Men Who Get It: Larry Ostendorf, Senior Director Business Development, Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company

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“We’re all in this together; it doesn’t matter what your gender, race or creed is.”Larry Ostendorf

That is the philosophy of Larry Ostendorf, who oversees business development for the aerospace and defense market for Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company. With only a few competitors, the sales environment is largely based on the relationships he builds with his customers, which include aerospace and defense companies, the U.S. government and foreign customers. “My role is to make sure we’re well thought of, to make sure that we have the opportunity to share our capabilities.”

Ostendorf graduated from West Point and spent five years on active duty in the US Army, then he earned his MBA. He’s spent over 15 years in the corporate world as a project manager and business development professional. He has augmented his leadership background with 15 years in the National Guard holding various command and staff positions along the way.

No Rank in Civilian Life

Ostendorf says the corporate world is different from the military because it is a level playing field. He acknowledges that championing diversity has a generational component, and has found that millennials have a different approach than he does, as does the generation ahead of him. “Part of it is how you were brought up, which you can’t help; but also your influences.”

At his current positon, Ostendorf makes sure that all his team has a voice. “They are all successful professionals so I view my role as someone who can be there to guide them rather than give them a lot of direction. To me a major factor of inclusion is that everyone has a say, and that’s how my department runs.”

Ostendorf acknowledges that it is a challenge to find women to join the team. The aerospace and defense industry lacks diversity overall with too many men that have a military background or who have spent their whole career in the aerospace and defense industry.

When looking for candidates, he encourages leaders to broaden their search, reaching out, for example, to the Women’s Society of Engineers or other alternative places to find diverse candidates.

Another example of tapping a non-traditional hiring network occurred when his company was looking to fill a finance position and sent out a request through his National Guard leadership. His company ended up hiring a female soldier from his command, whom he otherwise wouldn’t have thought about. She has blossomed at the firm, and as Ostendorf says, “It’s about opening the door, and then they make it what they want. Diversity is about opportunity. If they don’t run with it, then that’s on them, but if you don’t ever give them the chance, you could be missing out on someone special.”

Standing up for Diversity

Given that it’s a small industry with few women, Ostendorf says that actually provides a lot of opportunity for women to stand out and make a name for themselves. At the same time, he sees that there remains the potential for the “double standard,” where men can perceive strong women negatively.

“We have to make that go away, and to do that, you have to set a good example in the organization. We have to have the courage to stand up and say, ‘Hey! Time out!’ and police our own ranks rather than letting it go, even if it’s a bunch of guys in the room after the woman leaves.”

As a leader, Ostendorf knows that his example influences others, through informal coaching and acting as a resource to help others navigate the job.

Advice for Other Leaders

His main advice for other leaders is “not to play old tape.” In other words, he thinks there’s a blind spot where leaders might pigeonhole people and not see their growth, even after they have changed roles.

He challenges leaders to take a hard look at their interaction and make sure that they are not inadvertently sabotaging others. “Are you cutting off women? Not treating them the same? We have to really examine our behaviors and see where we can make a positive change.”

He says that time and again in his career, he knows that issues in leadership will permeate the organization and manifest themselves as problems at the lower level. “If there are things going wrong, you have to examine the leadership climate. Whether it’s a company or a military organization, you can peel the onion back and see that problems beget problems,” he says. “It all comes back to leadership – the people who are in charge set the tone.

“We all have differences, but we need to embrace those and be sure we’re leveraging the different strengths everyone offers, because at the end of the day, it comes down to whether accomplishing the mission.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Intrepid Women: Moira Forbes, EVP of Forbes Media

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Moira ForbesMoira Forbes, EVP of Forbes Media, grew up in a family with almost a century of experience in the publishing industry as part of the Forbes family. She clearly bears the wisdom of her ancestors yet has the incisiveness and insight of a woman who knows how to make her own way.

Forbes says, “We were always involved in the business from the time we were young.”

After graduating from Princeton and the Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development, she joined the marketing team of Forbes Europe in 2001. After a few years in London, she returned to New York in 2013 where she had the opportunity to work with Forbes Life, a division of the magazine that has more to do with the best ways to spend your money, rather than how to make it. Forbes comments,

“It was really important for me to start on the sales side of the business. It allowed me to get to know my clients and understand why our brand was so compelling to business leaders from around the world.”

After proving herself as more than competent in the cut and dry game of sales’ quotas where “success is evident in a very transparent way”, Forbes was named the Associate Publisher of Forbes Life. In 2008, she helped launch ForbesWoman, a section of the online magazine meant to look at the experiences of female leaders.

Forbes talks of the mission of ForbesWoman. She adds,

“The stories weren’t always about women, but I think women were looking for community with other people who had taken a similar path. Now, ForbesWoman is one of the highest traffic sections of the site.”

In addition, Ms. Forbes serves as the EVP of Forbes Media, helping to build new strategies to grow Forbes Life.

