Voice of Experience: Becky Lindahl, Head of Litigation, Charlotte, N.C.; Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Rebecca LindahlAs a junior associate, Becky Lindahl says it took her a while to learn to stress less and recognize that building her practice was a long-term process, more particularly when it came to new business.

Only through experience did she come to realize that it was unrealistic to expect a young lawyer, fresh out of law school, to deliver solid business prospects. It turns out that some of the steps she was taking were the right ones and they ultimately put her on a path to success: making contacts in-house and keeping in touch with peers at law firms.

Now, Lindahl encourages younger associates to first focus on getting basic core skills, such as writing and reviewing and analyzing documents, down pat. “I see how they want to advise clients right away, and I can sense the frustration when they don’t have the opportunity to immediately sit in the first, or even the second, chair,” she says. “But the only way you learn is through mastering the fundamentals and observing senior attorneys to gain the experience you need. Eventually it all clicks.”

Earning Litigation Credibility

That savvy advice comes from experience and is the foundation for Lindahl’s impressive career rise. After joining Katten as a summer associate in 2005, she became a full-time associate following her graduation from Wake Forest University School of Law and federal clerkship. She was elevated to income partner in August 2014 and became Charlotte’s litigation head in January 2018.

Over the years, she has amassed numerous successes. One of her most notable was the first major case she managed from start to finish as lead counsel in a four-week federal jury trial during the summer of 2017 in Greensboro, N.C., representing a leading manufacturer and innovator in LED lighting technology. Under Lindahl’s leadership, with tens of millions of dollars in damages on the line, she scored a courtroom victory when the jury sided with her client on every issue.

“While the case was obviously high-stakes for the client financially, it also had great reputational risks and industry-wide concerns, so it was incredibly satisfying to lead the team to success,” Lindahl says. She found an affinity for bigger impact litigation and is currently lead counsel in two other similarly high-stakes lawsuits within the industry.

Concerning industry trends, Lindahl is concerned with balancing the risks and rewards of technology-assisted and automated discovery, which is becoming more prevalent in litigation. As she notes, automation of operations and services can lower costs for firms and increase efficiency. However, she also sees potential challenges in relying too much on innovating tools for tasks and processes when diving deep into cases, particularly in cases that may reach a jury. For example, lawyers might spot patterns in emails that emerging technology could miss, such as a meeting place that pops up regularly and corroborates timing of key events. “We have to be smart about managing litigation in a way that’s cost-sensitive and effective, and when you are preparing for a high-stakes trial, there is no substitute for having a comprehensive knowledge of the details of critical documents,” Lindahl says.

Advocates at Home and Work Help Bring Balance

Lindahl brings that same measured vision to her own work/life blend. With little control over your schedule in federal court, the unpredictability can be challenging for trial lawyers who are also trying to manage a family.

An understanding firm culture can help. For example, she says that she trusts her Charlotte associates to appropriately prioritize client needs and works with her associates on a one-on-one basis to provide necessary flexibility to accomplish that goal.

For her, having an understanding spouse is vital, and she encourages women who are starting in the industry to consider the importance of surrounding themselves with compassionate people in their corner. “The job is hard enough as it is, but it would be impossible to sustain without a supportive partner, if you choose to have one,” Lindahl said.

While some women have struggled over having a perfect balance or being able to “do it all,” she appreciates advice she received early in her career from a fellow female attorney at Katten who suggested she be kinder to herself and give herself some grace when things are challenging either at work or home.

Now, Lindahl passes on that same philosophy to younger associates in her current role as the Charlotte co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Leadership Forum. The group offers a national mentoring panel where senior women serve as mentors to younger women, whether for practice- or career-related topics or even personal issues.

For example, before Lindahl and her husband adopted their daughter, they went through years of infertility treatments. She said she appreciated how generous women at the firm were with their advice as she balanced the rigors of the time commitment, and that the firm’s benefits provided insurance coverage for the expensive treatments. When the couple made the decision to adopt a child, Lindahl reached out to another attorney to talk about the adoption process and managing parental leave on the short notice at which adoption sometimes occurs, and now offers her insight to women facing similar scenarios and seeking advice.

Today, she is mom to a 13-month-old daughter.

Lindahl is committed to variety of causes and sits on the board of directors for Safe Alliance, which provides wraparound support services for victims of domestic assault and sexual assault.

As an avid sports fan, she is looking forward to moving her family to Charlotte’s center city, within walking distance of the Spectrum Center, home to the NBA’s Hornets and other entertainment acts.

“There is no perfect balance between work and home, but I have had some success managing my practice and family by simply focusing on the most important task—whether client or family-related—before me at any given time,” Lindahl says.

