Movers and Shakers: Sue Allon, CEO and Founder, Allonhill

Sue AllonBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Sue Allon, CEO and Founder of Allonhill, a mortgage due diligence and credit risk management firm, one of the most important things people can do when they are building their own companies is speak up, and showcase their thought leadership.

“When Allonhill was founded in 2008, I couldn’t imagine that the financial crisis would get worse. At the time, Wall Street couldn’t speak for itself,” she said. “It was being indicted and servicers were being indicted. But a statement had to be made: mortgages were still a good investment.”

She continued, “Many people felt they couldn’t talk, but I felt I could speak for the industry. There were flaws that needed to be corrected, but I didn’t feel there were problems with mortgage securitizations as a product. So I embarked on a press campaign to talk about mortgage securities.”

It was risky, she continued, but worth it. “It was such a wonderful boost for my company. I was jettisoned to a highly recognized position in the industry. And even when there was no market, we became the number one firm.”

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Voice of Experience: PJ Johnson, Managing Director and Global Head for Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Compliance, Citi

pjjohnsonBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

To Pamela (PJ) Johnson, Managing Director and Global Head for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Sanctions Compliance at Citi, mentoring and developing individuals is a chief source of satisfaction.

“I’ve worked on pieces of important legislation, including the USA PATRIOT Act, and a number of significant money laundering cases. But, as I turn 50, what I’m most proud of is my role in creating a community of AML professionals.”

“Whether it is people with whom I have worked or others who have worked for me, it is satisfying to see people develop and move up the ranks to larger and more challenging positions.”

She continued, “As I look at my team in particular, I’m very humbled to be surrounded by such experienced and dedicated professionals. I’d be delighted to think that I may have contributed in some positive way either through mentoring or educating people about AML.”

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Voice of Experience: Lois Herzeca, Partner, Gibson Dunn

LoisHerzecaBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“When I was in law school I fully intended to become a litigator,” began Lois Herzeca, Partner at Gibson Dunn.

After graduating cum laude from Boston University School of Law, Herzeca joined the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. through its Honors Program. Based on her experience working in the Antitrust Division, she decided to move into the private sector as a litigator, and took a position at Fried Frank in New York in antitrust litigation.

“Then I realized I was much more interested in corporate practice,” she explained. “I enjoyed the creativity in structuring deals and the strategic thinking involved in executing deals. I felt I could become a real advisor to clients.”

Eventually, Herzeca became a partner at Fried Frank, spending over twenty years with the firm. Then, three years ago, she moved to Gibson Dunn. “I felt a larger global practice created a better platform for my client base,” she explained. She is now a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets Practice Groups, and she is co-chair of its Fashion, Retail, and Consumer Products Practice Group.

She says one of her proudest recent achievements was being named a Dealmaker of the Year for 2012 by The American Lawyer. “I’m honored to be among that group. There are relatively few women partners in law firms who work on contested M&A transactions,” she explained. Additionally, she continued, she is extremely proud to have been honored with her alma mater’s Alumni Pro Bono award in 2009 for her many pro bono activities.

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Movers and Shakers: Jean Balfour, Director, Bailey Balfour Consulting, Ltd.

jeanbalfourBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Dare to dream,” advised Jean Balfour, Director of Bailey Balfour Consulting. As an organizational development consultant and coach for executive women, Balfour has extensive experience working with women across many industries, and she said one of the key things she has learned from them is the importance of developing your aspirations.

“Dare to think big and dream big,” she continued. “And along with that, find a mentor and sponsor right from day one, who can help you achieve your dreams.”

She advised senior women to “really, really proactively support younger women, and encourage your male peers to mentor or sponsor young women as well, so they have as much support as they can get to move along in their careers.”

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Voice of Experience: Julia Hoggett, Head of Covered Bonds and FIG Flow Financing EMEA and Head of Short Term Fixed Income Origination EMEA, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

juliahoggettBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

One of the most important lessons Julia Hoggett learned early in her career was the importance of being herself. Now Head of Covered Bonds and FIG (Financial Institutions) Flow Financing EMEA and Head of Short Term Fixed Income Origination EMEA at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Hoggett explained, “Bringing your whole self to work can only help you advance.”