Redefining power as a pathway to change

2013 saw the first time occurrence of one of Forbes’ proudest accomplishments: the Forbes Women’s Summit. There are many conferences that can pass like weddings. People gather—in this case, 250 of the most extraordinary female businesswomen, scientists, artists and groundbreakers from around the world—for a couple of days. They make new friends and reconnect with forgotten loved ones. There are hugs when it’s time to depart and promises to get together again, but those promises are rarely kept. Moira Forbes did not want to plan a wedding; she wanted to ensure this Summit would plant seeds that could grow conversations forceful enough to last 365 days a year.The summit seeks to find lasting solutions to the most critical issues facing the world today. Forbes asked herself how she would scale the conversation beyond the 250 women in the room when she found herself thinking about power. She has come to the following conclusion,

“Power is the ability to shape dialogue, and use our influence to effect change in all areas of our lives. When you define power as influence, you must look outside of your industry and approach the issues from unique vantage points.”

The summit strives to represent women from a variety of backgrounds in order to bring together as many different eclectic ideas as possible. When asked who she invites, she comments that she tries to find the people who are doing extraordinary things in their field, and ‘those who would be really cool to talk to’ she adds with a smile.

Perspective is everything

With all of the pressure, and excitement, of surviving and growing in the publishing industry today, Forbes feels that it is important to stay as relaxed as possible by trying not to worry about the small things. On success she comments,

“We are our own toughest critics. If we are lucky we will have many chapters and experiences. There will be bumps along the way, but you will get through them.”

Forbes acknowledges that social media and the online media landscape brings an exciting opportunity for the publishing industry that comes with many challenges and even a few “sleepless nights”. But the ability to “feel the pulse of the audience, in real time, through social media is a powerful opportunity to create relationships with our readers.” Despite the fast rate of change and disruption, the strength of the brand anchors her work in a strong sense of purpose.

Goals and benchmarks are useful for achieving more than we think

Forbes has a somewhat unique vantage point for considering the different barriers that face women in the business world today, as her own work allows her to interact with women from several different industries.

“I think women are challenged to really plan and think about their careers. We set benchmarks and define indicators of success in our professional lives, but we fail to do it in our personal lives. I talk to so many women who are afraid to set a plan and say, ‘This is where I want to be in 3 years’, and then back track from there to figure out what they need and how they might get there.”

For this reason, she is a strong believer in helping women develop career plans—and that this is something that needs to be hardwired into the company culture. There are many times women will assume they have to hit the pause button because they just aren’t sure how to navigate the dual obligations of work and family.

“The cost of losing such high potential talent is too high. Transparent conversations about how the organization can help bring their employees to the point they are looking to get can remove the stress that sometimes leads women to taking themselves out.”

It is easy to see that Forbes is a product of her own good advice.

She says, “Nobody else is thinking about you twenty-four hours a day. You are the only one who knows what you want. People aren’t mind readers. If you don’t ask for what you want, you won’t get it.”

She encourages women to raise their hand when it’s time for a promotion or a project lead, even when they don’t feel 100% ready.

“There are so many lessons that are learned on the job; experience is the greatest teacher.”

By Rebecca S. Caum

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Voice of Experience: Ronya Corey, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch

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Ronya CoreyAs a child of immigrant parents, growing up Ronya Corey was told she had to be a doctor or a lawyer. “As the oldest, obedient daughter, I actually believed those were my two options!” she says, incredulously.

She began her college years as a pre-med major, but after her first semester, she knew she wasn’t following her heart — and, to top it off, she hated the sight of blood. After changing her major to economics, she interned at several organizations over the course of her four years of college, but it was while she was interning at Merrill Lynch that she realized what she wanted to do for her career.

“Watching my father’s financial choices made me realize that I wanted to educate and help families not only live for today, but save for tomorrow. My dad was an amazingly loving father, but he was also far too generous and short sighted with his money,” Corey said. “If you needed $5 dollars and that was all he had in his pocket, he would give it to you. That mindset of only living for today made him literally have to work until the day he died.”

Guiding Clients to Find Their “Red Mercedes”

Corey says that her work is satisfying every day, as she guides clients to make smart decisions about their money. She says that among the types of retirees — those who spend too much in retirement on an annual basis and those who spend what they should — the most fun are those who don’t spend enough.

“I love working with them to help them define and envision new goals that on their own, they wouldn’t have conceived.”

She cites a client, Jane, who is in her 90s and still teaches online courses for senior citizens at a community college. Though she and her husband never made exorbitant amounts of money as educators, fortunately they were great savers. As Corey tells it, Jane is now widowed with more money than she needs for her life expectancy, and her son and his wife are spendthrifts so she has been pondering how to best utilize her money when she is gone.

After working with her estate attorney to create a trust for her son and establishing various charitable gifting options, Corey returned to a thread that had run through their past conversations – Jane had always wanted a red Mercedes.

“So every call thereafter, I asked her if she had bought her red Mercedes and encouraged her to do so. About a year later, she called to tell me she actually went out and purchased a red Mercedes. She couldn’t be happier — she mentions it on almost every call we have had since. So now, it’s a story I retell to allow people to envision to buy or do whatever their red Mercedes means to them.”