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Voice of Experience: Diane Ramirez, Chairman and CEO of Halstead

Diane Ramirez 1You have to have trust in your intuition; it can be easy to listen to all the buzz around you, but paying attention to your inner self will always lead you down the correct path, says Diane Ramirez.

As chairman and CEO of real estate firm Halstead, she knows that it takes an entrepreneurial bent to be successful in the business. “You’re not going to sit back and have someone guide you—you have to own who you are going to be, and it can be easy to forget that,” she says. But those who understand the business side of real estate will find themselves successful.

The Ideal Time for Each Step of Her Career

Ramirez came to this success via a path and timeline different from most women. While she started her career in marketing and advertising, she had two children quickly, and her focus turned to being a wife and mom for her young family. As she notes, most women tend to delay a family, which means they are often at the pinnacle of their careers and have to downshift, but hers was the opposite.

That’s because it wasn’t long until Ramirez realized she wanted and needed the passion that a career provided, and she found she was attracted to the entrepreneurial pace of real estate.

When her kids were in elementary school, she started as an agent, and as they got older and needed less hands-on attention, she was able to devote increasingly more time to building her career, eventually opening her own firm.

She started with a vision of three offices, and since then it has continued to grow to 36 offices in three states and more than 1,400 agents. But while the growth has been extraordinary, the professional achievement Ramirez is most proud of is that they are known for their culture, which while not easy to maintain throughout the growth, has been crucial to their success.

A Place To Belong

The firm underwent a rebranding last year, and she has been delighted to see that both her customer base, and, more importantly, the agents, have embraced it. One of their signature perks is access to a tailor who helps them procure a high-quality professional, yet affordable, wardrobe. The company included the new logo as the lining in the overcoats it designed and Ramirez has been happy to see that the agents are so proud of it that they’ll give a peek to a fellow agent, much like a secret handshake. The rebranding also included regional colors, which have also been well-received—in fact, she said that it has been gratifying to see each region’s agents believe they have the best colors.

Another important upgrade they’ve completed recently is a substantial technology initiative that has made it easier for agents to be more productive and keep up with advances that are important to their clients.

Ramirez finds real estate to be a fantastic field for women because of the flexibility it offers, but she also underscores that they need to realize that it can also be a 24/7 business, which is why it’s crucial to have support at home.

As she sees more women enter the industry, she encourages them to embrace fellow colleagues and be willing to share knowledge, with men and women alike. “The more we share, the more it will come back to you,” Ramirez says, adding that it’s important to remember that you’re not necessarily competing against each other for the same property, but rather competing to succeed in the business.

She finds that women frequently say they are excited to work for a woman. “It makes me really proud that they are looking for the support of someone who’s been there,” Ramirez says. And, she adds, not by design as her only goal was to seek the best talent, but her executive staff is half women and half men.

Family has always been important to Ramirez, and she makes certain that whatever part of her day she’s in, she is 100 percent present. “They know they can call me if they need something, but work is work, and then family time is family time,” she says. “That has always served me well because you can’t be both places at once or both will suffer. You have to find the ‘soft barrier’ between the two to make sure that everyone is taken care of at the right time.”

An avid traveler, she goes on trips with her family as much as she can and just took her children and grandchildren ages 11 to 21 on a safari that she says was “pure magic.” And while that was a marquee adventure, she makes the time to do frequent relaxing vacations so they can spend ample quality time together.

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Voice of Experience: Satyavati Berera, Chief Operating Office, PwC, India

Satyavati Berera“As you join the profession, don’t lose sight of your ambition—continue to plan for growth and upskilling to stay relevant—but remember to keep a view to long-term goals and balance professional and personal needs to avoid burn out,” says Satyavati Berera, COO of PwC in India.

“There will be times when something will have to take precedence and something else might take a backseat, but that’s natural and expected.”

Making Her Mark

Berera joined PwC more than three decades ago as an intern after graduating from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. During her tenure, she’s had the opportunity to work in a wide variety of positions as she built her career trajectory, from her first role as an auditor, then moving to Risk Advisory, becoming Managing Partner for North in 2011, Consulting Leader for PwC India in 2013 and eventually taking up the COO position in 2016.

She takes pride in several milestones as she made the most of the multiple opportunities offered by the firm, assuming various roles that enriched her professional journey. But of course, nothing surpasses the fulfillment she feels in the honor of being the first woman partner in 100 years in the Audit practice of the India firm (then Price Waterhouse) and subsequently becoming the first woman COO in Big 4 in India in 2016.

Currently she is leading the transformation agenda for the firm, working to increase collaboration among its people and with the network, and spearheading programs to meet the expectations of a younger than ever workforce. “As COO, to be in the center of all these changes is frankly very exciting,” Berera says. “It’s a thrilling opportunity to lead these initiatives to drive meaningful change and help break barriers to make PwC and our people more future-ready.”

