Voice of Experience: Stephanie Epstein, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, Global Marketing, BlackRock

by Cathie Ericson

Stephanie Epstein“Find a passion that you will get excited about every day,” recommends BlackRock’s Stephanie Epstein.

She finds that young professionals are often overly focused on job titles, rather than the job function itself. For example, she found herself debating between two choices—investment banking or consulting—so she focused on determining which activities she most enjoyed and was best at, such as problem-solving, which helped clarify her career goals. “Have an open mind as there are so many opportunities available today that allow you to be creative, whether it’s trading operations, technology or marketing,” she says.

A Career At One Firm, Marked By Different Roles

That advice has served her well over the course of her career. Epstein joined BlackRock, a leading global asset manager, in 2002, but thinks about her career in four distinct phases even though they were all at the same firm. She first joined the firm’s institutional client business, working mainly with U.S. pension plans, which she said afforded her the opportunity to really learn the ecosystem of asset management. Then from 2005 to 2010, she assumed a more operational role, assisting with efficiently integrating the different corporate acquisitions that BlackRock was making to build out its capabilities; it was then that she also learned the inner workings of Aladdin, BlackRock’s risk management technology.

Her third phase was as chief of staff to the president, where she led a team who managed business activities on behalf of BlackRock’s president, building out the role, as she says, “from a white sheet of paper.” It was during that time that she made a lasting impact on the firm’s culture, which she describes as its “secret sauce.” One effort she’s particularly proud of was instituting a firmwide rewards and recognition program that enters its sixth year this summer. The awards are designed to honor employees who embody the firm’s principles, recognizes those who foster an inclusive culture or are excellent people managers.

“It’s a chance to acknowledge amazing colleagues who are great examples of our culture,” Epstein says. “I am proud to see that it gets stronger every year.”

And her fourth and current role is as Chief Operating Officer for BlackRock’s global marketing department, where she is responsible for helping accelerate its transformation to be more data driven. “The marketing world today is so exciting; we are on a journey to articulate our purpose and embed it in everything we do, both externally and internally,” Epstein says.

“Externally, we are focused on helping more people experience financial well-being. From a marketing standpoint, we do that by creating different types of content that prioritize story-telling on a human level to present the empathic side of our brand. Then internally, we want to help our employees connect their strengths back to BlackRock’s purpose of helping others experience financial wellness,” she explains.

Epstein is fascinated by how brand voice can impact the business. Her team recently spearheaded the launch of a new brand identity that incorporates color, typography and tone that all work together to present what she calls a “category-busting look and feel.” While most financial services firms rely on blue tones, BlackRock’s new look breaks out of that mold and leans into black and warmer colors, like orange and yellow. In addition, they are using real people in their photography, which has resonated well and helped strengthen connections with clients, she says.

Paying it Forward to Increase Diversity

Epstein has been fortunate to have been surrounded by amazing women who have acted as role models and sponsors. Now she pays it forward by helping develop women in leadership roles.

One group that has been helpful to her is BlackRock’s Women’s Leadership Program, which helps high-performing women advance their careers. “It is specialized to women with aspirations to make a bigger impact, and it is tremendously helpful for the cohort of women who have been through it, both for sponsorship opportunities and for the ability to network.”

In addition, the Women’s Initiative Network, now in its 12th year, is one of the firm’s most sophisticated employee networks, and she notes another important diversity-related program called “LEAD,” for Leadership Excellence and Development, which is designed to help build out the company’s bench of diverse leaders.

“Many industries are tackling the issues of diversity and inclusion, and financial services is not immune to challenges, so it’s gratifying to help pave the way to further the advancement of women,” Epstein says.

/by

Voice of Experience: Karen Nelson, Partner, Katten

Karen NelsonPerspective is a wonderful thing, finds Katten’s Karen Nelson.

“It’s natural to get wrapped up in stressful aspects of deals, and as young lawyers, it’s easy to become overwrought when things aren’t going perfectly,” she said. “However an accumulation of experience helps you see that everything is resolvable, and we can work through it. It allows you to maintain that sense of calm and confidence that clients need.”

Relationships as the Core

Nelson has achieved this perspective throughout her career, which began in Chicago after she graduated from Northwestern University School of Law, relocating to Charlotte in 2006. A commercial real estate finance attorney, Nelson has been at Katten’s Charlotte office since 2012, where she has advised some of the largest commercial and investment banks, insurance companies and real estate investment trusts (REITs) across the country, leading large and complicated finance transactions on behalf of her clients. Nelson’s success stems from not only her diligence and business-savviness as an attorney and skillful practitioner in the real estate industry, but also her belief in the value of fostering relationships with her clients and getting to know their business as if they were her own.

In fact, those long and deep relationships represent the professional achievement she is most proud of. “The best part of my job is being fully integrated with these clients, in relationships I developed professionally and that have become personal as well, as we have worked together for more than a decade,” Nelson said. Her case load has continued to expand, and that is a continuing inspiration as she strives to further grow her practice.

