Voice of Experience: Elizabeth Crain, Chief Operating Officer, Moelis & Company

sm_crain_elizabethBy Michelle Hendelman

Women can have incredibly exciting and rewarding careers in financial services and investment banking if that is what they want to do. Elizabeth Crain, COO of the global independent investment bank Moelis & Company, has worked her way through the ranks of investment banking and private equity during her career.

“I have been in the industry in many capacities over the last twenty-five years and have had to make some difficult career decisions during that time,” Crain stated. “One of the most critical moments in my career was when I met Ken Moelis, who had just joined UBS to run investment banking. I pitched him on the idea of creating a business development role which he bravely agreed to.” Crain recognized that making the leap to UBS was potentially risky – she had no title, job spec nor a clear career path in this new role – but she knew it felt right, and that she could leverage her experience in banking to help run a business on the management side.

Also, having met Ken, she was impressed and remembered an important piece of advice from a colleague who told her that if you have the opportunity to work with someone like him, take it. “This was without a doubt the most critical decision of my career,” added Crain, “and it took me down a different path that has been hugely rewarding.”

Early in her career, Crain entered the Analyst training program at Merrill Lynch after graduating from Arizona State University in 1987. She completed two year junior analyst program, then went on to earn her MBA from Wharton before returning to the financial services industry.

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Intrepid Woman: Lois Braverman, President & CEO, Ackerman Institute for the Family

lois_bravermanBy Michelle Hendelman, Editor-in-Chief

Lois Braverman, President & CEO of the Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York City, lived and worked for thirty-two years in Iowa before joining the Ackerman Institute in her current role seven years ago. “The Ackerman Institute is one of the premier family therapy training institutes in the world. Some of the most innovative ideas and strategies for helping families and members of families get better,” said Braverman.

Being asked to lead the Ackerman Institute would be an honor for anyone in Braverman’s field, but the fact that throughout her career she has always regarded the Ackerman Institute as thought leaders in family therapy certainly seems to have foreshadowed Braverman’s appointment as the leader of the institute.

She was excited to come to the Ackerman Institute and become a part of the approach to family therapy that involves approaching issues both contextually and systemically, according to Braverman. “My whole team is thinking about best practices all the time.” added Braverman, “We are like a think tank and we are always pushing the envelope to find the best treatment interventions for each family.”

Exploring the Role of Women in Relationships

“From very early on in my career I was very interested in the intersection and interworking between feminism and psychotherapy,” explained Braverman. To this end, she was the founding editor of the Journal of Feminist Family Therapy where she published some of the earliest collections of writings on women, feminism and family therapy.

Braverman added, “I bring a very long history of interest in this field to be able to ask the question: how does a woman’s role in the workplace affect their physical health, mental health, and the health of the relationships they have with their family members?”

One of the biggest questions that Braverman strives to answer through her work is: What does it take to have a truly egalitarian relationship? She noted, “While most of the early work on this topic is focused on heterosexual relationships, I also approach this question from the perspective of a same sex couple as well.” She focuses a lot on the dynamics of power and privilege within relationships, especially with regard to ideas about gender roles and stereotypes.

“Although some things have changed, women are still the primary caretakers of their children, they use mental health services more than men, and they feel more burdened when something is going wrong with their kids,” Braverman noted.

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Voice of Experience: Janet Hoffman, Managing Director, Accenture

sm_janet_hoffmanBy Michelle Hendelman

Although Janet Hoffman is proud of being a managing director of Accenture’s global retail practice, she does not take for granted the professional experience she gained working outside of Accenture on an entrepreneurial opportunity. “I liked the prospect of trying something very different,” said Hoffman, “and it was a great learning experience. I gained insight into things like the power of a brand, the importance of client relationships, and a different view of technology and various aspects of marketing, but I also realized what I missed most about Accenture which I call Intellect, Integrity and Investment in Innovation.”

Having the courage to take more risks is something that Hoffman wishes she understood the value of earlier in her career, but she has certainly proven that it is never too late to take your career off the beaten path as long as you leave a trail back to where you came from just in case you ever are asked or want to return. Hoffman explained, “Because I maintained so many professional and personal relationships with people at Accenture it was easy to come back to the company in this new role, which is to develop our most strategic client relationships in our Products operating group.”

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Voice of Experience: Linda Drumright, General Manager of IMS Health’s Clinical Trials Optimization Solutions Group

DrumrightLindaBy Michelle Hendelman

“My father was a long time IBM employee, and when I was in seventh grade he brought home a pamphlet describing the computer sciences career path at IBM. On the back it stated how this was a good career path for anyone who excelled in math and science, but it also indicated that there were few women in the field at the time,” explained Drumright.

She added, “It was at that singular moment and because of the statement on the back of the pamphlet that I decided to pursue computer science.”

Career in Technology

Drumright followed through with her plan and eventually graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Computer Science. Despite her father’s connection to IBM, Drumright set her sights on smaller tech firms in her job search immediately after college. “I wanted to work for a smaller company because I felt like it would give me a better understanding of how the business ran and an appreciation for how all of the different roles within a company work together to create a product,” explained Drumright.