And she notes, she personally has benefited from a great deal of learning, both in this role and throughout her career. Berera also embraces her role as a change agent as the firm continues to enmesh technology and digital strategies, making it central to everything they do.

Berera says that “Today clients are increasingly looking to firms to provide specialized integrated offerings, where they take more than one competency to the client, thus providing holistic solutions to larger business problems. Technology is no longer the solution only to a CEO’s technology problem, it is at the centre of their business strategy. Therefore, we have to create an ecosystem for our people to really think like that.” Encouraging innovation and improving digital acumen of its people is firmly rooted in the firm’s strategy and Berera is committed to making it a success.

Continuing to Create Equal Opportunities

Success paths for women continue to be an issue throughout most organizations in India, which largely lacks an enabling culture for women in the middle to senior management areas. While all firms are working to establish programs and initiatives that address the void, she believes the country is a few years behind. “The sponsorship opportunities for women and custom development programs are still not enough, given the demands of their personal lives,” Berera says. “We still lose women in the mid- to senior-management levels because of personal needs, and it is unfortunate that we’ve not been able to plug this leak.”

But as she notes, PwC is a leader in this arena, having pioneered a number of initiatives to help support the advancement and retention of women. Some of the most noteworthy ones include a generous sabbatical policy and the “full-circle” program, which allows women employees to take a break for family reasons or to pursue other dreams, and then later re-join the firm. Additionally, high-performing employees can retain their last year’s rating if they have worked for significantly less time during a performance year due to a leave of absence or extended leave for maternity or other personal needs.

The firm is also proud to support mentoring programs for women at the manager level and above, where they can spend time with senior leadership, which can provide a boost to their career development journey. Other small, yet very powerful, actions include providing flexibility to women employees to address challenges that arise from working at home or reduced hours, as well as additional support for expectant mothers in the last trimester.

Finding Balance in Her Own Life

Berera prioritizes spending time with her husband and son. They all love to travel, which helps them de-stress, and wellness is important to her, so she starts each day with yoga.

She also likes to spend time organic farming on a small piece of land about 45 minutes from her home, where she grows seasonal flowers and produce.

“It’s a very soothing experience, as it teaches you to be calm, patient and to stay invested for the long term,” Berera says, adding that farming has also taught her to appreciate that success is not always predicted solely by the effort you put in. “Sometimes outcomes are beyond your control, due to factors like environmental conditions. You learn to take it in stride and move ahead.”

And of course, that philosophy bears fruit for all aspects of life.

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Voice of Experience: Lily Chinn, Managing Partner, San Francisco Bay Area, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Chinn Lily“I recommend any young professional have a plan, but be open to unforeseen opportunities and pivot as needed,” says Katten Partner Lily Chinn.
A Sharp Learning Curve Promotes Experience

That belief has shaped her own career, which started in an atypical fashion compared to most law firm attorneys, as she worked for the Department of Justice in Washington, DC after graduating from law school at UCLA. Chinn found her federal government experience to be exceedingly useful and informative in her approach to law because of the responsibility of immediately handling her own cases. In fact, it’s a path she would recommend to any ambitious attorney, as an ideal way to earn hands-on experience, particularly for future litigators.

One key to success is feeling confident enough to ask for help—which she says is excellent advice for any young associate, but was particularly crucial at the DOJ. She was able to build relationships by asking questions of various senior attorneys while learning about career opportunities she would have otherwise missed if she did not have these conversations.

Chinn also advises all young attorneys to take control of their professional development, whether at a law firm that has an established program or more importantly at a government agency that does not. Proactively initiating contact in areas that interested her—such volunteering for cases going to trial and seeking work in the DOJ computer crime division—helped propel her career, and allowed her to gain essential experience that led to her next position at an environmental boutique law firm in Washington, DC, where she was named a partner.

Chinn later moved back to California with that firm and began concentrating on criminal enforcement, which ultimately attracted her to Katten’s Environmental Workplace Safety Group as it is one of the premier white collar environmental crime practices in the country.

Play to Your Diversity Strengths

Mentors can play an important role in a career trajectory, and Chinn recommends that all young professionals find someone who can provide inspiration and guidance, but she also stresses that you should continue to seek out different mentors throughout your career.

“As you become more senior and experienced, you still need to continue to find mentors and support so you can keep growing,” she says.

Chinn also recommends finding peer groups that will support your goals. She stays active in organizations like the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), which she finds can be extremely important to the career of diverse professionals. “You need to create your own network, so find groups that support what makes you unique and different and build your profile there.”

At Katten, she has worked with the Chief Diversity Partner to strengthen firm ties with similar groups focused on improving diversity in the legal profession, including providing networking and speaking opportunities for diverse attorneys. For example, the firm is active in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), which was started by a group of corporate chief legal officers and law firm partners to help diverse high potential attorneys succeed. Chinn was part of the second class of LCLD Fellows, which is now in its eighth year.