Expanding Roles for Women

Both the firm as a whole and the Charlotte office of Katten are highly female-friendly, Nelson says, which has been helpful for her career. But what she’s found interesting and gratifying over the past decade is the increase in females throughout the industry—as clients and attorneys on the other side of deals. “It’s been noticeable, and now many deals might be driven completely by women, from in-house counsel to the attorneys on both sides. It’s been exciting to see that trend as more women populate the industry,” she said.

At Katten, Nelson has been active in the Women’s Leadership Forum where she leads a team in developing programs to assist female attorneys with defining, achieving and managing their career goals. She particularly enjoys participating in the annual events where members of the firm convene both for industry trainings and to build their exposure within the firm.

As part of the forum’s national mentoring panel, Nelson advises women attorneys on how to develop good business relationships, including connecting with others who are at their same level at client organizations, and shares her advice and experience regarding managing a family and a practice.

Nelson sees unending opportunity for young women attorneys, and advises them to trust their knowledge and capabilities, and not be hesitant to leave their comfort zone. “If you have ambition to grow your career, don’t be afraid to take a leap and see how it can bolster your trajectory,” she says.

As women progress, she says there is a natural pressure point once you’ve achieved the level you’ve strived for. “It can become even more important to search for that balance, as more is demanded of you as you move up the ladder,” she says. She recommends that women focus on even just taking a short break to walk outside and feel the sunshine and get re-energized before returning to a project. “Sometimes those five minutes can make all the difference,” she notes.

Nelson offers that advice from a place of experience. As a mother of two kids, ages six and eight, she devotes the majority of her time outside of work to them, while finding time to release stress through activities like climbing.

“It’s been very important for me to be at a place where I could have a meaningful, successful career and not miss out on life’s events. I strive to lead by example in my commitment to work-life balance and career development. Simply put, managing and expanding my practice while making sure that I have time for my growing family is my number one priority,” Nelson said.

/by

Voice of Experience: Terri L. Phillips, M.D., Vice President and Global Head of Medical Affairs at Merz

Terri Phillips featuredDr. Terri L. Phillips is a big believer in not limiting yourself in your career.

 “Don’t believe for a minute that any option isn’t open to you; understand your own career goals and identify the people who can provide guidance to get there. Be careful not to waver or let in fear that your goal is not possible, even if you don’t see someone like you in front of you who’s already doing it.”

Then as you move forward in establishing your career, earning promotions into the leadership ranks, she has learned it’s perfectly acceptable not to have every answer—and it’s actually even more important to surround yourself with good teams. “I believe that the team will always be better than an individual alone, so it’s important to have the courage to hire people who are smarter than you and build excellent teams.”

A Varied Career Offers a 360-Degree View

With almost 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a practicing physician since 1986, Dr. Phillips has had a breadth of experiences. Her career has spanned a broad range that includes pediatrics, neonatal and perinatal medicine; and she has also worked across academia, healthcare and corporate America, as well as spending 14 years in the Army Medical Corps.

Currently vice president and global head of medical affairs at Merz, Dr. Phillips is proud to be building a best-in-class medical affairs organization to grow aesthetic and neurotoxin markets worldwide. “The industry is entering a new era where there is an expectation for transparency, and there is a demand for more information and new ways of packaging and receiving it,” she says. And with that comes a new set of expectations and pressures on the industry since they have to be sure they are meeting providers and consumers where they need to be.

That’s why she maintains her focus on educating healthcare providers on their products, taking into account that the vehicles for education have changed significantly, as some medical professionals turn away from more traditional avenues, such as attending large medical conferences or reading journals.

When developing a treatment, it’s important to represent both the consumer and healthcare practitioner voice at every step, she says; first, to gain a better understanding from the consumer who will ultimately select the treatment of which features and attributes are appealing to them, and then focusing on how to educate and train practitioners to make it safe. “I would tell my younger self to spend more time with the customer to understand their needs and make sure we are meeting them,” she says.

Encouraging Women at All Levels

Women these days have a complicated juggle, Dr. Phillips acknowledges. The mother of four children herself, she knows firsthand the struggle of establishing your career while simultaneously giving your family what they need. However, she advises young women to look for women who model this balance successfully, and the more role models, the more possible it seems for others.

Whether it’s through informal networks on social media or making connections on LinkedIn, she recommends that younger professionals reach out to successful women they come across at meetings or other events to gain career knowledge and advice. “Young women can and have reached out to me, and I am always happy to share my “lessons learned,” she says.

That’s a responsibility she feels based on her own experiences. When she first was promoted to the executive ranks, she was the fifth female vice president, and none of the women she saw in front of her had families. Of course, that introduced questions of whether it’s possible, so she appreciates that today’s career women are changing the narrative and showing both younger women and their male counterparts that it’s beneficial to establish a more inclusive workforce and leadership team.

