Voice of Experience, Jessica Lieberman Quinn, Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning, American Express

rsz_jessica-headshot_whitebkg-159x240Fresh out of college with a dual degree — a BS in Economics from the Wharton School and a BA in History from the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania – Jessica Lieberman Quinn’s first position was an ideal avenue into the business world. Working at a small investment banking firm, she was privy to a wide variety of deals, from M&A to IPOs across a variety of industries.

“Even as a more junior person, I was fortunate to spend time with clients who were CEOs. They were running small to mid-sized businesses, and I was able to have a look through their eyes at what was important in running and growing a business. These early experiences taught me to view business in a big-picture framework.”

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Mover and Shaker: Swatee Singh, Vice President, American Express Technology

women salesAs a student in electronic engineering with a focus in technology, Swatee Singh’s graduate work involved working on clinical trials for an imaging device to detect breast cancer. While that may seem far removed from her current work at American Express, it actually epitomizes the defining characteristic of her varied career.

“Whether you are working in retail, finance or the power industry, there is a focus on predictive analytics at every level. Over the course of my career, I have gone past my initial hesitation about feeling comfortable in a new industry to realizing I can diversify and bring value to any industry through my experience with analytics.”

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Voice Of Experience: Lisa O’Donnell, Managing Director, Business Operational Risk and Control Management, Global Consumer Group, Citi

women in technology“Focus on achieving your passion, not a job title” to achieve career success and happiness according to Lisa O’Donnell, Managing Director at Citi. O’Donnell knows this trick from experience. If she had defined her career by a particular job title, she would most likely still be wearing dark suits and selling mainframe computers – albeit with a bigger title. Instead, she has leveraged her skills as a builder and someone who “connects the dots” and created a career where she works to engage Citi’s retail banking customers all while reducing risk.

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Voice of Experience: Kelly Driscoll, Senior Vice President, State Street Corporation

Kelly Driscoll knew she was in the right place to take on more responsibilities at State Street Global Advisors. She just didn’t know that her next step would involve moving to Asia; Hong Kong to be precise, to head up the broad Asset Management business for all of Asia ex Japan.

“I literally went there, sight unseen and I had never been to Asia before. It was such an exciting adventure to accept a great job and have the opportunity to experience the multiple cultures of the region.”

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Voice of Experience, Christina Mohr, Managing Director at Citi

Christina Mohr describes herself as “solidly an M&A person,” a statement reflected by her 34-year career on the Street. One of the first analysts on Wall Street in 1978, she became the first female partner in Mergers and Acquisitions at Lazard Freres, prior to joining Salomon Brothers (which became part of Citi), where she has built her career ever since.

Though she has run different coverage groups – including retail, consumer and media – M&A is what she most enjoys and where she excels.

“The M&A business is focused squarely on our clients,” says Mohr. “I am proud of the fact that after 34 years, I still have clients who seek out my counsel. I consider it an honor and a privilege, and it’s what keeps the business interesting and fresh to me.”

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Mover & Shaker: Silvia Lucena Gosalvez, M&A Director, PwC Spain

 

woman sitting at deskSilvia Lucena Gosalvez has spent her entire career on the M&A team for PwC Spain, having joined 15 years ago after a short stint at a family business while finishing her tax advisement master’s degree. And for her that has been a perfect fit.

“Being on the M&A team has given me the opportunity to work on complex international projects, exploring the full continuum of deals — from restructuring to execution to post-deal integration.”

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Mover & Shaker: Kristin Wells, Deputy Practice Group Leader, Corporate & Securities Group, Reed Smith LLP

 

working on a computer“Play the course and not the other players,” says Kristin Wells, when asked about her personal drive. “Don’t constantly compare yourself to others. Instead, focus on what you’re doing right, and improve on what you need to within yourself.”

Wells has embodied the definition of a ‘mover and shaker’ since she began her career as a Corporate Securities Associate at Pepper Hamilton. She became a partner the first year that she was eligible and had a baby that same year.

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Voice of Experience: Priscilla Hughes, General Counsel Europe & Asia and Chief Counsel M&A in Financial & Risk, Thomson Reuters

“Explore and learn about all the things you can achieve and then ask for what you want.” That’s the advice Priscilla Hughes of Thomson Reuters gives to women, whether they are novices or seasoned professionals—a lesson she had to learn the hard way.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Hughes didn’t know how many career opportunities were out there for women. “I thought that my dream job would be working for the telephone company,” she says. But thanks to hard work, good mentors, and a willingness to take risks and try new things, her dreams have been dwarfed by reality. Never did she imagine she would find herself as a leader in the legal field — as General Counsel Europe & Asia and Chief Counsel for M&A in Financial & Risk at Thomson Reuters.

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Voice of Experience: Alison Mass, Co-head of the Financial Sponsors Group in the Investment Banking Division, Goldman Sachs

Mass alison“Clients want to do business with people they like and trust, and you can only build trust over a long period of time,” says Goldman Sachs’ Alison Mass.

Mass began her career in the fast-paced industry at Drexel Burnham after earning her MBA in 1981 from New York University. Then in 1990, Mass went to a competitor before joining Goldman Sachs in 2001 as a partner.

“I’ve been fortunate to have had the same client base for most of my career, and have seen the private equity industry grow almost from inception,” she says, recalling that when she started in the 1980s, there were few funds over $1 billion. “I’ve been able to grow with my clients and invest in relationships that span decades. It’s been a privilege to watch private equity firms evolve over that period of time. Most professionals don’t ever get that kind of an opportunity.”

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Mover & Shaker: Belen Navarro, Financial Lines Regional Manager, Latin America & Caribbean at AIG

female leaderAfter earning degrees in Business & Insurance Science and Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca in Spain, Belen Navarro began her professional career in April 1997 as an account executive at a brokerage firm in Madrid.

In 1997 she joined AIG Europe, where she held various positions of increasing responsibility in the finance area in Spain and Portugal for 12 years. In 2009, she was offered what she calls a life-changing opportunity: to join the Regional Financial Lines team for Latin America and the Caribbean. Navarro currently heads the Latin America and Caribbean Professional Liability and Cyber team for AIG with the responsibility for establishing underwriting strategy and implementing best practices across the region.

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