Make Work/Life Balance A Key Goal

Creating time for yourself and your family are all critical for career longevity, Chinn says, since being a lawyer can be a demanding and all-consuming profession.

That’s one of the reasons she urges fellow attorneys to choose colleagues whose company will help enhance their quality of life, a factor that she recommends keeping in mind when interviewing for positions. “It’s important to work with people whom you respect and with whom you will enjoy working during the grueling hours that legal cases often require.”

Some behind-the-scenes intelligence gathering with those who know the culture at a new law firm or agency can confirm you’re making the right choice in a workplace. “It’s easy to overlook when you consider other aspects of the job, but I’ve found that your team is actually one of the most important elements in the long run,” Chinn says.

Chinn has been pleased with the culture at Katten, and her satisfaction has been magnified by a close working relationship with a good friend who joined Katten with her. “Having someone you can rely on—who has your back—can be an important component of a successful career,” she says, adding that this type of collaboration can also promote work/life balance on a daily basis, especially when they can provide cover when you need to be out of the office.

While Chinn has helped her corporate clients achieve ongoing success, one of her proudest professional achievements involved a pro bono case where she was able to help a woman who was a victim of domestic abuse. The resolution of that case allowed Chinn to see the life-changing difference she helped make. That experience led Chinn to get involved with groups such as Elevated Legacy, a nonprofit that teaches urban youth leadership skills through sports, where she sits on the board.

“Through my day-to-day work, as well as my pro bono work, I always seek opportunities that support diversity, which is a value I hold dear.”

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Voice of Experience: Jennifer Signori, Senior Vice President, Neuberger Berman

Jennifer Signori
You can’t plan every detail of your career, says Jennifer Signori.

“When I first started, I thought I had my future all mapped out, but you realize over time that there will be twists and turns, and you sometimes have to take a step back to make a leap forward,” she says. And many times, that might entail finding yourself working in an industry that didn’t even exist five years prior, so the ability to be open-minded and flexible is crucial. Case in point….impact investing.

Finding Opportunities at the Forefront of a New Industry

Signori began her career in investment banking at J.P. Morgan right out of university. For her, it was the ideal place to start a career, as she was able to learn an important set of fundamental training and tools, from credit analysis to financial modeling, which subsequently opened up opportunities down the road.

She decided she wanted to apply those skills to impact investing—which wasn’t even yet a well-known concept at the time, so she had the chance to get involved early in the days of the industry. She held a director role at Bridges Fund Management, where she played a key role in establishing its U.S. presence, including new fund development and executing due diligence of growth equity, real estate and social impact bond investments. In 2017, she came to Neuberger Berman to pursue a unique opportunity to deepen and broaden the firm’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing capabilities and to drive innovation in impact investing on an institutional platform across asset classes.

This challenge is the professional achievement she is most proud of so far, as she takes specialized knowledge of this industry, which had been largely niche to date, and to help it grow as it becomes more mainstream. She is working on developing and investing a private equity impact investing strategy, which she sees as an exciting next step of her career.

“To bring ESG and impact investing to mainstream markets and striving to generate positive social and environmental impacts is an exciting convergence of trends, where we are taking a market opportunity and combining it with clients’ growing interest in these areas,” Signori says. “It is exciting to try to solve for challenges facing society, while delivering unique solutions for our clients.”

Her team works with different parts of the firm including the Big Data team to harness all types of data and to make sense of it for investment decision-making. “We are seeing disciplines and subject matters that haven’t historically come together, and it allows us to bring a different perspective to deliver great results for our clients,” Signori says.

Helping Develop the Industry for Women

While Signori finds increased awareness of the need for opportunities for women, she believes that first, they need a seat at the table, which can be spurred through a greater understanding of the gaps that can discourage or hinder women. “Senior leadership of companies are increasingly becoming aware of this and focused on improving—not just for the sake of having a woman fill a position, but by making sure that women are armed with the experience and skills that will allow them to succeed once they arrive there.”

She encourages other women to help each other out by advocating for one another, adding that she’s been fortunate to work with women who were equally committed to collaborative relationships.

That advocacy can come from within or outside of the firm. Signori cites one memorable incident that took place when she had organized a series of women’s networking events at a former employer as an analyst early in her career. A fellow co-chair of the group emailed her manager, praising the events and her contribution. “It was an unexpected gesture that went a long way, and I still kept in touch with her as a friend and colleague; interestingly enough, we both ended up in impact investing.”

Having someone vouch for your credibility like that is crucial for career success. In fact, when Signori talks to younger women interested in the investment management or impact investing field, she always encourages them to first display excellent work skills, and back those with a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a focus on building strong relationships. “Your reputation will precede you if you’re working hard and delivering results,” she says.