On that note, she thinks it’s important for women who have achieved career success to support one another, rather than viewing others as competition. “We have to dispel the myth that there are finite opportunities, and instead encourage the next generation of young women to see that there are plenty of seats at the table.” There is plenty of work to be done, she says, in achieving pay parity and establishing more representation on boards and at leadership levels. “Those who have achieved a level of stature have an obligation to reach back and bring others forward,” Dr. Phillips says.

Clearly, family has always been very important to her, and when she was not at work, Dr. Phillips’ time was spent with her husband and family. Now empty nesters—aside from a 15-year-old dog—she and her husband remain huge sports fans. She played sports all through high school and even wanted to be a basketball player. But, she adds, their “nest” won’t be empty of children for long (visiting anyway!) as they eagerly anticipate a granddaughter on the way.

/by

Voice of Experience: Carol Schleif, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Abbot Downing

by Cathie Ericson

Carol Schleif Building the right team entails all types of diversity, including cognitive diversity, says Carol Schleif.

“I want people who come from different experiences,” she says, noting that even if the team looks diverse on paper, they are looking at problems the same way if they all come from the same school, for example. She realized this when she recently enrolled in an MBA program and came to appreciate how everyone approaches business problems differently depending on their age and experience, which she has found to be a proof point for the importance of diversity of thought.

Recently, for example, she was working with a church budget committee when she realized that the majority were CFOs, yet she was the only one in finance, while the remainder were from social service. “I saw you needed these different skill sets to come to the best decisions,” she says.

Building A Career in Finance

In college, Schleif earned a dual degree in equestrian science and business as she had expected to be a horse trainer, but she found she enjoyed her business classes so much that she ended up pursuing that as her field. The economy was not on her side when she graduated in 1983, as it was “the pit of the 1983 recession,” as she describes it. However, she had the good fortune of starting as an administrative assistant in a small brokerage firm where she frequently interacted with the research department. When she relocated to Minnesota, she parlayed her fascination with the markets into a position as a junior analyst.

She subsequently earned her CFA Charter, then spent the next several years working for investment firms in research and analyst positions, ultimately running a research department and then becoming partner and investment principal at the predecessor firm to Abbot Downing.

Currently she focuses much of her attention on the firm’s forays into sustainable investing issues as well as immersing herself in both women and wealth and women in wealth.

Women And Wealth And Women In Wealth

Regarding women and wealth, she finds that in traditional relationships, often one partner is the breadwinner, while the other accomplishes the tasks that facilitate their lives. By default, though, that person—almost always the woman—doesn’t spend as much time thinking about the structure of their finances. Therefore when an emergency happens, such as a death, divorce or retirement, they are dealing not only with the accompanying emotional issues, but also financial issues. “At that point it can be too traumatic to handle so our goal is to get women involved earlier,” Schleif says.

To help with education, Abbot Downing has developed women’s forums for clients, featuring both internal and external speakers who highlight planning, family dynamics and culture and values. “It creates a great environment for women to learn from each other,” Schleif says.

The other side of the coin, women in wealth, relates to helping with career development.

Schleif has found that very few women come to the industry directly through business school so she is always wondering how best to get women interested in finance. Part of it, she says, could be a function of pop culture. “The fields of law and medicine have cool TV shows, but the entertainment industry typically serves up negative examples of finance, which I believe does a disservice to many women who would thrive in a career like this.”

In fact, she has found it to be positive for balancing work and life, noting that she had three kids in three years and was able to work throughout. “It’s an industry that’s conducive to leading a balanced life and also doing something impactful and important to society,” she says.

That’s a key reason that her professional accomplishment that stands out most is the mentoring and coaching she does while helping contribute to the culture of learning and development at the firm. For example, her boss encouraged her to start an asset management mentoring program, which they are in the third year of hosting, and she also sits on the board of CFA Minnesota, one of the largest local branches of the CFA Institute, where she leads the career development committee. The group is also focused on diversity and inclusion, with a “Changing Perceptions” program, and she has been attending regional meetings on panels and partnering with different entities on a Women in Wealth initiative.

She also works at the college level to get more women interested and champions internships for women through regional business clubs. “As a lifelong learner and advocate, it’s satisfying to help people find the skill sets they might not even know they have and connect them to a career that works for them,” Schleif says, adding that someday she may even end up working for some of them. “It awes me that people will come and ask my opinion,” she says. “I find the ability to turn around and ask good questions, as my best coaches have done, is preferable to just giving advice.”

Internally Schleif helps lead a monthly call on career perspectives. “I find it’s very impactful for those early in their careers to find mid-career professionals who will share tactical and practical advice to see their next step,” she says.

Her experiences have also showed her that there’s a place for everyone in an organization when you play to their strengths. For example, the tendency is to turn your top-producing sales person into a manager, but the skill sets are entirely different.

“Some people are idea generators; others want to take them and mold them so you have to coach them intentionally. That’s how you will assemble a top-performing team.”

