Voice of Experience: Telle Whitney, CEO and President, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology

Telle_WhitneyBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“One of the most important things I’ve learned is how much the ability to influence the ideas of others is so important for your success,” began Dr. Telle Whitney, CEO and President of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology.

After earning her PhD in computer science, Dr. Whitney began her career in the Bay Area working in chip design. But it wasn’t long before she realized she had a passion for developing business, which led to her current role with ABI, influencing the world’s largest technology companies and helping women achieve their career aspirations.

“It’s not just about your ideas, but it’s about taking the rest of the world with you,” she explained.

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Voice of Experience: Sarah Sherber, Managing Director, Head of Securitized Products IT and Cross Product Operations Technology, Barclays Capital

SarahSherberBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

After spending almost 30 years working in technology, Sarah Sherber, Managing Director and Head of Securitized Products IT and Cross Product Operations Technology at Barclays Capital, has seen the industry change and grow. With a career that has brought her to almost every major financial services company, Sherber has managed to climb the corporate ladder and remain fascinated by her work.

Building a Career in Tech, from Star Wars to Dodd Frank

Sherber majored in computer science at the University of Michigan. “Reagan was president, and there was a big push into Star Wars,” she said with a laugh. “So I went to work for a defense contractor. One of my first jobs was writing software for F14s.”

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Voice of Experience: Linda Albornoz, Vice President, B2B Payment Solutions, American Express Technologies

lindaalbornozBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“With the entry of new technologies, and the ability to be accessible 24/7, the challenges of work-life balance exist for everybody, not just women,” began Linda Albornoz, Vice President of B2B Payment Solutions within the American Express Technologies group.

She continued, “The key is for individuals to set priorities and have clear goals. Your own boundaries have to be clear. There will be high stress times that arise when you’re needed more at work, and during those times, you have to monitor stress and create checkpoints.”

“This is also one reason why building great teams is so important. It ensures you don’t have to work 24/7,” she explained.

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Voice of Experience: Deborah Kaye, Managing Director and Senior Managing Counsel, Bank of New York Mellon

DeborahKayeBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Deborah Kaye, Managing Director and Senior Managing Counsel at the Bank of New York Mellon has spent her career focused on her goals and aiming for very high level of success – without taking no for an answer.

Kaye, who was also the founder of the Financial Women’s Association‘s legal and accounting committee said, “To quote Chief Justice Judith Kaye, for whom I used to work previously, women need to be ‘self-propellers.’ This means that women need to proactively ask for the next assignment, promotion, or opportunity and just go for it.”

She continued, “Regardless of your level, don’t believe anyone who says you can’t do something, or you shouldn’t try. Believe instead, you’re going to go for that… whether it’s Chief Justice, or head of a division. Strive to reach whatever goals you set for yourself.”

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Voice of Experience: Patricia Hammes, Partner, Project Development & Finance Group and Co-Head, Sustainable Development Group, Shearman & Sterling LLP

triciahammesBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

A deep interest in economic development originally led Patricia Hammes to a career in project finance law at global law firm Shearman & Sterling. But as sustainable development has become increasingly important from a business standpoint, Hammes has become a passionate leader of the firm’s work in this sector, with a particular focus on renewable energy resource development.

While Hammes, a partner in the firm’s Project Development & Finance Group and co-head of the Sustainable Development Group, says she finds the work personally rewarding, she is quick to drive home the business case for renewable energy, clean technology, and other related areas covered by the firm’s Sustainable Development practice.

“It’s going to be a fundamental part of our economy going forward, without a doubt, and on an international level,” she said. “This is a great fit for a firm like Shearman & Sterling and for my practice, which is global in nature and involved in cutting-edge transactional work.”

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Voice of Experience: Sonia Thimmiah, Director UKI Sustainability Practice, Accenture

SoniaThimmiahBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I work in a field where you can really make an impact in terms of society, the environment, and the economy,” began Sonia Thimmiah, Director in Accenture‘s UKI Sustainability Practice.

Thimmiah’s team works with large, blue chip companies to advise on strategy and implementation for how companies manage and deliver on environmental, social, and economic priorities. She continued, “We can see the impact. For example we advised an organization on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% reduction and can see how they are achieving that target year on year. It’s massively satisfying.”

“The advice we make leads to sustainable change, and I’m very proud of that,” she added.

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Voice of Experience: Sonja Barendregt-Roojers, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V.

sonja_barendregtBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Becoming a partner in a time frame when it was not common for women to join the partnership is one of my proudest professional experiences,” said Sonja Barendregt-Roojers, a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V. Barendregt-Roojers has, in fact, been with the firm since she was a teenager – beginning her career at one of PwC’s predecessor firms right after high school.

After graduating from Erasmus University Rotterdam and becoming a chartered accountant, Barendregt-Roojers stayed with the firm. After being named a partner in 1998, she became the Investment Management industry leader for the Netherlands and joined the European Investment Management Leadership team. In 2004, Barendregt-Roojers said she became chair of the Pension Funds industry group in the Netherlands and founded the International Pensions group.

As she has climbed the ladder at PwC, Barendregt-Roojers said one of the things she wishes she had learned earlier on was the differences in how men and women behave – inside and outside the workplace, “Men and women are different in certain ways. Because of my high school education, in a group with 30 boys and only 4 girls, I never noticed any difference, but in fact there are differences. Had I known them at that time, it could have given a boost to my career.”

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Voice of Experience: Laura Yunger, President, Cheevers & Co.

laurayungerBy Jessica Titlebaum (Chicago)

“I always think about how people get jobs in this industry,” said Laura Yunger, President of Cheevers & Company, Inc., a woman-owned brokerage firm founded in 1982. “Schools generally don’t have classes or programs specifically designed to teach you about trading or derivatives.”

Falling In

Like most of her colleagues, Yunger “fell in” to the financial industry. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Maryland, she initially had plans to move to Berkeley to study public health policy and nutrition. Her friend’s father had offered her a part time job at Rydex Investments, while she completed pre-requisite courses.

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Voice of Experience: Laura Liswood, Secretary General, Council of World Woman Leaders, and Senior Advisor, Goldman Sachs

lauraliswoodBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Try to speak out – have a voice,” advised Laura Liswood. “Claim your accomplishments, and ask for and know what you want.”

Liswood, now Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders and a Senior Advisor at Goldman Sachs, has built her career around improving diversity and bringing women leaders into light.

Making powerful women more visible, she explained, will help change presumptions around what a leader should look like.

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Voice of Experience: Cynthia Urda Kassis, Partner and Co-Head of Project Development & Finance Practice, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Urda Kassis CBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

It would be fair to say that Cynthia Urda Kassis, a Partner and Co-Head of the Project Development and Finance Practice at Shearman & Sterling LLP, is a bit of a globetrotter. In her work, which involves arranging financing for infrastructure projects all over the world, Urda Kassis sometimes participates on site visits to see first-hand the fruits of her labors.

“Young lawyers are always very excited about the chance to travel around the world,” she explained.
“In my work, it’s very important to learn about different legal systems – for example, what they prioritize and what structuring flexibility they allow.”

“And it is very interesting to travel – you get to see a lot of places. But it’s not typical sightseeing. I see a lot of offices, conference rooms, and airports – you don’t get to go on a lot of safaris.”

In a career that has made her one of the most highly sought-after project finance attorneys in the US, Urda Kassis tries to never lose sight of what attracted her to the law in the first place.

“The law is very diverse,” she explains. “There are a multitude of different subjects and practice areas within the law. I tell young lawyers all the time: find the area of law that really excites you and piques your interest.”

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