Currently expecting her first child, Signori describes it as a bit of a nerve-wracking adventure she’s embarking on, but incredibly exciting. She still intends for her career to play a major role in her life, but she realizes there will be inevitable challenges involved in managing new responsibilities. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many of my colleagues at the firm have stopped by my office to offer support and share their experiences, both men and women,” she says. An avid traveler who has visited more than 50 countries, she hopes to continue exploring in that aspect of her life as well.

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Voice of Experience: Busisiwe Mathe, Partner/Director, Risk Assurance Cyber Security and Privacy; PwC

Looking back over her career, PwC’s Busisiwe Mathe says she wishes she had been as comfortable in her own skin when she first started as she is now; however, she understands that acquiring that confidence is all part of growing.

“I believe that there was a lesson I needed to learn in everything I have experienced in my career,” she says.

A Varied Career Brings Success

Mathe began her career with PwC in 2004 and throughout her tenure has garnered experience in external and internal audits, technology transformation projects, business continuity management, cybersecurity and privacy, including stints abroad in the New York and Atlanta offices.

As the chairman of the South Africa PricewaterhouseCoopers Governing Board, Mathe serves as a member on the PwC Africa Governance Board and currently oversees the firm’s Africa Cyber and Privacy business.

It’s a crucial line of business, considering the prevalence of cyberattacks, including ransomware, that have increasingly plagued companies both globally and locally in the last 18 months.

While the attacks used to be concentrated to one specific sector or industry, they have become more widespread across all industries, and are moving from information technology into the operational technology environment. That concern was noted in PwC’s 22nd Annual Global CEO Survey, which showed cyber threats staying among the top 5 risks identified by CEOs.

Helping Women Achieve Success

Mathe believes that one of the top barriers for women in the industry is actually based on a false notion—the fact that most women view it as a technical industry where you have to have earned a technical or IT-related degree. However she finds that to be restrictive, as cybersecurity has both technical and non-technical aspects and thus offers a wide range of career lines one can follow. But that assumption leads to a second challenge, which is that the lack of women in the industry means that it is harder for young woman looking to enter the profession to find mentors or others to look up to.

She encourages women considering the industry to realize that the sky is the limit, and the variety of positions offered make cybersecurity a fantastic place to thrive. And she encourages her peers to focus on mentoring the younger generation—making it a priority to support STEM initiatives or even start their own to encourage women pursuing these important fields.

PwC is a supportive place in that sense, as Mathe underscores that the PwC Africa leadership team is firmly committed to diversity and inclusion, having adopted the Global Inclusion Index locally as a tool to continuously assess progress. In addition, all partners and staff take mandatory unconscious bias training, focusing on four dimensions of diversity: gender, race, sexual orientation and generational diversity. That has paid off in more women achieving leadership roles; in fact 45 percent of the partners named in the most recent cycle of promotions were women.

A Full Life Outside Of Work

“My family is my foundation; I would not be where I am had it not been for my strict, yet loving, father who told me at a very young age that I could achieve anything I put my mind to, and my mom who played a significant part in the woman, wife and mother I am today,” Mathe says. She carries out those lessons with her own family, which includes a supportive husband, whom she calls “one of her biggest cheerleaders,” and eight-year-old twin boys.

She also coaches and mentors students and young professionals through partnerships with organizations like Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development (YLED) and the DreamGirls Academy. “I enjoy mentoring and coaching both at work and outside work by partnering with NGOs that empower young girls in believing and shaping their dreams,” she says.

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Voice of Experience: Beth Renner, National Director of Philanthropic Services, Wells Fargo Private Bank

Beth Renner featured
As a mentor, Beth Renner knows that women often need to find their voice—and when they do, it can be a powerful booster charge to their career.

As she recounts, she was recently working with a long-term mentee who had finally applied for a position. When Renner had asked why she had hesitated, the mentee said she believed she didn’t have the entire skill set, but as they walked through the skill set and experience, it became clear that the position was a perfect fit. “Sometimes the biggest challenge is the messages we tell ourselves.”

Finding the Ideal Niche to Blend Personal and Professional Interests

Renner’s clear confident voice has brought her a 28-year career in the financial services industry, during which she has essentially touched every part of a financial services company. She started on the retail bank side as a personal banker; then was a credit officer with a small business lender; went into the fiduciary side as a private banker and trust manager, where she subsequently oversaw the fiduciary investment and brokerage side; and for the past eight years has worked in philanthropic services, where she currently has $26 billion in charitable assets under management for clients.

“The lifeblood of our business is the advice we provide our clients around their donations and assisting nonprofits in making sure they are sustainable,” Renner explains. Having always been personally involved in charitable work with both her time and treasure, the chance to marry that in her professional life is the achievement of which she’s most proud.