/by

Voice of Experience: Kim Youngberg, General Counsel of Screenvision Media

Kim Youngberg says that one of the professional achievements she’s most proud of is that, having served as a guide through digital revolutions in the entertainment industry, she no longer fears change or the unknown.

Kim Youngberg But as impressive as that is, she can’t help but note another, possibly more fascinating, professional achievement—the cultural impact she made by getting her husband’s band, Lotion, on “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” for a pivotal episode in which Seth Green first turns into a werewolf.

Blending Her Love of Law With Entertainment

While she began her career in international litigation, an early layoff showed Youngberg that you never know what other, better opportunities are around the corner. “In retrospect, it was the best thing that could have happened to me,” she says.

At the time, she was living in the East Village among a creative group of musicians and managers who had lots of legal questions for her. Her interest in the music industry sparked, she joined noted music law firm Davis Shapiro. For just over six years, she worked with artists, publishers, managers, mixers, engineers and more, while also working for record labels, which allowed her to see both sides of the industry and learn more about different techniques and negotiations.

Eventually, she decided she needed more responsibility and moved to Wind-Up Records, an independent record label distributed by Sony, where she worked with bands such as Creed, Evanescence and Seether. She started in 2002 when the industry was on the cusp of the music technology revolution—MP3s and Napster were just coming along—and she rode out the transition from analog to digital during this exciting and interesting time.

Next came iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify and more, and while they were fascinating, pioneering concepts, it became harder to make money in the field as album sales diminished. She then joined Screenvision Media, a leading cinema advertising company, as general counsel overseeing all legal matters for the company.

Youngberg has thrived at Screenvision Media, due to the targeted nature of the product and the creativity that clients are afforded. They know that advertising at movie theatres is a safe, stable option, compared with the TV broadcast and online content worlds, and they know that moviegoers are there to be entertained and engaged. Once again, she has been able to help an industry transform from analog to digital, witnessing and participating in the transition as movie studios have stopped releasing movies on film and theaters have pivoted to broadband delivery.

Savvy Advice Propels Her Career—And Others

Youngberg has been fortunate to work with incredibly big personalities, all of whom made their mark on her and imparted advice she uses to this day. For example, she learned early on that “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar”—in other words, no one will do you any favors if you’re being a jerk. She also realized that earlier in her career, she was too focused on making sure she got everything exactly right, eventually realizing that not everything is going to come to fruition and it’s best to prioritize needs and wants.

Youngberg has also found networking to be invaluable to her career growth; looking back, she wishes she had nurtured her own network earlier, long before she needed it. Now she finds many opportunities to meet other professionals and build those connections, whether it is through continuing legal education events at the New York In-House Counsel Meetup Group or through groups like ChIPs, Women in Music and The Fourth Floor.

Over the years, she’s found that it’s easy for women to be characterized as “worker bees” rather than “rain-makers,” which can hold them back and inhibit the chance to advance. Because the entertainment industry can feel so male-dominated, Youngberg is active in women’s networking groups like the Women’s General Counsel Network, where people can give referrals and recommendations. She is also active in She Runs It, an advertising-related women’s networking group. As part of her mentoring and networking efforts, she encourages women to ask for more money and ensure they are being fairly compensated for the value they bring to their workplace. “I tell my daughters that if you don’t ask, you don’t get,” she says, noting that women in particular need to maximize their salaries during peak earning years.

With two girls in middle school, Youngberg has plenty of opportunity to serve as a role model. He girls are extremely athletic—they play volleyball and lacrosse and enjoy trapeze. The family is also part of the first class in a brand-new public middle school where, as founding co-secretary of the PTA, she helped the school get their lacrosse program up and running, establishing the second lacrosse program ever in Manhattan public schools.

These many avenues help Youngberg find the work/life balance she needs to keep all facets of her life running smoothly and to continue finding joy and meeting challenges in her professional and personal life.

/by

Nell Hutton, Partner, Securities Division, Goldman Sachs

Nell Hutton“Be passionate about your role and responsibilities – always apply yourself with energy, enthusiasm and commitment,” recommends Nell Hutton, a partner and head of the Securities Division franchise in Australia and New Zealand at Goldman Sachs.

A native Australian, Nell Hutton traveled to the UK to pursue postgraduate studies at Cambridge University. From there, she joined Goldman Sachs’ debt capital markets (DCM) team in London, where she aimed to infuse those three core traits – energy, enthusiasm and commitment – to her projects.

“I worked extremely hard in DCM, and during that time period I learned an incredible amount and received a lot of great client exposure,” said Hutton of her time working in bank capital transactions.

After several years in DCM, Hutton was in search of a new challenge and joined the derivatives corporate team, where she covered corporate clients from a risk and liability management perspective. From there, she transitioned to the Financing Group, supporting Nordic and Dutch clients in the derivatives space. “I really enjoyed my time working with these clients because I built strong relationships with them, and we developed some innovative financing and hedging solutions which really differentiated Goldman Sachs at the time.”