Of course, Corey also counsels clients through the more mundane challenges their retirement may provide, such as rising health care costs. And, prolonged life expectancy poses a number of financial hurdles for many clients – whether it’s saving enough to meet their retirement objectives or being cognizant not to spend too much in retirement.

A Role Model for Younger Women

As the highest-ranking woman in the DC office – both past and present – Corey wants to be a role model for the young women in her industry, where the message she had always received were that only men were considered “the large producers.”

“I want them to know that if the daughter of two immigrant parents who was born in West Virginia and went to a state school can do it, so can they if they put their mind to it,” Corey says.

She is currently building a team of women to service her clients. “It isn’t unusual to see an all-male advisor team, but it is unusual to see it the other way around.”

“It isn’t unusual to see an all-male advisor team, but it is unusual to see it the other way around.”

Since many men in the household still handle the investments for their families, she finds that working with a woman can bring some vulnerability and can be a culture shift. “As a young woman in the business, I strive to know to know more than my male counterparts in order to win new business.”

As part of her role model commitment, Corey also started the local chapter of Merrill Lynch’s Women’s Exchange in 2009 to reach women at all levels throughout Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland. Participation in the organization, which fosters mentorship and growth for women in the firm, has allowed her to meet and learn from the most successful women in the industry.

Her advice to young women? “Learn something new every day. Knowledge is power.”

On the Family Font

Corey and her husband, Devon, took advantage of their pre-children years to travel the world. “Now my hobby and love is my family – my husband and my two bundles of joy – Naill, age two, and Kaia, age one.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Men Who Get It: Mark Pestrella, Chief Deputy Director for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works

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Mark PestrellaMark Pestrella knows that everyone has a story, and that women in particular need to feel they can tell their story without looking like they’re weak. “Really listening to my employees’ stories can change the whole environment.”

As the Chief Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Pestrella is essentially the COO of all types of infrastructure that protect residents from natural and manmade hazards in Los Angeles County. With a service area that covers 4,000 square miles and 88 cities including Los Angeles, the department is made up of special districts that provide emergency services, waste management, water resource management, development services, transportation services and public building construction.

With a background in engineering, Pestrella started with the department as a civil engineer assistant, designing and reviewing storm drains.

Now 28 years later, his role as overseer for the 4,000 employees at 78 facilities involves “managing people, not things,” he says. “We have a large and very diverse workforce, which allows us to operate at optimum capabilities.” Pestrella knows that having a diverse workforce enables them to serve a diverse community, but it’s more than that. “If you are trying to create solutions without a group that reflects diversity in education, gender and culture, you’ll get a siloed response.”

Raised With Diversity

From a business standpoint it’s clear to Pestrella that the diversity of his team has to reflect the community, but he emphasizes that it’s also a personal value for which he credits his family dynamic. As a Pacific Islander, his father came to the country as a minority, but says he was “put in the box of mainstream white males.” Growing up with four sisters, a strong mother and a dad who believed in tolerance helped form his thinking, augmented by his childhood in San Bernardino, Calif., an area ripe with diversity.

Addressing and Overcoming Blind Spots

While acknowledging that everyone has blind spots, Pestrella says that he works consistently to address his, even asking trusted colleagues to help him identify them.

Public Works is primarily an engineering organization and as such, has historically been predominantly a male-based agency, but under his guidance, gender recruitment has improved greatly. Even so, he knew he had to address intolerance.

“I could see it happening throughout the organization, where the women were feeling they had to be superheroes to think they deserved a promotion,” he says, adding that in extreme cases he’s had to fire people whose blind spots were interfering with their ability to treat people with equity.

“I could see it happening throughout the organization, where the women were feeling they had to be superheroes to think they deserved a promotion,”

One solution he sees is for men to acknowledge and value differences, rather than seeing them as problems. “We’re being taught you can’t act like anyone is different but that’s not true, and not the best way to deal with gender diversity. There are built-in biases that we have to understand, respect and deal with.”

For example, he says that the way men approach a woman boss often should be different because their styles are usually different. As an example, the first woman director of Public Works for L.A. County is Pestrella’s boss, and he knows that when he comes to her with an issue, she wants him to also offer two or three solutions and then allow time for her to process them. “You have to educate yourself that there are some differences in style.”

And blind spots aren’t just for men. He recounts a woman employee who was so frustrated with the department that she wanted to share her concerns publicly through a complaint. Pestrella says she was one of the department’s best engineers at the time and had potential to be a top leader. He knew that her blind spot was causing her to miss the bigger picture. “She was hearing what she wanted to hear,” he says. Ultimately he was able to broker an arrangement where he would meet with her monthly to discuss her concerns in lieu of her continuing with her complaint. “I wasn’t trying to change her mind, but I felt that she was making a mistake in waving the woman flag. I was able to address her issues, and she has progressed in her career path.”

“I wasn’t trying to change her mind, but I felt that she was making a mistake in waving the woman flag. I was able to address her issues, and she has progressed in her career path.”

A Successful Technique To Start New Employees on the Path to Success

Pestrella believes much of his managerial success comes from a successful technique he uses with new employees. He’ll schedule an introductory meeting, and to ensure that he is in the right mind set, he turns off his computer and devices for a few minutes before they come in. “I want to make sure I am meeting them with an open mind,” he says.

