Movers and Shakers: Susan Harper, 2012-2013 President, Financial Women’s Association of New York, Inc.

 

Susan L. Harper, Director at the Bates Group LLC and President of the Financial Women’s Association of New York, Inc. (FWA) has always been a staunch supporter of women’s advancement. This year, she used her position within the FWA to draw a greater focus on the topics of women in the public and political realm and negotiation for women.

“The FWA has been a leader in the areas of mentoring programs and sponsorship initiatives,” Harper said. “But I truly believe for us to get ahead that we need to take ownership of our advancement, become self advocates and harness our own negotiation power.”

This has been one of Harper’s signature initiatives, with events designed around salary and severance negotiation, advocating for work position advancement, and skills development workshops for emerging leaders. She explained, “With respect to women and the pay gap, it’s very important that we understand that we do have the power to negotiate and ask for what we want and deserve. If you’re at that point where a company has made you an offer and they want you, they are more than likely open to negotiating with you.” She continued, “In terms of pay equity issues, the phrase I like to say is, ‘Debt does not discriminate.’ With all things being equal, no one’s going to say ‘Sorry you make 77 cents to every man’s dollar. No worries. We’ll discount your bill because of that. No business in its right mind would ever do something like that, barring extenuating circumstances. So let me ask you this, why should you allow your paycheck to be discounted?”

“Remember, what we negotiate today will impact us years down the road in our retirement years. You need to take the initiative,” she added “it will benefit you and your family.”

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Voice of Experience: Neeti Bhalla, Managing Director and Head of Tactical Asset Allocation, Private Wealth, Goldman Sachs

Bhalla NeetiWomen should aim to maintain a sense of authenticity while rising through the ranks of the investment industry, says Neeti Bhalla, Managing Director and Head of Tactical Asset Allocation in Goldman Sachs‘ Private Wealth business. “Have a sense of what your true north is, a sense of who you are and what you are trying to accomplish,” she explained. “As a young woman coming into the business, you see more successful men than successful women. There is a natural tendency to emulate the men, a tendency to embrace male attributes. But this is unsustainable for women. You have to think, ‘What can I take from the role models I see around me and apply to my situation?’”

Bhalla, who earned a master’s degree in Social Anthropology alongside her MBA at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, suggests that embracing one’s individuality can be a competitive advantage. “You have to develop what is unique and differentiating about you. You have to become “a go-to person” for something in your career.”

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Movers and Shakers: Valerie Grillo, Chief Diversity Officer at American Express

Valerie Grillo of American Express in New York, NY November 2010By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

When Valerie Grillo, now Chief Diversity Officer at American Express, entered the professional space fresh out of college, she wasn’t sure how to fit in. That led her to the realization that really helped her blossom at work. “It’s the importance of being true to yourself and being authentic,” she said.

“When I was coming out of university and into the corporate world, I felt I needed to dress a certain way and act a certain way,” Grillo recalled. But by cultivating a network of senior women she admired, she realized that being herself could help her advance.

“As I developed mentors and sponsors, I realized that the people I was connecting with were women who were very authentic – true to themselves, unique, and vocal in sharing their point of view that made them effective,” she continued. “I realized I did not need to fit into a box.”

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Voice of Experience: Jennifer Lee, Regional Managing Director, Wells Fargo Private Bank

JenniferLeeBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

For nearly 20 years, Jennifer Lee, Regional Managing Director at Wells Fargo Private Bank, has shaped her career around building businesses and leading people. One of the key pieces of advice she has to offer based on her experience is to give skeptics the opportunity to share their views.

“Listen to dissenting opinions on your team,” she advised. “I fundamentally believe that human creativity and innovation stems from discomfort. If you have a team of people solving problems and you all always agree, at worst, you are probably leaving some of that innovation and creativity on the table.”

“At best, you can address the objection before it comes up again. If you think about all of the greatest corporate blow-ups in history, there was probably a dissenting opinion. If someone had paid a little more attention to them, it may have been different. It’s an important checking method for everybody,” she added.