Leveraging Mobility Across Regions

After nearly a decade at Goldman Sachs in the UK, Hutton explored moving back to Australia. “In 2006, I began to talk with my managers about potentially transferring to a role in Sydney, so I could be closer to my family.”

Although she was moving more than 10,000 miles, Hutton was able to take on a similar role in Sydney, covering corporates, financial institutions and pension funds within the derivatives space. However, Hutton soon recognized differences between the London and Sydney offices: “As a vice president, I realized I was one of the few senior women in Australia, and I had to figure out how to reinvent myself and build a business – but I surprised myself by how quickly I was able to build relationships in the local market and translate my experience from Europe to bring innovative financing and hedging solutions to Australian and New Zealand clients.”

Navigating Parental Leave

After having her first child and taking 12 months of parental leave, Hutton experienced trepidation about returning to the office. “In the moment, I thought taking off so much time was a career-ending decision, but I really enjoyed the months I was able to spend with my daughter at home. Ultimately, I came back to work part-time, which my bosses in Sydney were very supportive of and in the long run I think that had limited impact on my career at GS.”

In 2009, Hutton had her second child, and again her managers were supportive of her coming back to the office on an initial part-time basis, which later morphed back to full-time given the exciting opportunities Hutton was offered in her role leading the derivatives business within the financing group.

Looking back, and after having her third child, she says: “I wish I had been more open-minded and had trust that I would have the firm’s support navigating these inflection points in my life.”

In addition, Hutton recommends that individuals considering parenthood keep in mind the following Lean In adage: “Don’t leave before you leave.” She cautions, “If you’re planning around potentially needing to take time out of the workforce, then you’re already making decisions that are holding back your career. Don’t worry about how you might navigate things in the future – assume you will find whatever balance you seek and focus on the present.”

Pursuing Opportunities for Growth

In 2014, Hutton was named head of Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Sales in Australia and New Zealand, overseeing more than 15 people. “We set about trying to grow our market share and find new business opportunities, and it was exciting to cover a broad client base.”

Today, Hutton is focused on growing the firm’s Securities Division in Australia and New Zealand and engaging more clients. “The firm has laid out a clear strategy, and in Australia we have the opportunity to grow wallet share in existing businesses, as well as new business lines.” Hutton cites the development of a corporate cash management business in-house, as well as opportunities to engage superannuation funds across the country, as clear areas of growth.

For young women focused on their own careers, Hutton stresses that when individuals are passionate about their role, “people notice and doors open.” She notes: “When those doors open, you have to overcome fears of failure, be agile and take risks to succeed. It’s not always easy, but if you can navigate the difficult times and learn from them, then you’ll come out with greater strength and resolve.”

A Full – and Joyful – Life Outside of the Office

“When you work at Goldman Sachs and have three young kids, life is full but it is also joyful,” says Hutton. She notes that “family time is incredibly special” to her, and she loves reading to her children each night. “I’ve had the chance to go back and read with my children all the books I loved growing up – those moments are precious.”

/by

Voice of Experience: Michelle Nyberg, Vice President, Services Division, Goldman Sachs

Michelle NybergIn our final profile covering Pride voices this June, Michelle Nyberg comments on the importance of diversity, her role as co-head of Australia & New Zealand affinity network Gays, Lesbians and Mates, and managing Australia and New Zealand’s Services footprint.

“Diversity is an asset and a valuable contribution to a large organization such as Goldman Sachs,” notes Michelle Nyberg, a vice president in the Services Division at Goldman Sachs’ Sydney office. “Junior women should not be swayed by misconceptions that the financial services industry is searching for ‘cookie-cutter’ candidates – it’s important to be yourself because everyone brings something new and different to the table.”

Over the course of her 16-year career at Goldman Sachs, Nyberg has sought to share her own unique views during a tenure that has spanned both the Operations and Services divisions. In 1997, Nyberg joined the Operations Division in Melbourne as an analyst. During that time period she worked for JBWere, an Australian and New Zealand stock brokerage firm that later formed a joint venture with Goldman Sachs and was fully acquired by the firm in 2011. Within six months, her manager was reassigned, and she took the initiative to express her interest in a leadership role.

“I didn’t have any experience managing a team, but I raised my hand to lead the team for a period of six months – to my surprise my request was approved,” says Nyberg. “What I learned through that experience is if you’re prepared to work hard and take risks, people will support you and provide you with new opportunities.”

Providing the Best Work Experience and Environment for Colleagues

Nyberg, who went on to lead the Operations team in Sydney before moving to the Services Division, then transitioned to overseeing a range of projects, including the JBWere integration and the renewal of the firm’s corporate leases in Sydney and Melbourne. “The opportunity to renew corporate leases for a firm like Goldman Sachs only occurs about every 10 years,” notes Nyberg. “I feel lucky to have been involved in such a complex project that affects our people’s day-to-day experience.”

