Voice of Experience: Gabrielle Vitale, SVP and Chief Information Security Officer, American Express

GabrielleVitaleBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“As opportunities were presented over my career, I made a variety of shifts. These shifts came with unique challenges that I took on with a great deal of gusto,” says Gabrielle Vitale, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at American Express, looking back on her almost three-decade long career at the company.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to perform in a number of roles, and had job opportunities you might not expect to encounter at a single company.”

She added, “It is not just about getting the job done, but being curious and having the desire to make it better and do more. The status quo never sat well with me.”

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Movers and Shakers: Dina Powell, President, Goldman Sachs Foundation and Global Head of Corporate Engagement, Goldman Sachs

Dina PowellAccording to Dina Powell, President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation and Global Head of Corporate Engagement for the firm, it’s important to be open to new and different opportunities throughout your life.

“One of the things I often say is be careful not to overplan your life. Because the less you are open to opportunities as they come along, the less you have the advantage of a diversity of experience,” she advised.

Powell has spent time in both the public and private sectors, having worked in the White House and for the Department of State before joining Goldman Sachs. She believes this has served her well throughout her career path. “I think having experience in both is key,” she said. “When I think of the many opportunities we have now to work together to solve problems – I think it’s vital to understand how the other side works.”

That breadth of experience is also invaluable when approaching complex challenges in the developing and emerging markets. She said, “When I think of solving global challenges, it’s about making sure all three legs of the stool are represented – the public sector, the private sector, and the non-profit sector.”

“I’ve had the privilege of working with so many women around the world and it’s given me so much faith in women. Women in many parts of the world – Afghanistan, India, Egypt – are faced with so many challenges. Yet they are determined to do everything they can to invest in their communities and their children. When we give women the chance to reach their full potential, it makes a huge difference.”

She added, “Having women as full members of societies really does lead to more peaceful and prosperous communities and a more peaceful and prosperous world.”

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Voice of Experience: Pamela Jackson, Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions Tax, PwC

pamjacksonBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Believe in yourself,” advised Pamela Jackson, Partner and Founding Member of PwC’s Mergers and Acquisitions Tax business in the UK.

Through a career spanning over three decades – and three continents – Jackson has had the opportunity to learn a lot. She went from being mistaken for the receptionist when she first started out, to ascending to partnership and leadership within PwC, to being named Women in the City’s Woman of the Year, to now leading one of PwC’s new key strategic initiatives.

Jackson encourages women to embrace their self-confidence. “Tell people what you want. Keep asking for it. Don’t sit and wait for things to come to you. Success comes to people who go out and take it with both hands,” she said.

“Take calculated risks and go for it. Every time you take a risk, you continue on your journey.”

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Voice of Experience: Laura Sanchez, Managing Director, Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs

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One of the most important lessons Laura Sanchez has learned throughout her career is the importance of being yourself.Laura Sanchez

Sanchez, now a Managing Director in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs, found that by allowing her unique personality to shine, she was better able to connect with clients, which ultimately helped her career.

“When you’re new – and I had also switched industries – you may be anxious about fitting in and looking like everyone else or acting like everyone else. But trying too hard to fit in can stifle who you are.”

She continued, “To not be yourself for the majority of your day creates a lot of stress.”

Ultimately, she says, authenticity was her key to a more fulfilling career. “When I’ve been true to myself and let my own light shine through, that’s when I’ve been my best. That’s when I think the success started,” she explained.

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Movers and Shakers: Rosa Bravo, Business Development Director, Accenture

This week The Glass Hammer is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with profiles of senior Hispanic women in the financial and professional services. Check back all week long to read more.

RosaBravoBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“One of the things I wish I had known earlier,” began Rosa Bravo, a Business Development Director for Accenture, “is that it’s okay to ask for help.”

Bravo, who started her career as an aerospace engineer before moving into consulting, explained, “There are so many choices you have to make along the way, and you just can’t do it alone.”

Asking for help was particularly difficult for her at first. “I’ve been culturally conditioned to be a strong woman, to want to be able to do everything on my own. It took a few years to feel comfortable to raise my hand and ask for help when I needed it.”

She added, “But it made things much easier when I did.”

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Voice of Experience: Valeria Strappa, Head of Efficiency and Cost Management for Citi Latin America

This week The Glass Hammer is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with profiles of senior Hispanic women in the financial and professional services. Check back all week long to read more.

ValeriaStrappaBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Valeria Strappa, Head of Efficiency and Cost Management for Citi Latin America, defining a career path and learning to get comfortable with negotiation are critical for women to advance in their careers. What I think is important is to first be the designer of your own destiny and second, to learn that you might not necessarily get what you think you deserve, you will get what you are able to ask for and to sell for your results

Strappa has quickly risen through the ranks at Citi, distinguishing herself as a skilled turnaround expert with a passion for results. She continued, “A lot of times women think people will recognize their work. And they do, but that doesn’t mean you get what you were expecting for it. You have to be able to solve a big problem for a big leader and of course be able to stand up and show your results.”

She added, “This is something I learned from my boss. He once told me: you don’t delegate to your parents the decision of who your husband will be right? Then why delegate designing your career path to your boss? I was shy about this before. But just by letting people know what I want and sharing what I was doing – it made things much easier to get what I wanted.”

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Movers and Shakers: Elizabeth Diep, Senior Manager, Asset Management Practice, PwC

This week The Glass Hammer is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with profiles of senior Hispanic women in the financial and professional services. Check back all week long to read more.

elizabethdiepBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Elizabeth Diep, Senior Manager in PwC’s Asset Management Practice, it’s important to be open to new possibilities. “Be open minded. There is such a changing landscape in this profession. We are seeing growth in Latin America, while in Europe, there are challenges now but absolutely something different is going to come out of it. It’s about being open to opportunities and not hesitating to take on new roles.”

Diep is enthusiastic about the pace of change in the industry and how women can leverage that change to advance their careers.

“Every experience, whether good or bad, is going to help you grow. Don’t resist change,” she said. “Change will help you become a seasoned professional a lot faster and a lot better.”

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Voice of Experience: Licenia Rojas, Vice President and Global Leader for Risk and Payments, Technology, American Express

This week The Glass Hammer is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with profiles of senior Hispanic women in the financial and professional services. Check back all week long to read more.

Licenia Rojas cropped exec photoBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Licenia Rojas, Vice President and Global Leader for Risk Automation and Payments for Technology at American Express, as women advance in their careers, and there are fewer role models to draw inspiration and advice from, mentoring and sponsoring within a peer group can be invaluable. “For my peer group, we’re always looking at how to expand each other’s current responsibilities. We’re creating sponsorships among ourselves.”

That can mean letting colleagues know about new roles or projects, or letting other team members know when a peer has made a significant contribution or achievement. “As you grow, it’s important to feel comfortable saying someone is doing a great job. I really believe in paying it forward,” Rojas explained.

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Life After Corporate: Lori Anne Wardi, Vice President, .CO Internet S.A.S.

IMG_1154-252-352-112By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Lori Anne Wardi, if your job just isn’t working for you, think about what your strengths and passions are, take a deep breath, and plunge in to something new. She should know – after spending years as an attorney in a large New York City law firm, she plunged into a corporate learning and development career at an investment bank, and then plunged once again to begin her own business.

But when her business went bust – soon she found herself on the hunt for an inspiring career again, until her hobby turned into just that.

“Forge your own path,” she said. “People fall into a trap of believing there’s this career path you’re supposed to be following. Sometimes you have to step off the path – or jump off the path. And it could be three steps forward, two steps back, four or five times. Your career is not always going to be linear.”

“Now I’m a co-founder of a company I absolutely love, .CO Internet, and my career is about helping other companies and businesses get started. And helping to change the fabric of the Internet at the same time.”

She added, “If you have the gnawing sense of anxiety that the corporate world just isn’t for you, and you have a bigger vision for what your life and career can be about – you owe it to yourself to go for it – to create the future you want.”

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Voice of Experience: Cindy Davis, Shareholder, Financial Institutions Group, Greenberg Traurig

cindydavisBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Even when she was in high school, Cindy Davis knew what she wanted to do for her career. “I wanted be a corporate lawyer, doing deals, and advising executives,” she recalled. She went on to study accounting at the University of Massachusetts, not because she wanted to be an accountant, but because she thought it would give her a competitive edge as a corporate lawyer.

Davis explained with a laugh, “I was one of the few people who went to law school who always wanted to be there.”

After graduating from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, she took a job at a small firm, then gradually moved to larger and larger firms, before winding up at Paul Hastings, where she spent fifteen years, ultimately becoming partner. In 2009, she moved her practice to Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder.

Davis said she is fueled by her enthusiasm for new deals. “I love getting calls from a client on a new transaction. It’s very satisfying to cross the finish line on a particularly complicated deal and then move onto the next one.”

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