Voice of Experience: Joyce St. Clair, Executive Vice President, Operations and Technology, Northern Trust Corporation

JoyceStClairBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I think you have to take risks,” said Joyce St. Clair, Executive Vice President, Operations and Technology, Northern Trust Corporation. “Be willing to stretch yourself. We get comfortable in the job that we do. We have to be willing to embrace change and take calculated risks – it doesn’t mean being reckless.”

“You’ll have stumbles, but you need to take stretch opportunities – otherwise you’ll never show your worth.”

One big risk she took – a two and a half year long assignment in London – really paid off, St. Clair said. “It was the hardest thing I did – moving my children mid-year and putting my career ahead of my husband’s at that time. We are supportive of each other, looking at opportunities as they arise.”

“Finding a flat, and even finding a doctor was challenging. But I think it brings you together as a family,” she recalled. “It was a great experience. Especially when my oldest daughter said she wanted to know how I had arranged it, and that she hoped to provide that experience for her kids someday.”

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Voice of Experience, Christa D’Alimonte, Partner and Deputy Practice Group Leader, Mergers & Acquisitions, Shearman & Sterling

ChristaD'AlimonteBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Ask Christa D’Alimonte, a leading mergers & acquisitions partner at global law firm Shearman & Sterling, and she’ll tell you that one of the key things she’s learned throughout her career is the importance of being flexible.

“In this kind of profession, we tend to be extraordinarily good planners and extraordinarily well organized,” she says. “But you can’t always plan everything. Both your personal and professional life will throw curve balls at you.”

And the proof, according to D’Alimonte: “I never thought I would be an M&A lawyer.”

That’s quite surprising, considering that D’Alimonte, who is currently advising Synthes on its $21 billion acquisition by Johnson & Johnson – one of the biggest M&A deals in the last couple of years – is considered a top-tier dealmaker. D’Alimonte also works with Viacom and other leading companies, as well as all the major financial institutions.

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Voice of Experience: Stacy Bash Polley, Partner, Co-Head of Fixed Income Sales, Americas, Goldman Sachs

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Stacy Bash PolleyAccording to Stacy Bash Polley, Partner and Co-Head of Fixed Income Sales for the Americas at Goldman Sachs, it’s important for senior women to serve as role models and advocates for the next generation of women in finance.

Bash Polley, co-chair of Goldman Sachs’ Firmwide Women’s Network, said that the group’s events are designed to make senior women aware of their own impact on career development.

She explained that in her experience, there are three ways that women engage: as role models, mentors and advocates. Role models are the most passive of the three, serving as visible examples of career success and inspiring younger women to visualize their own career trajectories. Mentors serve as coaches and counselors, guiding women to optimize their current situations to achieve success. Advocates actively engage in the tactical management of someone’s career, identifying the platform that will allow that person to combine his or her passion and skill set for maximum performance.

“All successful women become role models, so we want them to understand that with more visibility comes more responsibility. Once a woman becomes more senior, she should become a mentor or advocate of more junior women and pay it forward. This is how we get critical mass,” she said.

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Voice of Experience: Stephanie Miller, Managing Director and Global Head of Alternative Investment Services, J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services

Stephanie MillerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Stephanie Miller, Managing Director and Global Head of Alternative Investment Services at J.P. Morgan Worldwide Security Services (WSS), remaining open to change is critical for building a dynamic career. “I find personally – and I hope I exhibit this – that change is really okay.”

She continued, “Even though I’ve been doing this for twenty years, you have to be open to listening to other people, to be open to change. Keep an open mind and try to keep fresh on how you are approaching challenges, so you can continue to take yourself to the next level.”

This spring, Miller joined J.P. Morgan, taking on responsibility of strategy and direction for WSS’s Private Equity & Real Estate Services and Hedge Fund Services businesses. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Miller spent ten years at Citco Fund Services, serving as managing director and running the firm’s North American operations. “I handled the middle office, fund accounting, and transformational and technology change,” she explained. “I’m hoping to achieve the same size and scale of our business list at J.P. Morgan and I’m looking forward to this challenge.”

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Voice of Experience: Yvette Vargas, Managing Director, Head of Talent Development & Diversity, UBS Wealth Management

yvettevargasBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“My role at UBS is to put in a talent management framework that is totally integrated with – subsumed in – our diversity agenda. I’ve been working to reframe how people think about managing talent, to make sure the right people are in the right jobs at the right time in the context of the business they’re in,” explained Yvette Vargas, Managing Director and Head of Talent Development and Diversity at UBS Wealth Management.

“When I look at financial services, diversity has really been focused on evolving from affirmative action and creating awareness around sensitivity to now understanding the importance of diversity from a values perspective,” she explained. “The challenges is getting people to think about this from a business perspective.”

She added, “If we do this right – set the philosophy, processes, tools – managers can become the best talent managers they can be.”

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Voice of Experience: Palmina Fava, Partner, Litigation, and Co-Chair, Global Compliance and Disputes Practice, Paul Hastings

palminafavaBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

After studying government and international relations at Georgetown, Palmina Fava knew she wanted a career with an international scope. “But I wasn’t sure what that would be,” she explained. “So I went to Fordham Law School, wanting very much to litigate cases, be in court, and be in front of Boards of Directors.”