Today, Nyberg’s role has expanded further and she is involved in evaluating and enhancing the region’s environmental, social and governance framework to support responsible operational practices and supply chain while increasing building efficiencies. This is in addition to real estate-related projects, such as providing Goldman Sachs people with modern workspaces. “My team is making tangible changes in people’s work environment, while fostering a culture of risk management to adjust business practices and driving commerciality, and it’s really exciting to lead these efforts,” says Nyberg. “Our division’s mission statement is to create the world’s best work experience and environment for the people of Goldman Sachs. I take that to heart and approach all my projects with that mindset.”

Furthering Diversity and Inclusion in Australia & New Zealand

In addition to managing the firm’s Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) real estate footprint and corporate services, Nyberg has served for the past eight years as co-head of the Gays, Lesbians and Mates (GLaM) affinity network in ANZ, which brings together members and allies of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community.

As co-head, Nyberg has overseen the growth of the network to include 55 percent of Goldman Sachs’ ANZ people, helped provide leadership with tools to develop inclusive teams, offered training for LGBTI allies and reverse mentoring and organized numerous educational external speaker sessions featuring individuals in the LGBTI community, including Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe. Nyberg notes that she is not afraid to push the boundaries to ensure challenging topics are discussed in order to educate Goldman Sachs people in ANZ, and says that one of her proudest professional achievements has been “seeing GLaM grow by fostering a sense of community for members and allies of the LGBTI community.” She also notes that Goldman Sachs’ receipt of the 2014 “Employer of the Year” award in the Australian Workplace Equality Index Awards was another exciting moment.

To that end, this year Nyberg was nominated for the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards “Network Leader of the Year” by senior leaders in Australia in recognition for her leadership of GLaM. “It was a big honor to be nominated for this award,” says Nyberg. “As someone who was not out at the office for more than a decade, I know how important it is to bring your whole self to work to perform your best.”

She notes that she was initially inspired to come out to her colleagues after attending a firmwide townhall that celebrated the launch of Goldman Sachs’ diversity program in ANZ. During the event a video was played featuring a female managing director in the Securities Division, who was openly gay at work. Nyberg ultimately connected with her over coffee, and as a result of their conversation says: “I felt comfortable enough to come out in the workplace however, there is still more work to be done. Today, I aim to serve as a role model and be accessible to folks across the firm as they navigate their own journey.”

Outside of the Office

Outside of the office, Nyberg enjoys wine tasting, and has installed a wine cellar in her basement. In addition, she loves to be active, making every effort to carve out time throughout the week to visit the gym. Nyberg, who recently married her partner of 15 years – after Australia allowed same sex marriage –is looking forward to honeymooning in Italy and Croatia this summer with her wife.

/by

Voice of Experience: Margie Archer, Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors

When Margie Archer attended the Wells Fargo Advisors Women’s Summit the first year she joined the firm, she watched in delight as the Spirit Award winner Marcia Tillotson, a branch manager in Charlotte, brought out her family, including her female partner.

Margie Archer “That just reinforced to me that I was in the right place,” Archer says. “I met her later, and she instilled in me the importance of being authentic.”

Building a Career on Advice—And Finding a Niche Serving LGBTQ+ Needs

Archer began her career at a regional firm and then moved to Smith Barney for 18 years. At that point she decided to move into a firm that she believed was more focused on planning, and found Wells Fargo Advisors to be a good fit, both professionally and personally. “I’ve been here 10 years and hope to stay here for many more,” she says.
A problem solver by nature, Archer joined the business to help people, but she’s learned that her financial background is not enough; it’s also crucial to be a good listener and know the right questions to ask.

“It comes down to knowing your clients and helping them achieve their goals and dreams,” Archer says. For example, with a quarter of her high-net-worth clients identifying as LGBTQ+, she focuses on creating strategies customized to the financial challenges of this underserved segment.

On that note, she worked with Wells Fargo Advisors to develop a certification called Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor℠ (ADPA®). The firm partnered with the College of Financial Planning® to launch the program, which certified advisors who wanted to work with the community of LGBTQ+ clients to offer advice on topics such as beneficiary designations, trusts and more. While the marriage equality act helped level the playing field, Margie has continued her commitment to offering special guidance to LGBTQ+ clients as many issues specific to this segment persist.
Among the outreach and support, Wells Fargo Advisors offers regional roundtables and summits that allow its financial advisors to connect and share best practices, as well as bring in speakers to update advisors on the legal landscape, family planning or any issue that’s on an LGBTQ+ client’s mind.

“The firm does so much research on this topic, which I am fortunate to have access to, and while I work to understand needs across the board with all my clients, I am in a unique position for this segment, based on this commitment Wells Fargo Advisors has,” Archer says.

She uses her experience to speak at conferences and publish on the issue and has helped create a seminar about what to consider before you say “I do.” And she is passionate about helping financial advisors learn how to better communicate with LGBTQ+ clients.