“For me it’s not about achieving a certification or designation, but about what I do every day, and I’ve really found a home for myself in this area that allows me to align my personal and professional values,” she says.

A Sea Change in the Philanthropic World

As the country prepares for an impending generational “wealth transfer,” Renner finds several themes consistently emerging. First, as a matriarch or patriarch who is naturally at the maturing point is engaging in legacy planning, they are asking how they can ensure that their values will be represented. The goal is to engage multiple generations from the family in their philanthropic pursuits.

Others are wrestling with the question of how much to leave their kids and wondering how to engage philanthropy as a tool to stave off entitlement.

“Donors are viewing themselves as an investor in these causes more than ever before, and we are adjusting the advice we provide them to create a more disciplined process.” To that end, she has helped develop a series of philanthropic planning modules that they are currently honing through focus groups, and she looks forward to rolling them out. “It’s a pleasure to be able to work more deliberately on these issues and adjust our business to how our clients are telling us they need counsel.”

Renner has become attuned to the absolute value of listening with intention and mindfulness which is helping inform this new initiative. When her father passed away shortly after she turned 50, she hit a point of reflection. “It causes you to look at things differently, and one of the things that has stuck with me is the art of listening and how it helps you understand others and yourself. Being mindful means that if I’m in a situation where I’m listening to clients or my team and find myself having an internal reaction, it spurs me to dig deeper to figure out where it’s coming from.”

Finding a Mentor Helps Your Career Path

One thing Renner learned from her mentor early on in her career was to focus on developing transferrable skills. For example, you don’t just want to be an expert in credit analysis, but you need to know how to solve complex problems. “In any position, consider what skills you can learn that you don’t yet have or want to cultivate,” she says.

And today she encourages women to be intentional about mentoring other women. “Don’t wait to be asked; when you see someone with potential, proactively reach out to them,” she suggests. That’s because we all are a collection of our past experiences and to give someone that gift of your accumulated knowledge will allow them to make progress faster.

She takes that outlook to her work on Wells Fargo’s Women’s Team Member Network, a diversity and inclusion employee resource group she finds valuable for its focus on broadening everyone’s lens around diversity and how to foster and develop it.

Her outside philanthropic pursuits are a perfect match for her professional life: She is absolutely passionate about the American Red Cross, and is the national chair of the women’s giving group called the Tiffany Circle. The group has flourished in five different countries, and in her role she helps develop the strategy around mobilizing this women’s segment. “A lot of the work I do at Wells Fargo helps the Red Cross with their fundraising and stewardship because I can share national trends and the emerging role that women are playing in philanthropy,” Renner says.

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Erika Irish Brown, Chief Diversity Officer, Goldman Sachs

Erika Irish Brown“Be Bold and Take Risks to Be an Agent of Change”

“If you expose people who are smart and hard working to opportunities – and provide them with an access point to begin a career – success follows,” says Goldman Sachs’ Erika Irish Brown.

As Goldman’s new Chief Diversity Officer, Brown is responsible for driving inclusive culture initiatives and efforts related to the firm’s recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse professionals.

She notes she is genuinely passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry. “The sense of purpose I have for my work drives me every day.”

A Beneficiary and Proponent of Diversity and Inclusion

Brown’s first introduction to financial services came via a year-long internship as a college student, which was offered specifically to students from underrepresented minority groups by a state-run bond agency. She describes the internship as a huge win given her alma mater – the State University of New York at Albany – did not send a high volume of graduates to Wall Street at that time.

This internship helped her land an analyst role at Lehman Brothers, which she says was a life-changing opportunity. “Very often, people ask me, why am I so committed to diversity and inclusion?” says Brown. “One reason is because I got my start on Wall Street as a beneficiary of what we now call a diversity and inclusion program.”

After working in investment banking at Lehman, Brown went on to issue bonds for the City of New York and served as a Presidential appointee at the US Treasury in the Clinton administration, ultimately earning her MBA from Columbia University and serving in roles at Morgan Stanley and Black Entertainment Television. She enjoyed the financial markets, the fast-paced nature of her work and the variety of people she was able to work with, but added: “It was a different time – gender, ethnic diversity was low.”

Brown took an interest in the diversity and inclusion (D&I) space, serving as a recruiting liaison for both on-campus and experienced hires – on top of her day job as a banker.

Prior to the financial crisis, Brown began her first ‘official’ diversity-focused role, once again, at Lehman, where her team focused on enhancing diversity at the vice president level and above. Post-crisis – and a brief stint on the Obama administration’s Treasury transition team – Brown joined Bank of America, where she built a team focused on executive diversity recruiting. From there, she went on to serve as Bloomberg’s chief diversity officer, building the company’s D&I platform from the ground up.