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Intrepid Woman: Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos on the Journey to Leadership

GIANNAANGELOPOULOSBy Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos, Vice-Chairman of the Dean’s Council of the Harvard Kennedy School

In May 2000, I received a call asking me to take over the Athens Olympic Games Organizing Committee. Three years earlier, I had led and won Athens’ successful bid for the 2004 Olympics. Now I was being asked to rescue an operation so far off its tracks that the president of the International Olympic Committee suggested publicly that the Olympics might be taken away from Greece.

Host cities are given seven years to prepare for the Olympics. We now had four. I had to build and lead an organization the size of a Fortune 200 company. The entire world waited, watching to see whether I would fail or succeed in this Herculean challenge.

I had always wanted to serve my country. As a child, I dreamed of being an ambassador, because it seemed to me that ambassadors had mysterious, glamorous jobs that impacted the fates of nations. When I confessed my dream, I was reminded that I had no family connections, no diplomatic lineage, and, besides, there were no women ambassadors at that time.

When I was born, Greek women were still two years away from winning the right to vote. Growing up on the island of Crete, I had two strikes against me: I came from very modest means, and I was a woman in a male-dominated culture. Fortunately for me, I had a father who was very progressive. When other men would ask him if he was disappointed to have two daughters, he would say: “I don’t need a son, I have Gianna.” He convinced me that I could do anything a man could do.

But to compete on an equal playing field with men required breaking glass ceilings, being bold, and being persistent. At almost every stage of my life, this is what I had to do – and did.

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Movers and Shakers: Marilyn Nagel, CEO, Watermark

MarilynNagelBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“There are so many things I know now that I wish I had known when I was younger,” Marilyn Nagel said with a laugh. Nagel, CEO of Watermark, continued, “I think the biggest thing I wish I had known is that who is in your network is just as important as the work you deliver. I had a belief that a company was more of a meritocracy and my work would stand on its own.”

“But the truth is, doing excellent work is table stakes. Having a network to support you is what is going to help you and make you successful in the long run.”

That view fits nicely with the work Watermark is doing to connect powerful professional women. “I think that we have to continue to refine our offerings and what we do. We want to help women make their mark in and for their careers, their companies and their communities.”

The group organizes networking events for professional women, development programs, and advocates for diversity, particularly in the boardroom. “I think we are at an inflection point,” she added. “Women are still facing inequality in pay, despite strong data showing that companies are do better when they have a strong gender mix. Open positions are still being filled with people who are already known and that just perpetuates the status quo. But I think pay equity and better board balance will change that.”

She added, “I feel very privileged to lead Watermark, an organization that fits with my values and passion around making a difference. The women I work with are just a treasure.”

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Voice of Experience: Carolyn Vardi, Partner, M&A Practice, White & Case

carolynvardiBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Carolyn Vardi, M&A Partner in White & Case‘s New York office, says one of the primary challenges for women in the legal profession is the relationship between time and family responsibilities. “The practice of law is based fundamentally on time: the time you spend with clients, the time you spend on deals, the time you spend on cases. It’s a kind of war on time in how you allocate those hours,” she said. “For women, the question is how to maximize the efficiency of your time.”

Vardi continued, “How do you devote enough time to your career, your families and friends, and anything else of interest? Balance isn’t the right term – there never is a balance. It’s all about where you allocate time at any given moment so you’re most fulfilled.”

“It’s really hard to fit everything in on any given day. That’s true for anyone in the industry, but can be uniquely true for women,” she added.

So what is Vardi’s advice? “Taking ownership and actively managing my time. No matter what your seniority level, it’s never too soon to take ownership over what it is you are doing. As soon as I began taking ownership over my work and career path as well as my personal goals, my picture became clearer and my goals more defined. Without a doubt there are challenges left and right, but when you take ownership over your time, managing everything seems a bit more feasible.”

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Intrepid Woman: Rupali Deshmukh on Remaking Veteran Transitions

Accenture Helps Military Vets in CharlotteBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Last week, Accenture launched a new online Military Career Coach tool for veterans transitioning from military roles to the private sector. Rupali Deshmukh, Military Sourcing Lead at Accenture, considers the tool an extension of one-on-one coaching she has been doing for veterans. Now, she says, the online tool will be able to reach many more men and women who are transitioning to work in the private sector.