Promoting Diversity in All Ways

Helping LGBTQ+ clients is not the only area where Archer is involved in diversity. She is excited about what the firm is doing to show that solving for this issue is not a “nice to have,” but a “must have.” And that is true for clients, too; as women are inheriting money in a huge wave, it’s important to see more women in the industry, given that the numbers haven’t changed significantly over two decades. Wells Fargo Advisors has been devoted to being a leader with its NextGen Talent program, which has strong diversity in age, gender and ethnicity. “This speaks volumes to the firm’s commitment,” Archer notes.

She wants young women to understand what an excellent career it can be, and says she wishes she had been more confident early on that women could excel as advisors. “Women want career paths that can be more autonomous, so it’s important to create a way for them to see the way forward,” she says. “There is so much opportunity, and while a financial background can be important, what this job entails is listening, and women shine at that. It also allows you to reap the benefits of flexibility as you juggle other responsibilities,” she notes.

Archer particularly sees doors opening for women as advisors as the field shifts from investment management to investment planning, which she believes makes excellent use of women’s skillsets.

Finding Time for Herself

A former college tennis player, Archer still loves a good match and also plays golf. With two dogs of her own, she says she will rescue any animal on the planet, but believes they rescued her with their unconditional love. She also loves to travel and has a big map in her office where she marks each new destination with a pin. She has an upcoming trip planned to Africa to help build wells which will provide clean water for towns without, which she predicts will be life-changing for herself as well.

Closer to home, Archer finds she gets some of her best ideas from visiting the mountains, hiking and recharging. “The business is rewarding but can be tough, and you’re always on, so you have to take care of yourself.”

/by

Voice of Experience: Noriko Umeki, Partner, PwC Japan

Noriko Umekiby Cathie Ericson

When reflecting on her career, Noriko Umeki wishes she had known earlier the importance of communication, as well as using personal marketing to further her endeavors.

“One day I realized that I wouldn’t be evaluated highly just because I was working on the job in front of me. People who get chances for better positions display a high level of interpersonal abilities so it’s important to expand your network both inside and outside the company by letting people know about you,” she says.

“Each one of us has to seize our opportunities, and in Japan, women are less aware about this concept unfortunately.” However, she adds, over the past years, there have been small but significant strides with the ratio of female managers gradually improving from 2% when she started her career to 12% in Japan.

Increasing Her Profile at PwC and in the Accountant Community

Umeki started her career at PwC as a Japanese Certified Public Accountant (JCPA) and has engaged in accounting services for the past 25 years, becoming a partner in 2009. Her experience in audit services includes both Japanese and foreign companies in the financial service, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries.
As an ally, Umeki voluntarily became involved in Diversity & Inclusion activities for PwC Japan Group when she became a partner. In the past decade, she has expanded the firm’s D&I activities, improving D&I awareness and cultivating an inclusive culture at PwC Japan. She considers this an important achievement, given that the World Economic Forum has ranked Japan as 110th in the 2018 Gender Gap Report, highlighting that this issue is an ongoing challenge for Japanese companies.

To that end she has focused on producing female leaders, fostering female juniors and promoting support for LGBT+ members at PwC Japan.

In addition to her work with PwC, Umeki has assumed the post of director at Japan Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA) this coming summer. “I am getting very excited to work on whatever I can do to contribute to development of JICPA,” she says. “The job of experts in accounting should be of social significance, and I would very much like to appeal to society so that young brilliant people will know the attractiveness of J-CPAs and be willing to join us.” And, she says, that will include encouraging young female accountants to join the industry, given that the percentage of female J-CPAs is still very low—at only around 20% in Japan.

An Appealing Career

Umeki believes it’s important for young female professionals to realize that they can successfully continue an accounting career through lots of life events.

“One of the attractions in this profession is that we are able to enhance our value through work and to differentiate ourselves from others since we are required to have a deep knowledge and wide experience,” Umeki says. She recommends that women seek their own leadership style and find the work/life balance that works for them.

Sometimes she sees Japanese women hesitating to take higher positions, yet she notices that many males are becoming increasingly supportive. “We females should change our own awareness and try anything when we are given the opportunity, finding the courage to take the next step,” she says.

Fostering a More Inclusive Culture

The biggest value Umeki has received in becoming an ally for the LGBT+ community is that her perspective has become much wider. “I remember being deeply shocked when I realized that I myself, as a woman, had been discriminating against other minorities unconsciously,” she says. “I was astonished to realize how many people are bound by old stereotypes and customs, but after becoming an ally, I have come to think more about the true nature of the situation. Putting myself in somebody’s shoes is very helpful in my career, as well as in my private life,” Umeki says.

She urges others to deepen their understanding about the LGBT+ community by attending related events or seminars, which will bring D&I issues to light and encourage personal action.

Among some of the advances that have been taken by PwC Japan Group to foster an inclusive culture are establishing an internal network for LGBT+ colleagues and allies. “When companies provide a safe environment, people are able to fulfill their potential to be their best since they will feel safe to be accepted as they are. “ And, Umeki notes, it can help companies attract and retain talented personnel.