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Voice of Experience: Julie Gorte, Senior Vice President, Sustainable Investing, Pax World Management

This week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.

julie_gorteBy Michelle Hendelman

Julie Gorte, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Investing at Pax World Management is on a mission to save the world. Well, not exactly, but she does believe that by changing attitudes toward climate change and the environment on Wall St., she can make a significant difference. “I am interested in the intersection between climate science and investment,” said Gorte. “For a long time, portfolio managers and analysts did not see climate change as an issue they needed to be concerned with, but this is something I have been committed to changing since I entered the investment industry in 1999.”

Gorte completed her Ph.D. in Resource Economics while she was working full-time for the Office of Technology Assessment, a former government agency that advised congress on matters related to science and technology policy. When this agency was defunded in 1993, Gorte spent several years working for different non-profits before deciding to move to the private sector.

“I received a call from a recruiter about a position in sustainable investing,” said Gorte, “and it occurred to me that the guiding star in my career up until then in every position I held had some element of saving the world or at least doing something to help. I started working at Calvert Investments and then came over to Pax World several years after that.”

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Movers and Shakers: Maya Venkatraman, Vice President, Senior Research Analyst of ING U.S. Investment Management

women on boardsWhen Maya Venkatraman, Vice President and Senior Research Analyst at ING U.S. Investment Management graduated from college with a degree in Painting & Fine Arts, she never envisioned a career path that would lead her toward financial services. “There is no road map in the arts the way there is in many other fields,” she said “and I was fortunate enough to recognize this as I was finishing up my undergraduate degree.”

Being raised in a family of entrepreneurs, Maya developed an interest in how businesses run very early on. When she realized a career in the Arts was not her calling, Maya decided to attend business school at Cornell where earned her MBA with a concentration in finance. She explained, “Finance seemed like a really natural fit for me since I love numbers, the story they tell, and the picture they paint about a business.”

Career Path

Although she was ready to begin her career in finance, Maya realized that securing a job in the industry might be more difficult because she lacked the job experience that many other MBA graduates have. She persevered, however, and continued to network until she found the perfect opportunity to get her foot in the door. “I was lucky enough to meet some senior executives from ABN Amro during a trip to Holland in my first year of business school and I was offered a summer internship,” said Maya.

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Voice of Experience: Lisa Ferraro, Managing Director, TIAA-CREF

This week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.

lisa_ferraroBy Michelle Hendelman

According to Lisa Ferraro, much has changed for women in finance over the past three decades as she has worked her way up from an Associate to a Managing Director. “I don’t view my success as a zero-sum game for an individual contributor anymore, and I’ve learned that people who are successful in their industries are interested in diversity and inclusion to help others and their businesses grow,” she said.

As the Portfolio Manager, Energy and Infrastructure in Global Private Markets at TIAA-CREF, Lisa Ferraro oversees a $2.2 billion private equity portfolio which is invested in oil and gas production as well as renewable energy projects. Ferraro comes from a family of entrepreneurs and has always had a keen interest in how businesses successfully operate. “Having curiosity about the fundamentals of the companies I invest in and respect for developers that are trying create value has guided how I built my career,” said Ferraro, who holds a B.S. in Economics from The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School with a dual degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management. “I read financial statements, and projections like a book, to see what story they tell about the company and management team. I get tremendous satisfaction from helping companies grow, which makes me a valuable private equity partner.”

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Voice of Experience: Kimberly Mounts, Founding Partner, President and CEO of MAP Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC

This week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.

sm_kimberly_mountsBy Michelle Hendelman

Kimberly Mounts, Founding Partner, President and CEO of MAP Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC (“MAP”) built a successful career working with fixed income derivatives for two of the industry’s top firms: Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. However, if there was one thing she wished she knew earlier in her career, it was just how rewarding and fulfilling it would be to open up her own asset management company. Since Ms. Mounts founded the firm in 2006, MAP has grown into a premier institutional risk management and hedge fund consulting firm advising some of the largest public and corporate pension plans on over $35 billion of assets under advisory.

Selected as one of 140 business leaders to attend the White House Business Leaders Forum in 2011 and one of Institutional Investor Magazine’s 2012 Rising Stars of Hedge Funds, Kimberly Mounts’ persistence and dedication has established MAP as a leading risk management and hedge fund consultant. In addition, one of the largest public pensions awarded the firm a consulting contract for their hedge fund platform and a $40 billion state pension selected the firm as their investment risk consultant for their $18 billion defined benefit plan. MAP’s advisory work includes total portfolio risk management for public and corporate pensions, and a foundation. As part of the firm’s hedge fund advisory services, MAP researches, selects and combines the best-in-class fixed income managers with a particular focus on emerging, minority and women-owned hedge funds. The firm was recently named one of the Top 100 Emerging Businesses in California for 2013 by DiversityBusiness.com.