They then embark on a meeting where there’s no note taking, just an opportunity for the new employee to share his or her background. “Over the years, it’s been an unbelievable journey of getting to truly know the people who work with me, and a real asset to establish that trust right off the bat,” he says. “I learn things about people I would never have imagined and almost without fail, I know I would have put them in a different box when I compare what I would have thought about them had we not had the meeting and conversation.”

Though he identifies himself as a private person, he makes a point to coach his employees and says there are several women over the years with whom he has felt comfortable sharing his philosophy. “When I see people who have great potential and the drive to be a public servant, it’s natural to want to share with them what has been successful to me.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Rising Star: Betsy Wille, Senior Director, IT Risk & Information Security at TIAA-CREF

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Betsy-Wille“I was raised with a strong work ethic, so I was well aware of the need to work hard and earn the respect of your colleagues,” says Betsy Wille, who learned throughout her career that it’s not enough to just put your head down and count on that to take care of your progression. “Ultimately everyone is responsible for their own career, and building relationships will matter.”
 
Wille spent the first two years of her career at a big accounting firm in the IT audit area, which provided a great foundational start, allowing her to see a variety of companies and technology models. Her exposure to all the options led to her decision to help build solutions in a company, and she started with an engagement at Bank One just before it became JP Morgan Chase.
 
Within six months her boss was asked to build a new infrastructure within the company, and she said she’d be delighted to be involved. She spent almost 14 years there, and says she had the good fortune of spending time working in a wide variety of areas of information security because the company’s culture encouraged changing jobs and roles every year or two. That meant she was able to sample everything from operations to strategy, practice development and management.
 
One of her favorite opportunities was in 2009 when JP Morgan Chase entered into a unique partnership with Syracuse University. Wille helped establish operations at the new JPMC Technology Center on Syracuse University campus as part of a larger collaboration focused on academic internships, curriculum development, applied research and community engagement.
 
For two years, she helped open the site and partnered with the existing corporate development program to help bring in talent as early as their junior year to intern with them.
 
“I was able to work with impressive young people early in their careers and it was so refreshing to see the stars in their eyes,” she said, adding that it proved to be a successful model for building talent in the IT field. The job center proved that skills could be developed, despite the historic reputation that successful candidates needed experience and subject matter expertise.
 
She spent several more years at JMPC, until she decided in 2014 it was time for both a change and a new challenge. A former colleague had previously left to become Chief Information Security Officer at TIAA-CREFand soon called Wille to consider a position in the information tech and informational security department.
 
An Exciting Time in the Industry
 
“The fact that I landed in information security and cyber security is so fortunate because I find it so interesting; it literally changes daily,” Wille said. With the amount of financial fraud and security breaches increasing, she knows it will continue to be a fast-moving industry.
 
“As a financial institution we have an even more critical role in protecting our customers’ data and money,” she said, adding that they take seriously their role as a company that has a focus on providing financial services for those who serve others, such as teachers, non-profit workers and professors.
 
A Need to Attract Women
 
She has found that women and people of color are underrepresented in the field, particularly looking upwards in the management hierarchy and leadership roles. And she believes it could get worse, since the numbers of women and people of color pursuing IT fields are declining rather than growing. Therefore recruitment has to remain an ongoing goal.
 
She works to stay engaged with colleagues through a relatively new program, the IT Women’s Council, a program designed to bring together women and allow them to explore different topics related to career growth.
 
Sponsorship has played a major role in Wille’s career ascension and she looks forward to returning the favor. She says she was very fortunate to have advocates, typically people for whom she worked closely, such as managers or colleagues, whom had experienced her work product.
 
For her part, she hasn’t found formal mentors to be as impactful or organic, but she has enjoyed both the insight and camaraderie from a tight group of girlfriends who are in the same stage of their careers. “We struggle with the same transitions so our get togethers are a perfect blend of social and work talk,” she says. “They know me better than anyone and give me honest and transparent feedback.”
 
Outside of Work
 
An avid runner, Wille has completed 13 marathons and her first triathlon. “I love being outside and being active, and it’s a release when I can get lost in my own thoughts.”
 
She is currently the president of the Junior Board for Youth Guidance, a school-based program that has had a major impact on Chicago youth, particularly those in high poverty or at-risk neighborhoods.
 
Though she has wrestled with the idea of working for a non-profit, she recalls talking to someone who reminded her that she had a whole career ahead of her and plenty of time to pursue that path in her later years, after first creating some financial stability. “That was a freeing moment for me, and allowed me to take a breath and pursue my career, knowing I will still have the chance to do something different at a certain point.”
 
Wille’s family is still in Chicago and she appreciates being close with them, as “each one brings a different element to my life,” she noted.
 

By Cathie Ericson

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Voice of Experience: Sally Boyle, Partner and International Head of the Human Capital Management Division, Goldman Sachs

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Sally Boyle“The tougher the job, the faster you learn,” says Sally Boyle, who began her career as an employment lawyer before seguing into human resources and now leading that division in Europe and Asia in her current role at Goldman Sachs.