She recommends that companies make a point to create that inclusive culture, but also to establish the same benefits for LGBT+ couples as for same-sex marriage, even though Japan does not yet have the necessary legal system.

Trying One New Thing Every Year

Since turning 40, Umeki has made a policy to try one new thing every year; among the new activities she has tried are fishing, yoga, boxing, calligraphy and golf, and she plans to use her accounting acumen to add activities that contribute to issues on women and society.

“I believe that it is never too late to start something when we are supposed to live for 100 years,” she notes.

And although she already cites her most important personal achievement as becoming partner at PwC while raising her two children without suspending her career, she says that from now on, she intends to pursue her career and private life in her own way. “I will enjoy life more,” she says.

/by

Voice of Experience: Diane Bell, Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Diane BellEqual treatment as an LGBTQ professional has always been important to Diane Bell—and she has found that at Katten.

For example, she initially hesitated to bring her partner to firm events as she got to know the culture, but after several months, a more senior manager inquired as to why she didn’t bring her. “It was eye-opening to see that it was far more than acceptance that they were offering, in that they were almost offended I wasn’t bringing my partner, as though I wasn’t proud of the firm,” Bell said. And she has seen that culture embrace diversity throughout her tenure there.

Relationship Building Drives Career Satisfaction

Although Bell has been with Katten for 13 years, she originally joined a smaller firm right out of law school, selecting it due to its culture and people. However, after the tech bubble burst, she realized that the corporate group she had joined was going to be slow to recover, so she decided to look into another firm that would allow her to develop her skill set. She found a great opportunity in Katten’s Corporate practice, where she has honed her skills doing the challenging work of private company mergers and acquisitions, while delighting in the wonderful people she’s met along the way. “I’m really happy with the kind of lawyer I’ve turned out to be,” she says.

Bell values the firm’s emphasis on building relationships with their clients noting two transactions that have been particularly meaningful. In one, near the beginning of her time at Katten, she helped a small business owner, who immigrated with the proverbial “$20 in his pocket,” sell the wildly successful business he eventually built and receive the most appealing terms possible. “As a more junior member of the team, I got to know him and his wife well, and it was incredibly rewarding to act as a counselor for them,” Bell says. “When we got confirmation that the payment hit their account, they hugged each other, then bear-hugged me.”

Her second memorable moment involved another family-owned business that had gotten a valuation for estate planning purposes and were blown away by its size, leading them to consider an exit strategy much earlier than they expected. They initially decided to use a broker who didn’t seem up to the job. Bell felt that they could do better, and get a better price, with another broker, and the broker that Katten introduced the family to ultimately put together a package that led the business to realize almost twice what they had initially hoped for. “It was very rewarding to help guide this wonderful family through what to them was a very confusing process,” Bell says.

Being Open Pays Dividends

Bell always recommends that younger associates find senior attorneys willing to act as sponsors. She, for example, feels fortunate that the former managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office, who now serves as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, took it upon himself to actively look out for newer professionals during the lean years of the recession—and in fact, she says it’s due to him she is still there. “You need those people up the food chain looking out for you,” she notes.

From the beginning of her career journey, Bell has made a conscious effort to be transparent about her orientation. “I thought that if potential employers weren’t accepting, then I didn’t even want to start down the road with them,” she said. For example, she noted on her resume that she interned at Lambda Legal, an organization that focuses civil rights impact litigation to benefit the LGBT community and individuals living with HIV impact while in law school.

In fact, Bell says that trying to conform in any way that’s against your authentic personality can be a hindrance to your career. She has found that as she let her true self shine through to her coworkers, she got along far better and gained more respect. Even more importantly, she says, she no longer had to expend the emotional energy on trying to be someone she wasn’t. “It frees up so much bandwidth to not try to assimilate into what I thought that the associate mold was supposed to be, which was against my character in a number of ways,” she said.

As co-founder of Katten’s LGBT Coalition, Bell says its purpose has morphed over time; it first was formed to ensure LGBT attorneys were on an equal playing field with respect to employee benefits and insurance coverage—that her wife, for example, would be recognized as family and receive the same benefits offered to spouses. When grappling with issues like this, she has found that at Katten typically it only requires explaining the concern before the issue is addressed. “If people don’t understand that there is a problem, they won’t know it needs to be fixed,” she said.

Over the years as marriage equality resolved many of those types of issues, the coalition now focuses on other aspects such as recruiting and retention of LGBT attorneys and organizing the firm’s biennial LGBT Attorney Retreats, which takes place in Philadelphia this coming year.

Away from the office, Bell enjoys spending time with her family; she has been with her wife almost 20 years, and they have two children, ages 9 and 1-1/2.

And she continues her work with civil rights organization Lambda Legal as a member of the board of directors. “Katten has played an important role in helping support this work financially and also allowing me time to travel for my duties,” she says.

/by