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Voice of Experience: Kerry Jordan, CFA, Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer, Chicago Capital Management L.P.

This week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.

Kerry Bio PicBy Michelle Hendelman

When Kerry Jordan, CFA, Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer, Chicago Capital Management L.P., was first starting out in her career, she wished that she knew how to remind herself that everything would be alright. She explained, “If you make a mistake, you have to acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on from it.”

It is also important to recognize early in your career just how vital it is to act with integrity, competence, and respect and to maintain a credible reputation. “Always make sure you are acting in the best interest of your clients and your firm,” added Jordan. “I cannot emphasize this enough.”

Kerry Jordan began her career with the NASDAQ Stock Market conducting insider trading investigations on the stocks that traded in that market. “After six years of doing this, it gave me a really good orientation in compliance,” said Jordan.

While she was employed at NASDAQ, Jordan was also hard at work earning her graduate degree in finance and her Charter Financial Analyst designation, which she said gave her a broad based foundation in financial analysis and management. “When I completed my graduate studies, I started working for Bank of America on its derivative structuring team in Chicago working with Fortune 500 companies designing and implementing strategies to mitigate risk,” said Jordan.

Career in Finance

After a seven year career at Bank of America, Jordan moved to the hedge fund industry where she currently works. “My derivatives background allowed me to transition into the hedge fund industry since my first position was with a hedge fund that had a very heavy derivatives portfolio,” Jordan explained. “They were having difficulty explaining derivatives to investors, and I was able to take a complex portfolio and break it down into language that investors could understand.” she added.

Currently, Jordan works as the Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer at Chicago Capital Management where she has been able to combine her experience in derivatives, compliance, and asset management. In this role, she is particularly excited about the way distribution has changed in asset management. “There are many different platforms available that enable smaller managers to access institutional money,” said Jordan.

She added that the next few years should be a dynamic time in the industry as a battle for distribution starts to develop. “As there is more access to capital online through crowdfunding, electronic exchanges, and other sources, there will be a significant shift in how capital allocation to hedge funds works,” Jordan explained.

Jordan indicated that earning her Charter Financial Analyst designation stands out as one of the most challenging but rewarding accomplishments of her career so far. She also pointed out that working on a derivatives trading desk for seven years, with mostly male colleagues, was extremely rigorous, but helped to shape who she has become professionally.

In order to help strengthen investor confidence in the financial markets, Jordan dedicates much of her time volunteering with The CFA Institute on various initiatives. “Restoring ethics and integrity is one of the most important elements to the continued success of the capital markets,” Jordan said. “Global markets have experienced so much turmoil over the last five years which has resulted in distrust in the financial services industry,” she added.

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Voice of Experience: Laurie Carroll, Managing Director and Index Specialist at Mellon Capital

This week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.

sm_carrol_laurieBy Michelle Hendelman

In 1989, Laurie Carroll became a breast cancer survivor. “Being a breast cancer survivor in a male dominated atmosphere was hard, but it motivated me to work even harder and embrace every challenge,” said Carroll, “and I had a lot of supportive male colleagues around me who understood what I was going through.”

Laurie Carroll graduated from Seton Hill University with a degree in Business Management. At the time she attended, Seton Hill was a women’s college. “I wish I knew at the time that I wouldn’t necessarily be accepted in the business world,” said Carroll. “Within my family, and within the tight knit community at Seton Hill, you were never told that you couldn’t achieve something,” she added.

“That was really eye-opening for me. For example, when I started at BNY Mellon over 20 years ago, I wasn’t invited to the investment management meeting even though I was managing money,” Carroll said. “This has changed,” added Carroll. “Women are more involved and they are moving higher within the industry.”

Career Path

“When I graduated from college, Pittsburgh did not have the strongest job market, so I bought a one-way ticket to Houston where some of my family members lived,” said Carroll. Within three days Carroll found a position at an up and coming investment management firm called Aim Management. “I was hired to do basic office work,” recalled Carroll, “but that is how I got my start in the industry. I was about the 20th person to be hired at the company, which was later sold to Invesco.”

Carroll learned the business of investment management by being proactive and taking advantage of opportunities to advance her career whenever she could. She explained, “Whenever someone left the company or something changed, I asked to take on the new role or task. This is how I moved up in the business.”

After five or six years of working in the investment management industry in Houston, Carroll moved back to the Pittsburgh area when she accepted a position at one of the first investment management divisions at BNY Mellon. Since then, Carroll has worked in several investment management subsidiaries of BNY Mellon. “I am proud of the flexibility I have displayed throughout my career,” said Carroll, “and I am proud of the great teams I have had the opportunity to manage.”

Another career highlight Carroll noted as critical to her professional development was the international assignment she accepted a couple of years ago, to live and work in London. “I knew working abroad would be challenging on both a professional and a personal level. There is a different atmosphere and a different way of doing things, so I had to learn how to fit in to that culture,” said Carroll.

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