When she began her career at DLA Piper, Fava continued, “I became much more involved in complex commercial matters and IP litigations. In preparing clients for trial and in going through the litigation process, I began understanding more about a client’s business and became much more involved in working with clients on corporate governance matters.”

“Then Enron and Sarbanes Oxley happened,” she said. “There was much more of a focus on corporate governance and business ethics, and my practice became international in scope.” Fava’s career began taking on the global focus she had always sought, and within a few years, about half of the investigations she handled took place abroad, involving anti-corruption issues.

“About two years ago, I moved to Paul Hastings to work with the Firm’s global compliance practice group.” As co-chair of the Global Compliance and Disputes practice, Fava says she is proud of the reputation she has been able to establish with top-level clients.

“I’ve been very blessed to work with and learn from amazing lawyers and clients. I’m proud of having gained the trust of Fortune 100 clients and proud when they tell me I’ve provided them with practical, business-savvy advice. They have a choice in what law firm and lawyer to use, and I’m very proud when I get that call, that they trust me to work with them on critical compliance and anti-corruption issues.”

She continued, “I’m working on a lot of interesting investigations outside of the US. And I find it’s important to understand the politics, the economics, and the cultural issues of the country in which your investigation is focused.”

“The perspective of the witness I’m interviewing is completely different, so coming at it from a US perspective is not as effective. I try to step outside my experiences and put myself in the shoes of the people whom I’m interviewing,” she explained.

She says she has also learned over the years that, while passion for an issue is important, it’s also important to create boundaries between her personal feelings and her work. “Being passionate about a client’s case doesn’t mean you need to be invested emotionally in it.”

She explained, “Taking a step back and investigating an issue or analyzing it as opposing counsel, a regulator, or a business person would makes you a better negotiator and advocate for your client.”

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Voice of Experience: Suzanne Rab, Partner, Antitrust, King & Spalding

suzannerabBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Don’t downsize your own horizons. Allow yourself to imagine what you can be,” advised Suzanne Rab, Partner at King & Spalding.

In addition to her recent completion of a book on Indian competition law, Rab, an antitrust lawyer, has been tasked with launching the UK and EU antitrust ‘on the ground’ presence of the US firm from its European hub in London. That responsibility has made her even more aware of the importance of diversity, as well as her own ability to embrace change in the legal profession.

A keen advocate for women, she encourages her colleagues not to shy away from asserting themselves. “Don’t be afraid to promote your capabilities or celebrate your achievements. Don’t get me wrong – this is not about self posturing, but is a matter of confidence in your own abilities and what you can contribute. I have found that women can be more reticent to put themselves forward. Put yourself out there for senior positions if you aspire to them.”

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Movers and Shakers: Julia Fuller, Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety, Thomson Reuters

juliafullerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“My advice for women is to know yourself,” said Julia Fuller, VP of Environment, Health and Safety at Thomson Reuters. She explained, “Focus on what are the things that you really hold dear as your core values. What are you really good at? Know your real strengths. Having that knowledge about your abilities is really powerful.”

After growing her career at the Reuters Foundation and then becoming global head of corporate responsibility for Reuters, she shepherded the program through the 2008 merger with Thomson. Then Fuller turned her attention to women’s advancement. Fuller leads the UK chapter of the Women @ Thomson Reuters network, and also leads the London network Women on the Wharf, a multi-firm women’s networking group which is focused on helping women stay in their careers at the challenging mid-level.

“Be true to yourself and know what makes you tick,” she advised. “Don’t try to be someone else and don’t try to live up to someone else’s dream. Follow your own dreams.”

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Movers and Shakers: Meg Brown, Director, Sustainable Investment, Citi

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

According to Meg Brown, Director of Climate Change and Sustainable Investment Research at Citi, one of the first things she learned when beginning her career was the importance of speaking up. “When I was quite new, I didn’t know that if you don’t ask you don’t get. But if you do ask, you get quite a lot.”

Based in London, Brown leads Citi’s global climate change research and its European ESG product. She continued, “The best advice I’ve ever been given is to always have a view. If you have a view, if you contribute, people want you on their team, regardless of your gender.”

She said the advice has become even more meaningful as she’s advanced in her career. “No one is going to hand things to you on a plate. If you have a voice, if you contribute to the business, you can negotiate.”

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Voice of Experience: Deborah Hazell, CEO and Regional Head of HSBC Global Asset Management, North America

Deborah HazellBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Reflecting on her career, Deborah Hazell said one thing she wishes she had learned earlier is the importance of being heard. “Speak up if you want something,” she said. “My key promotions have largely been because managers only realized I was the right person when I put my hand up and stood right in front of them.”

Hazell began her career as a door-to-door salesperson, climbing through the ranks of the asset management industry to arrive at her current role, CEO of HSBC Global Asset Management, North America. Today she is passionately involved in leveling the playing field for women in the industry.

She added, “Believe in yourself, that you can do things, and speak up if you want something.”

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