“Being considered a subject matter expert on diversity globally has made me very proud,” says Brown. “This is not easy work, it is not easily measured and you have to be bold and take risks in order to be an agent of change.” This risk-taking has led Brown to Goldman Sachs, where she has a large, global platform to influence diversity.

Evaluating and Developing New Approaches at Goldman Sachs

“It was important for me to come in and listen, learn and talk to people,” says Brown of her approach to her new role at the firm last year. “I wanted my expertise to be informed by the culture here.”

After connecting with stakeholders across regions and divisions and gaining a global perspective, she now feels well informed to have opinions, make assessments and execute on the best practices and strategies that will work for Goldman Sachs.

Brown outlines some of the many opportunities in the D&I space she hopes to focus on in the coming months:

  • Enhance the Goldman Sachs brand as an employer of choice in diverse communities;
  • Embed D&I practices into all aspects of the Talent process;
  • Advance the firm’s inclusive culture and work environment; and
  • Ensure accountability for furthering D&I at every level

Her team has the support from CEO David Solomon and the firm’s Global Diversity Committee. Brown notes that it is crucial to have senior leadership setting the tone – particularly when diversity impacts each and every area of a company, from business performance to client engagement.

“Today, no topics are off the table in the workplace, and people expect to bring their authentic selves to work,” says Brown. “I’ve seen firsthand that this approach has been adopted at Goldman Sachs as well.”

Recommendations From a Life-Long Learner

Describing her roles at several investment banks and why young women should pursue financial services careers, Brown says, “The skills sets you develop in a short period of time, the amount of responsibility and high bar for expectations, and the seniority of people – both internally and clients – that you engage with is empowering.”

Her advice to women as they progress in their careers is to continuously innovate and be life-long learners.

“Ask yourself – are you pushing the envelope, taking risks and being ambitious,” says Brown. “We should all reflect upon our legacy and ensure we make a difference in our workplace – it can be anything from launching a new product to creating opportunities for others.”

Outside the office, Brown continues to push for change in her community. As vice chair of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, she works to ensure the Central Brooklyn community has access to housing, education and economic development opportunities, arts and cultural activities and capital for small business owners.

Brown stresses: “giving back is important to me – anything I can do to contribute and give back to others, I’ll do.”

And, a mother to three sons, Brown also keeps busy on the slopes, skiing in the winter with her family and cheering on from the sidelines of elite AAU basketball games. “We’re very active as a family, and our time together is so important and a priority to me,” she says.

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Voice of Experience: Valerie S. Peters, CTFA®, Senior Vice President and Head of Relationship Services; Abbot Downing

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“When I entered the corporate world over 20 years ago, I believed that it was possible to achieve anything with hard work and discipline, and I still believe those are key ingredients to success,” says Valerie Peters, who serves as operations leader for Abbot Downing, a Wells Fargo business serving ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Her career path has proven the value of focusing on a goal….and working to achieve it.

Each Experience Leads One Step Closer to Career Goals

Peters started her career in retail banking as a customer service phone representative and then transferred to the commercial real estate division, where she was selected for the management trainee program. She immediately felt drawn to the wealth management arena during a rotation in the trust area, and with that eventual role in mind, she began looking for opportunities that would help her build the skills she needed.

She took a role managing a team of client service professionals supporting wealth management clients with their banking, investment and fiduciary servicing needs; from there, she moved on to become a manager within a trust center and eventually transferred to the division that served ultra-high-net worth clients. Her time working in client-facing, trust services and operational roles were each stepping stones that helped prepare her for her current position as operations leader for Abbot Downing.

In her quest for continuing education, Peters counts achieving her designation as a CTFA (Certified Trust and Financial Advisor) several years ago as one of her proudest moments. “I had spent several years working in the fiduciary area, and earning the CTFA was a culmination of the time I spent gaining work experience, as well as obtaining knowledge through the various trust school programs I have been fortunate enough to attend,” she says.

Sponsors and Mentors as a Key Ingredient to Success

Along the way, Peters has found that sponsors and mentors are crucial and has appreciated the support they have given. She has also looked externally to find role models to emulate; one of her personal role models is Ursula Burns, who came from modest beginnings to become the first African-American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. “I have long been inspired by her hard work and dedication,” Peters says, citing her strong work ethic and commitment to learning the ins and outs of business through a variety of roles.

Over the years, Peters has participated in a number of programs geared towards retaining diverse talent, including women, naming the Diverse Leaders Program as one of the most impactful. “The whole time I participated in the program, I felt that I was valued not only for what I do within the organization, but also for who I am and how the perspectives and insights gained through life experience shape my thoughts, ideas and values,” she says.

When Peters is away from work, she values time spent with her family—a favorite escape is spending time at the beach unwinding and enjoying the ocean. “We try and get away as often as possible when the kids are on break from school,” she says.