Unlike many women who chart a clear path as working moms, Boyle considered taking a break from her law career before her maternity leave and broached the subject with her female boss. “She instead encouraged me to take a master’s course during that time,” Boyle recalled. Her boss was writing a book on employment law, and suggested that if Boyle chose her topics carefully, she could parlay what she was learning in school into helping her write the book.

“I was a little taken aback when she arrived at the hospital with flowers and an enormous parcel of law books, but it was good advice,” Boyle said. While she found it challenging to study with a baby, overall she felt it was the perfect opportunity to keep herself connected with academic law and her boss.

Within 14 months she had her second son and continued to work towards her master’s degree, and then three years later, she decided it was time to go back to work. Her boss was committed to helping the next generation of women live more flexible lifestyles, and Boyle opted for a part-time schedule, since her barrister husband traveled frequently.

Several years later, deciding to ease back into full-time work, she took an interim job at a smaller firm outside the city. But after three years, she was yearning to be back in London, so activated her network and joined Goldman Sachs in 1999.

The firm was about to go public and having an employment lawyer in the London office was a new venture for them too. “It was the best job in the city. I was giving advice in a territory that spanned different cultures and covered 40 cities.”

Then in 2008, Boyle was tapped to take on responsibility for Goldman Sachs’s Human Capital Management Division in Europe. “I was a little surprised, having been a lawyer all my life, to be offered this opportunity to run a regional HR division. But even though I said I didn’t know that much about it, they expressed confidence I was well suited to the role.”

Her predecessor had moved to Asia to become head of human resources there so with no transition Boyle took the position, coincidentally on the very day that Lehman Brothers met its demise. She became partner in 2010 and now oversees the human resources businesses in Europe, India and Asia.

Taking on Challenges

For Boyle, the professional achievement she is most proud of is pivoting from law to human resources. “I was able to use skills I’d acquired as a lawyer, but also needed to intuitively figure out how to lead since there was no road map.” She said that her role in human resources is much broader than what she had been doing in law – allowing her to oversee everything from gyms to childcare centers, and helping employees with every phase of their careers, from the first time they show an interest in the firm to when they leave, including training and development.

She’s particularly interested in the overlay of the millennial generation and their expectations. “The way that we’re thinking about our biggest asset, our people, has to change, and it’s fascinating to work on new ways to retain and motivate our best people.”

Reviewing her career path, she knows she was able to advance into new areas because she had confidence in other people’s assessment of her. “I wasn’t constantly wondering whether I had the skills to take on a new role; rather I said yes because the people who asked me said I could.”

She has seen the rewards of having the confidence to take the leap into new things and rather than staying complacent. She says that she was fortunate to have strong mentors and sponsors who were constantly helping her see what a smart next step would be.

A Path to the Top

Right now, Boyle is enjoying an aspect of her role helping Goldman Sachs work with women in thoughtful ways to enhance their experience. “I got this mindset from my first boss,” she says. “Rather than having an attitude of, ‘I’ve had it tough and you will too,’ she helped smooth the way.”

To that end, Boyle has worked on programs in Europe at Goldman Sachs designed to engage women on maternity leave and give them a good experience coming back to work. The program connects the manager and woman from the start to talk about expectations while she is gone and when she returns to make sure that she is well integrated during the transition time.

Additionally, Boyle advises women entering the industry to build a strong network not only within the organization but more broadly. Boyle knows this from experience: had she neglected her network, she wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to work at Goldman Sachs.

“I have confidence that women can do it all — they can be good mothers and good partners and successful workers, but you have to realize that it will be quality not quantity that will get you there.” She says that goes both ways – for family time and for work as well. “Managers need to give employees flexibility and trust them to manage their work.”

Away from the Job

An avid former tennis player, Boyle has recently turned her attention to cycling. In addition, she began golfing several years ago in an effort to join her family in one of their favorite pastimes. “It used to be my family was on the course, and I was at the spa,” she says. “But it’s an addictive game, once you start.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Movers & Shakers: Sofya Pogreb, COO, TrueAccord

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Sofya PogrebFocus on people, not just projects – that is the “aha” moment Sofya Pogreb had recently when a colleague paid her that compliment. “Spending time working with my peers, mentoring people and trying to understand their needs helps me problem solve and ultimately lead,” she said, adding that companies need to realize that their success lies more in their people and talent than anything else, especially in the fields of technology and finance.

Born in Moscow, Pogreb moved to New York City when she was 14. She attended MIT in the 1990s with the intent of majoring in political science and becoming a lawyer. But it wasn’t long before she realized that most of her fellow students were pursuing computer science, not political science, and although the first time she’d ever touched a computer was her freshman year, she ended up with a double major in computer science and finance.

Pogreb was awarded internships at HP and Intel, and was particularly grateful for her designation as recipient of the “Intel Women in Engineering” honor, which paid a large part of her tuition.

Fascinated by marrying technology and business, she joined McKinsey & Company. “I loved working with smart people, and I enjoyed the variety of projects that the consulting life gives you the opportunity to experience,” she says.