Early in her career, she hadn’t quite learned this lesson. “There was a sense that I needed to assume a professional face, both as a woman and as an investment banker. Luckily I learned that bringing the real me to the office made me better at my job.”

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Lale Topcuoglu, Portfolio Manager, Managing Director, Co-head of Global Investment Grade Portfolio Management, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

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Lale TopcuogluOriginally from Turkey, Lale Topcuoglu studied economics and politics at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and then took a job as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in 1999, where she quickly ascended the ranks, being named a managing director just ten years later. “That’s probably my proudest achievement,” she said, “getting promoted to Managing Director and co-head of the Investment Grade business. We manage $70 billion in assets and I co-lead a team of 22 people in the US, Europe, and Asia.”

“When I look back at my career, Goldman Sachs has been a land of opportunity for me,” she added.

How did she rise so quickly? Topcuoglu said one of the skills she’s glad to have learned in her career is the ability to negotiate. “Nobody really teaches you this,” she explained. Getting a sense of how your company really works is also important for career growth, she continued. “I learned pretty quick on the job, if you can understand how organizations work, the administration, it will help you.”

Finally, she said, learning self awareness was important for her advancement. “Be aware of your little professional quirks,” she said. “Sometimes I make knee jerk responses, and I’m learning to start with a yes, instead of a no.”

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35 Under 35: Angela Best, EMEA Group Tax Controller, Nomura

AngelaBestBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Angela Best, EMEA Group Tax Controller at Nomura, one of the lessons she wishes she had learned earlier in her career is to be more open to new experiences. “It’s to be less serious and enjoy life – not to be frightened to make mistakes,” she explained.

After graduating from the University of Kent, Best began her career at an accountancy practice, and when she received her chartered accountancy certificate, she moved to the investment banking industry, working in tax. “It was a smooth move,” she said. “I haven’t encountered any stumbling blocks.”

“When Lehman happened in 2008, I saw an opportunity that I was unlikely to encounter again.” Nomura acquired parts of Lehman Brothers’ Asian and European investment banking, fixed income and equities division, she explained. “It was the opportunity to marry two very different cultures together, however, it wasn’t just the people factor, but also the new working practices. It was a very challenging and unusual time.”

In fact, Best says her most interesting roles have involved working through technical projects in the context of change. In her last role, she led a team designing how a unit of previously outsourced work would be brought in house. “As part of it, we had to recommend the software we’d be using – which meant presenting to senior management, performing due diligence, and selling how it would work in house.”

Participating in the team brought her significant visibility with senior management, she explained. “I had to prepare and present our cost benefit analysis – it was very exciting.”

Currently she is working to coordinate with Nomura’s Indian service center, and enjoying the unique opportunity to learn about a new culture. “Within my department I look after European taxes. There’s a lot of reconciliation work that we’re looking to offshore to India,” she explained.

Best said she is paying keen attention to the challenges the banking industry faces. “There are reputation issues currently. It’s something everyone in our industry should be following, just to see where the industry is going.”

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35 Under 35: Toni Mohammed, Client Manager, Marsh USA

ToniMohammedBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

One key element in career advancement, according to Toni Mohammed, Client Manager at Marsh Inc., is being assertive about your goals. “I would advise young women to not be afraid to ask for what you want, work hard, keep pushing, and be patient.”

The other, she said, is building relationships. “This industry has a lot to offer. It’s also a very small world, so leveraging your networks early on will help you get to where you want to be.”

“I like to say I’m a child of insurance,” she said with a laugh, explaining that her mother worked in the industry for 25 years in Trinidad. “I kind of grew up in the industry.”

Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Mohammed came to the United States on a scholarship, and went on to study math and actuarial science at Howard University. After completing actuarial internships at CIGNA, Nationwide, and Deloitte, she realized she wanted more client interaction, and took a position as an insurance broker at Marsh in Washington DC. As part of the firm’s Risk Analyst program, she developed a keen interest in Multinational, and within months of attending training in Atlanta, Georgia, she started working for the Multinational Client Practice as an International Property and Casualty broker.

Now Mohammed is a team leader and Multinational Advisor at Marsh, and co-leader of Pride@Marsh (the company’s LGBT affinity group). Mohammed has also become a sort of Middle East insurance expert. She recounts one of her proudest achievements as her work in this area.

“One of my defense clients had an auto fleet in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and other Middle East countries where certain local coverages were contractually needed. You can imagine in this economy it was a great challenge getting insurers to even offer these coverages, much less consider the aggregation risk concerns and cost,” she explained. “Fortunately with the expansive Marsh network and partners in London and the Middle East, I was able to find a solution for our client.”

“But I really have two jobs,” she continued. “My day job and my ‘gay’ job.”

“My day job of advising clients on what’s going on with international insurance and trends that can affect them is very exciting. Sharing knowledge with my teams and being part of a dynamic environment means that I’m always on my toes to see what works, how to improve, and how to change,” she explained.

“Balancing compliance with international regulations and cost analysis for international insurance programs are of key interest to me. With increased global scrutiny and the poor economy, there is greater tax activity by local governments when there is non-compliance with the insurance regulations. In some instances there are also hefty fines and penalties, including imprisonment, that our clients may be exposed to, so helping to explain international insurance regulations is key.”

“In my ‘gay’ job,” she continued, “we are also on the verge of change. With my co-leader Cris Castillo-Brizard, we have re-energized the LGBT group at Marsh called Pride@Marsh. We are getting involved in community and education. We are creating ties to business in ways that have never been done before. I am very proud the Marsh leadership is behind us and continues to do the right thing.”

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Voice of Experience: Sarah Walker, Executive Director, Enterprise Data & Services, Global Head IT & Data Operations; Securities Reference Data, Morgan Stanley

SarahWalkerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Throughout her life, Australia-born Sarah Walker, Executive Director of the Enterprise Data & Services Group at Morgan Stanley, has demonstrated a devotion to solving problems and efficiency. Energetic and direct, she described how she entered the world of IT after becoming frustrated with the indirect pace of her university education.

She entered university intending to study journalism. “I wanted to be a writer,” she explained. “But I quickly decided I hated university! I thought I could pick up a book and learn anything they were going to teach me on my own. So I convinced my parents to say yes to me dropping out if I could find a job.”

“I think they only said yes because they thought I would never find one!” she said with a laugh. But, she continued, she did find work. “It was the early ‘90s and I got a job doing operations reconciliation work at Citigroup in Sydney. I had a big computer sitting on my desk, yet everything was still being done manually. I thought, ‘why are we doing this with a calculator and pencil and paper?’”

Walker turned her computer on, and worked out a way to turn the 8-hour ordeal into a 1-hour process. “From then on, I’ve been hooked. My career has been about making processes more efficient and solving problems.”

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Movers and Shakers: Susan Bulkeley Butler, Founder and CEO of SBB Institute for the Development of Women Leaders

susanbulkeleybutlerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Be responsible for who you are and what you want to be and make it happen,” advised Susan Bulkeley Butler, founder and CEO of the SSB institute for the Development of Women Leaders.

This is advice Butler herself has lived – after being the first woman professional hired at Arthur Anderson (now Accenture) in 1965, she found herself passed over for promotion time and time again – until she realized she needed to take control of her career, that is. Butler turned her professional path around, eventually being named the first female partner at the firm. Now retired from the company, Butler is also a published author and leadership speaker, enthusiastically working toward the goal of getting more women into top jobs.

“We have one life and I’m not sure we all make things happen for us, rather than let things happen to us. If we’re not taking responsibility for who we are and where we want to be, then who are we outsourcing this to? Who is making this happen?”

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