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Voice Of Experience: Kenya Scott Woodruff, Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Kenya Woodruff“Don’t stress out” over your career, Kenya Scott Woodruff tells women who are entering the workforce.

“It really does all work out. Your career path might not be as you predicted, but if you are willing to work hard; you are open; and you say ‘yes’ to things that others don’t, you are going to end up with great opportunities to advance.”

Finding Her Passion in Healthcare

Kenya began her career at a large law firm in Dallas as a commercial litigator, but she discovered the healthcare practice area as a second-year associate and immediately loved the complexity of the space.

She found a mentor who was a client. He managed litigation for a large health system and helped Kenya develop a steady stream of healthcare litigation work. She later went to a firm where she handled government investigations, before transitioning to an in-house position with the Dallas hospital district, Parkland Health and Hospital System, where she handled investigations, litigation, regulatory and transactional work.

After four years, Kenya returned to private practice, focusing on mergers, acquisitions and joint venture strategic partnerships in the healthcare sector and advising administrators and medical providers on compliance and other business issues. In October, she came to the newly-opened Dallas office of Katten as part of a respected trio – Cheryl Camin Murray, Lisa Genecov and Kenya. They were the first three women partners in the new office and were hired to grow the firm’s healthcare practice in the Texas region.

While Kenya is looking forward to what the team will accomplish, one of her top career highlights is a project she took on when she returned to private practice, working with five physicians and a technology investor to help them build a healthcare company. Together, they formed an independent Accountable Care Organization (ACO), Premier Patient Healthcare, and the company has since expanded to more than 400 physicians and created savings for Medicare and private payor programs each year they have existed.

Kenya found it exciting to watch their growth and especially to realize that there are rural, unaffiliated physicians who now have the technology that delivers recent visit and admission data about patients to the physicians’ desktops and enables them to care for their patients with an understanding of their recent medical encounters. “We’ve been through a lot together since 2012, and it’s amazing to see the wonderful work they have done,” she says. “It is awesome to see the role they are playing in advancing efficient care and to be able to play a part in that advancement.”

In fact, in this era of constantly searching for high-quality, cost-effective care, Kenya is finding that collaborative arrangements are emerging as an important answer. “We are working to help healthcare professionals and organizations figure out how they can take care of patients across the continuum of care in an efficient and effective way,” she said.

Career Advice For Creating a Successful Path

The healthcare industry is largely a welcoming place for women. While there are still advances to be made, Kenya says companies are increasingly amenable to women progressing into executive leadership roles. But in the legal industry, she recognizes there is still a real issue with retention of female attorneys at law firms, even though most firms are very close to 50/50 in gender division when hiring.

Kenya believes one of the best ways to combat attrition in the legal profession is to make sure that women have mentors early in their careers. Often times women may be on par with their male counterparts when it comes to the skills needed to succeed, but they are less likely to have mentors who show them how to navigate the politics of the firm, as well as the business of law, specifically how to develop a practice that is sustainable and financially successful.

In addition, she encourages women to fill their toolbox of knowledge and experience and then seek out a niche they enjoy that preferably is not saturated by other experts. “We have to remember that our business, like others, is subject to the financial realities of supply and demand,” she said.

And mentoring shouldn’t stop as women ascend the career ladder. Kenya stresses the importance of continuing to find camaraderie and support from groups, whether internally at a law firm or externally in industry-based organizations.

At Katten, Kenya is active in the Women’s Leadership Forum, which supports the retention and advancement of women attorneys at the firm through mentoring and professional development programs. She finds the forum’s meetings to be helpful because women often share success tips, as well as challenges. “That’s what it takes to help people move forward—honest, straightforward advice,” she said.

Kenya has also been involved with a number of industry groups, such as the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, which she calls a “powerhouse organization with great women, companies and firms.” Along with the advice and other benefits of female networking groups, she says it’s vital for women to share career opportunities with each other and support other women as they climb their respective ladders.

A Healthy Balance in All Aspects of Life

As the mother of two “strong-willed” girls, ages 9 and 11, Kenya increasingly enjoys watching as they come into their own and hearing the interesting conversations their newfound maturity sparks. With her husband, David being a magistrate judge, it’s a challenge to juggle family, church and work obligations, but she and her husband share the load – they are true life partners. “Our church family is a big part of our lives,” Kenya said, adding that “We are there for each other in good times and bad. My church family is fun, supportive and they even help with emergency childcare needs!”

Kenya sits on the board of directors for what was formerly AIDS Arms, an organization focused on the prevention and treatment of HIV. She was a part of the board when the nonprofit group legally changed its name to Prism Health North Texas to better reflect the comprehensive services it provides. “The name change has been well-received, and we continue to enjoy great community support,” she said. “I always encourage people to find some organization where they can get involved and help their community in a significant way.”

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