Many advised me against it, but I knew it was important for me to spend more time with my family as previously I wasn’t seeing them from Sunday night to Friday afternoon. I learned so much. It meant I could come to Voya due to my deep knowledge, and for my life at that time it meant my family and I could be happy, which is of course really important.

It’s about making the best out of any experience.

Christine is also a panelist at our upcoming event – theglasshammer.com’s 5th Annual Navigating your career event on May 4th 2016.

/by

Mover and Shaker: Christine Molloy, Manager, Accenture Consulting

Christine MolloyMolloy began her career with Accenture in 2009 as a summer intern, and joined Accenture full-time in 2010 after graduating from Southern Methodist University with a Masters degree in Information Engineering. Since joining, she has worked with several large utility companies to help them implement complex systems and specializes in customer care solutions for energy providers nationwide.

Molloy understands what it takes to continue to raise through the ranks in her career as she comments,

“Many of my assumptions entering the corporate world were around work-life balance. In the beginning of my career, I believed the more I worked, the faster I would stand out and get ahead. I quickly realized this was old thinking – working smart and taking time to focus on your own well-being are extremely important to creating a successful career path.”

When asked about professional achievements so far, she replied,

“I am proud of several professional achievements I have had throughout my career. The ones that stand out most are when I have brought teams together to deliver great outcomes and, subsequently, when clients have been the most satisfied. I think it is about adding value.”

She goes on to give an example of having been a member of a team across geographies that was working across multiple US states, as well as Canada and India. The team had been working to solve a complex problem for a client and the team was struggling to integrate together around the task. Molloy comments,

“I guided the group to come together as a team, realize common ground and deliver a solution that was agreeable to all and beneficial to the client – and that felt like I added a lot of value.”

She also talks about a recent project that she has just completed, which consisted of a SAP Customer Information System and business intelligence implementation project for a large utility project. She states,

“This was such an exciting project because I got to work on it from the early stages through to a successful go-live. I was responsible for consolidating two systems into a single solution to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experience. The nature of the work was complex and rewarding since my client was an early adopter of the technology.”

Molloy repeatedly cites her strong team and a good company as a key element in her success and also mentions sponsorship as playing a significant role in her career. She states,

“I would not be where I am today if it was not for the mentors and sponsors who have helped guide me. Everyone needs a strong team of support but, in many cases, you will have to seek out and identify mentors and sponsors that will be there for you along the way. “

Equally she recognized that it is important to take the time to support and mentor others,

“My father, now retired, taught me what it means to be a leader, to work hard and also to put family first. I owe my leadership skills to him and I know that as I continue to learn, build my network and give back to those around me, I too will be successful.”

Molloy states that she has learned the most from working with a diverse array of people, on her own teams at Accenture, with clients and with other people she interacts with daily. She enjoys working with people who have different ways of working, who expect the highest performance and people in different geographies with cultural nuances. She states,

“Working alongside people with a variety of differences can be difficult but, ultimately, it improved my listening skills, increased my flexibility and taught me how to better apply my own social style.”

Accenture has numerous programs and initiatives across the company to support women in succeeding and advancing and personally Molloy is involved with the Miami Women’s Enterprise Resource Group. She comments,

“We have a strong network of women within the company and in our local community. As a part of this, I lead several local women’s groups at different client sites to encourage our women to collaborate and learn from one another in the communities that we work in while traveling.”

Molloy is also the corporate citizenship lead for Accenture’s Miami office and is currently working with a nonprofit partner called Covenant House Florida on several exciting initiatives. Covenant House is a homeless shelter for youth that served more than 51,000 youth last year across 6 countries and 21 cities in North America, providing nearly 700,000 nights of shelter.

She excitedly shared that in a few months, Accenture volunteers will be helping them roll out a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) awareness program. “I currently lead a mock interview initiative where we bring Accenture volunteers to the nonprofit to work one-on-one with disadvantaged youth to prepare them for job interviews and the working world.”

She lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband and enjoys paddle boarding, traveling and spending time at the beach.

/by