After eight years, she left McKinsey, in part to avoid extensive travel, and landed at PayPal where she grew to run its Americas Risk Management division, leading a team of 40 risk professionals. One of the accomplishments of which she’s the proudest was her role at PayPal helping them assess the risk and reward tradeoff, considering such aspects as how aggressive they wanted to be on fraud and how liberal they wanted to be with merchants.

“My recommendations had significant financial implications, and that was a major change from a consultant relationship, where you give advice but your head is not on the line, so to speak. At PayPal, I had the opportunity to live and breathe the numbers every day.”

A True Fit at TrueAccord

Early in 2015 she left to join TrueAccord as its COO.

She is excited about the challenges inherent in her new position, although she admits she never thought she’d move from a stable corporation to a startup. “When this opportunity presented itself, the leadership team made me feel comfortable I could make it work. I see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Pogreb sees TrueAccord as leading an industry sea change. “I found the passion of the team to be contagious,” she says, since the debt collection industry is ripe for a change. Although the market is significant, there has been less innovation in the past century than almost any industry.

“We believe there’s a huge opportunity to take the techniques that have been used in marketing and risk management and apply them to this industry. Everyone dreads the call from a debt collector, but what you’re trying to do is have a conversation. Through technology we can identify the right tone and language for each consumer based on what we know about them and then use automation to remind people when bills are due.”

Abandoning Assumptions about the Workforce

Pogreb had two assumptions when she started her career – neither of which turned out to be true. The first was that if she worked hard, she would be appreciated and success would follow. She did find that applicable in the early stages, when her career success was driven by working really hard and being the person on the team that the leadership could always rely on.

“As I became more senior, though, willingness to work hard became less of a factor and can even work against you,” she says. “Managers are not looking for me to work hard, but want me to be a strategic thinker and a leader.” She says this continues to be a challenge for her, but also a blessing since these days she can’t put in as many hours with a young family to attend to.

“Managers are not looking for me to work hard, but want me to be a strategic thinker and a leader.”

Pogreb’s second assumption was that she would be offered a well-defined career path, one that laid out how and when she would advance.

“This was never true,” she says. “You can’t count on your employer to map things out. You always have to have a vision in your head of what you’re working toward, and while it’s likely to change, you always have to be heading down a path you have defined.”

She adds that each decision can close some doors, but each one also leads to a learning experience, even perhaps showing you that what you thought you wanted isn’t what you had expected, and it’s time to build a new path.

Pogreb had that experience herself, when she took a break from consulting and joined a large bank, on a quest for a better lifestyle and working hours. “Professionally I have never been so miserable,” she recalls, adding that everyone has different needs but it was not for her. “Not being pushed resulted in my problem-solving skills deteriorating, and that was a huge learning moment; I overshot on my quest for lifestyle.”

However, she adds that it was still a valuable expertise, because it helped her learn about herself and what she needs to be satisfied in her career.

She suggests that women share their vision with their mentors and sponsors, who can then be aware of opportunities that might fit.

She has found sponsors to be vital to her career ascent – and they don’t have to be women, contrary to advice she had initially heard.

“When I remember all the sponsors that I’ve been lucky enough to have, most of them have been men. Men have done wonders for my career by exposing me to opportunities and supporting me when it came to promotions and new responsibilities.”

And that’s the outlook she brings to TrueAccord. She appreciates its diversity in race, gender and age but knows that the important thing is to hire and promote the person who can do the job the best.

A Homegrown Role Model

Pogreb’s work ethic has always been modeled by her mother, who was 40 when she brought her to the United States. A music teacher by training, she had hoped to teach but found it too frustrating to be expected to praise children who weren’t prepared for their lessons.

Instead, she went back to school, supporting the family by cleaning and babysitting, and became a nurse, despite a lack of medical background.

“When I start to think about any problems in my career, I focus on her trajectory — her career path was survival, with no mentors or sponsors. I admire her for pushing through and doing whatever it took to succeed. That’s what I intend to do for my family, but I know it’s a luxury that I can also work in a field I am passionate about.”

As a single mom to an eight-year-old and an 9-month old, Pogreb is devoted to providing that stable life for her children and appreciates that her company provides ample flexibility for her to balance her family priorities with work.

Though free time is hard to come by, she used to be a competitive ballroom dancer, specializing in the quick step tango. She hopes to eventually go back to it since it’s an activity that can be enjoyed at any age. And, she finds that dancing is the perfect metaphor for career success: “You have to work together to be successful.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Voice of Experience: Beth Paul, Assurance Partner with PwC US

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Beth PaulBeth Paul made partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) after she was with the firm 13 years. A graduate from Pace University and a skilled accountant, she is guided by a quiet pragmatism and sharp intellect. These qualities give Paul a confidence and sensibility that remains down to earth despite her great success.

Paul began working at PwC directly upon graduation in 1992. Her career began in the auditing practice working on companies in the industrial products sector. After spending seven years in that sector, she joined the national professional service group for what was supposed to be a two-year tour in PwC’s SEC services group. Instead, she stayed in that group and was made a partner in 2005, a feat she acknowledges as her proudest professional achievement. “That day created a memory that will last forever. It has been 10 years, but in some ways, it feels like yesterday.”