She knows first-hand the kinds of challenges members of the military face in making that adjustment. Deshmukh, who moved to the United States in 1999, was stirred to action after the September 11th terrorist attacks, and joined the Army as an HR administrator. In 2001, she joined the Army Reserves, and after a tour of service in Kuwait, and two more as a contractor, she came back to the US looking for a civilian job. Eventually, in 2011, she was hired as a military recruitment expert at Accenture.

She said, “In the 8 years of my career with the military, as well as with Accenture and other companies, my proudest achievement is the workshop I created for my candidates. We provide them with a resume and tools to help them get hired with us or someone else. When I get those emails thanking me and saying they’ve been hired – it’s pure joy.”

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Voice of Experience: Jody Hrazanek, Head of Portfolio Implementation and Management, ING U.S. Investment Management

JodyHrazanekBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Jody Hrazanek, Head of Portfolio Implementation and Management at ING U.S. Investment Management (ING U.S. IM), has a suggestion for senior women executives: build stronger working relationships with one another. “As women we focus so much on our individual careers that it’s easy to forget about building a support network with other women. If we could find more ways to stay connected, we would all benefit,” she says.

In addition to networking events or participating in online networks like The Glass Hammer, Hrazanek envisions greater success for women who collaborate more in the day-to-day business environment. She commented, “Committing to events after the workday isn’t always easy for women so we need to find effective networking opportunities in our daily interactions too.”

Hrazanek suggests looking for collaborative projects or seeking out the support of female peers when possible. “These things seem to be much more common among men.” She continued, “I think strong networks would develop naturally” as a result of these connections.

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Intrepid Woman: Silje Vallestad Discusses Her Journey from Idealist to Innovator

siljevallestadBy Michelle Clark (Keene, New Hampshire)

Silje Vallestad did not major in technology, nor did she ever plan to make her mark on the tech industry as Founder and CEO of the mobile app development company, Bipper. Yet here she is, a successful entrepreneur blazing trails in an industry where women are not heavily represented in leadership positions.

So far, Vallestad has developed and launched two mobile safety apps – Mobilekids and bSafe –which have experienced incredible success in the European market. Now, Vallestad is working on establishing Bipper’s headquarters in Silicon Valley while continuing to raise brand awareness for her company in the United States. How is she doing it?

According to Vallestad, the success of her mobile safety products, Mobilekids and bSafe, stems from the fact that she developed them from a different perspective than the typical tech industry innovator. Instead of trying to push the limits of digital technology, Vallestad set out to offer a simple solution to what she considered to be a common problem for parents. That is how to keep young children safe when using mobile devices.

“I was certain there had to be some sort of mobile phone service for kids, but I couldn’t find anything,” said Vallestad. “When this wasn’t available, I decided I had to develop it myself.” So that is exactly what she did. In 2007, while on maternity leave, she decided to pursue her idea of a mobile safety service for children by submitting her proposal to a business plan competition called Venture Cup in Norway. At the time, she had no financial backing and no employees, but she was determined to turn her vision into a reality, which isn’t anything new for Vallestad, who was already starting up volunteer projects and NGOs at the young age of 14. “I knew at an early age that I had the ability to make my vision come true and turn ideas into reality,” she said.

Vallestad explained, “I had the vision, but I had no idea if it was technically possible.” She soon discovered after being chosen as the winner in the business plan competition, that not only was her idea feasible, but the judges of the competition clearly identified a market and a need for Vallestad’s service. Aside from gaining praise and attention for her mobile safety service idea, Vallestad also gained access to start-up capital and business mentors who provided her with the advice and guidance she needed to continue moving forward with her idea.

In fact, if it wasn’t for a mentor who told her that no one would invest in her idea if she ran her fledgling company like a hobby or a side project, Vallestad would have probably been content accepting the comfortable job in the financial industry she was offered around the same time as she began seriously thinking about pursuing her tech venture full time. “It took two years to raise enough cash and hire the first person who knew anything about technology,” Vallestad said. But finally, in the spring of 2008, Vallestad finally received her first seed investment and hired her first employee.

After dodging the devastating blow of the Great Recession that crippled the economy in late 2008, Vallestad launched BipperKids, her first mobile safety service in 2010 with two European operators. One year later, Vallestad introduced bSafe, a mobile safety app for women, to the market, fully realizing her dream of making the world a safer place.

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