Use feedback to build your brand

After 22 years with PwC, Paul feels that young women coming into the profession will benefit from understanding the importance of building their brand as well as some of the barriers that can prevent them from doing it most effectively. Essentially, Paul believes that your professional growth is built upon being able to hear what your co-workers, supervisors and mentors have to say about their impression of you and your work.

“You have to get candid feedback early and often. You will get different feedback at each stage of your career—but in order for you to advance, people have to be able to see you in the role. You need to be able to build a brand that allows you to project that image. That is why the feedback is so important; we can all have blinders on as to what we are really like. If you don’t get feedback, you won’t know how to progress—you can’t fix what nobody’s telling you need adjustment.”

Accessible accounting practices are best

In 2012, Paul was asked to join the firm’s accounting services group within the national professional services group as the strategic thought leader. In this role, she works with other leaders in her firm to determine the firm’s position on emerging trends in auditing, accounting and financial reporting. Paul is now deeply engaged in her new role and one of her primary goals is to help the firm share their insights and perspectives on accounting developments through new mediums, such as videos and new distribution channels such as the use of social media and PwC’s CFOdirect e-newsletter and website.

“I am most excited about the fact that we are trying new and different things, like social media, to distribute our content. We are also looking to expand our audience by tailoring the message to a variety of audiences.”

She says that one of the most interesting trends in accounting today is the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s simplification initiative.

“Thinking about ways to change the current standards to remove complexity will help reduce costs, minimize the possibility of inconsistent or incorrect application, and ultimately make it easier for all stakeholders.”

You won’t ever be in the locker room

In terms of barriers for women in her industry, Paul loops back to the importance of being able to receive feedback, and using this feedback in a productive manner instead of dwelling on it or letting it get you down. She reflects about some great advice she was given as a new partner that helped her understand this process and how it can affect women differently than men.

“I was a brand new partner, and a very seasoned female partner said to me, ‘when men are in the locker room together, they can tell each other what they did wrong, then slap each other on the butt and walk out of there with insight into what they need to do better next time. You aren’t going to be in the locker room so, you are going to need to be more proactive in how you get the feedback you need to succeed.’”

This advice helped Paul see how important it was for women to find an advocate who would not be afraid to speak openly with them about their performance. Paul is clear that women and men are definitely different, but she lays part of the responsibility to see that difference—and do something about it – with women.

“You can’t just ignore it; you have to do something about it. You have to be willing to listen to the feedback constructively because the more you are willing to listen, the more people are going to be willing to give you that feedback and help you.”

And, for the women who share a seat at her table, she believes they owe it those who are less tenured to reach out, mentor them and be engaged with the younger women making their way up the ladder.

A calm focus wins over fast and busy

Paul believes that PwC provides a very supportive working environment, for men and women alike. PwC offers flexibility programs to help women and men accommodate their family life and navigate the many decisions between balancing life and work. “I’m proud that we have a very inclusive and collaborative culture.”

Outside the office

When not at work, Paul enjoys her daughter’s competitive cheer competitions. To help balance out the busyness, Paul started practicing yoga three years ago and finds it tremendously beneficial.

“Yoga is really about being in the moment and having that clear focus. I think there is a real place for that. It has impacted me greatly, and not just in a healthy, get-fit way, but from a broader perspective. When you apply that focus to work, you can really get a lot done in a short amount of time.”

By Rebecca S. Caum

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Men Who Get It: Douglas Kennedy, President/CEO, Peapack-Gladstone Bank

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Doug KennedyDoug Kennedy has always been committed to championing women in the workforce throughout his banking career, which began as a full-time teller working his way through college.

Not only did his teller position begin his career in banking, but it also earned him a wife. After college, he joined the training program of a local Connecticut bank, where he began by working in a branch. As the industry deregulated, banks were increasingly growing, and so did Kennedy’s career. He held leadership roles with a number of banks, most recently with Capital One where he was responsible for commercial lending in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast; he was also market president for New Jersey. Two years ago, he joined Peapack-Gladstone Bank as its president and CEO.

A Diversity Champion

Diversity has always been important to Kennedy.

“If there wasn’t diversity, the world would be a boring place, and you’d never progress beyond your own beliefs and capabilities,” Kennedy says. For him, diversity starts in his family life. “At the end of the day, I am aware of the diversity in my personal life; this life experience translates easily to what diversity means at the bank.”

Over his 35-year career, Kennedy has worked alongside many talented women and has championed women’s issues, including a job-share situation early in his career with two women whom he knew were top performers that the bank needed to keep.

“It was not well received at the time, and I really had to push for it since management feared that male clients wouldn’t appreciate it.”

Kennedy collected statistics that showed that the job-share employees were more productive than their male counterparts. Armed with the numbers, his human resources department invited him to an off-site meeting of 400 bank leaders, where he was able to show that it wasn’t a crazy, far-fetched idea. “The proof was in the numbers,” he says. “Having math to prove something as a banker elevates it from just an opinion to a fact.” His presentation helped pave the way for additional similar job-share situations — a huge advance at a time when the lack of technology made it harder for women to stay in the workforce.

Maintain Diversity

Currently, more than half of Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s employees are female, and six months ago, he was instrumental in starting a woman’s organization called LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development) which invites senior women in to speak about their careers and the challenges they have faced. The bank’s executive vice president, Karen Rockoff, acts as the senior female leader, and has created a curriculum that speaks to women’s needs and interests and is helping the company develop an agenda to support them.

His goals for the year include accessing female senior leaders in the organization who can organize talks around wealth and how to plan for retirement. “Women can have a gap with financial issues, and since that’s one of our core competencies, we want to deliver those insights to our employees,” he says. In addition, the curriculum will double as an outreach for other corporations with women’s groups.

Kennedy says that he approaches diversity from an enlightened perspective. “I just never have differentiated people on the basis of gender, starting with my wife and I, who have always viewed each other as equal partners. Just because I had the role of breadwinner didn’t give me any authority above hers managing the family and household. So with an equal partnership at home it has been a fairly natural approach when I come to work.”

He says that he would always consider the best person for a position — whether it is a man or a woman. “You have to look at each position and ask yourself, ‘What are the skills each candidate has, what are the skills that are needed, and do they align?’”

Advice for Leaders

Though he sees the prejudice changing, he believes that men would benefit from listening more. “If you are willing to listen to different perspectives, at the end of the day you will end up benefitting. Despite my experience and leadership, it doesn’t mean I have all the answers. We all gain by paying attention to diverse views.”

He says that the key to success in an organization is hiring people who are thoughtful, who have more knowledge about a particular subject and then tapping into that talent — no matter who it is – which will always end up delivering better results. Listening will help any leader find great ideas and solutions to problems.

“If everyone at our company had identical experiences and thoughts, we would be a colossal failure. Diversity is one of the principle assets of any organization and is essential to achieving our future success.”

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Voice of Experience: Kristin Olson, Partner, Goldman Sachs

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Kristin OlsonFor Kristin Olson, career success comes from being reflective about what you enjoy doing and finding a career role that plays to your interests and your strengths. “Over a long career, pursuing something that interests you and challenges you daily will make you much more successful and happier.”

Olson is a lifer at Goldman, having joined the firm as an analyst in the Financial Institutions Group in the Investment Banking Division right out of her undergraduate studies at Georgetown. She figured it would be a great fit for her international economics background and an ideal launching pad to learn in a firm renowned for its accomplished professionals and tremendous amounts of deal activity. As an analyst, she had what she calls a “phenomenal two year experience,” which included cultivating relationships with other employees who have grown in the firm with her and are now in senior positions.

After two years in the analyst program, in 2000 she joined Goldman’s dotcom effort focused on online wealth management, where she worked primarily on marketing and client acquisition activities. She then joined the Special Investments Group within the Investment Management Division, where she has been ever since, earning steady promotions, until she was named partner in 2014.

“Making partner at the firm where I spent my entire career is something that makes me incredibly proud. When I started as an analyst I couldn’t have imagined it happening. I have had the opportunity to help build and be a part of an incredible team with impressive longevity.”

Olson sees the industry as one that will continue to be exciting.The alternative investment landscape continues to evolve and change and become more accessible to a wider universe of investors.In particular, focusing on alternatives allows Olson to hone in on what the interesting investment trends are and how to access them.For example, today technology is transforming and disrupting traditional industries left and right, providing compelling investment opportunities to capitalize on that growth.

Advice For Women That Resonates

In her experience, Olson has found that women are more likely to second guess themselves or feel less secure in their abilities. “Women have to first recognize their abilities and then be more vocal and speak up. They tend to stay quiet even though they have the same skill set and are just as capable. If there were more female role models at senior levels that would help the confidence of more junior women,” she said, adding that it has to be a priority to get more women role models at higher levels throughout the industry.

She advises young women entering the industry to be themselves, be heard and not to try to conform too much. “Teams really benefit from a female approach and the diversity of thought we bring. Some women feel like they don’t want to stand out, but they fail to recognize that being a woman can be and is an asset.”

And for women who have achieved career success, she urges them to continue to challenge themselves. “It’s easy to become complacent, but when you accept those stretch assignments, you’ll find it’s the best way to continue to learn and grow.” In addition, she finds that stepping outside your comfort zone can allow you to meet a new universe of colleagues, and even find a role you didn’t know would inspire you.

Olson herself had that experience, working with a mentor in investment banking, who had always told her she should consider sales. “He urged me to consider a sales role right up until I ended up in one, and he was right. I enjoy the dynamic nature of managing client relationships and it challenges me constantly”

Goldman Sachs’ Investment Management Division has its own women’s network, with which Olson has been involved over the course of her career. She and a colleague recently assumed leadership of the group and are planning future events. Olson has found it to be an excellent way to get to know more women in the division with its focus on mentorship and networking events.

With two young children, Olson and her husband have their hands full outside of the office too.

By Cathie Ericson

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