Voice of Experience: Hilary Rapkin, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, WEX

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By Cathie Ericson

Life is a series of stages, says WEX’s Hilary Rapkin, an observation she was recently reflecting on as advice given to her by a mentor. That means what you feel like when you have a six-month-old baby is not what you’ll feel like when that child is two or four. Life changes, and you can’t base career decisions on those emotions you feel at the start, she says.

Over the years Rapkin has been able to cultivate relationships with professional women in similar stages so they could share common experiences — whether about babies, teens or elderly parents– all in an effort to have a rich life and find the elusive work/life balance. That vision and support is how women can successfully integrate a high-powered career with family, she says.

A Serendipitous Interview Launches an Illustrious Career

After law school, Rapkin joined a boutique firm in Portland, Maine, where she soon found that law firm life, specifically litigation, wasn’t a good fit for her. However, she realized she could parlay the employment discrimination work she was doing into a potential career in HR. While interviewing with WEX, the HR director noted that Rapkin’s experience was a better match to a legal position – one the company was considering creating. She was hired and has spent 22 years at the company, growing from a one-person legal department to today, where she oversees the company’s global legal footprint and has HR reporting directly to her.

Among the many noteworthy experiences she’s had over the years, Rapkin considers her involvement in WEX’s IPO in 2005 to be the professional achievement she is most proud of thus far. The team accomplished the filing in three months – while she was pregnant – and she remembers the fast learning curve as being particularly exciting.

Aside from that, she says that over the past few years she has been involved with the HR function, she has found it extremely satisfying to watch the evolution of cultural elements that make WEX special. “The process that has made our culture so strong has been very intentional, and some of the HR programs, such as philanthropy, have had a meaningful impact on employees that may be hard to measure, but you know it when you see it,” she says. “It’s made me really proud of who WEX is and how it is becoming visible to the outside world.”

She looks forward to seeing how WEX can continue to move forward along that trajectory, and to watching the forward-thinking programs and compensation plans come to fruition.

On the legal front, she is pleased to see investments in technology which will create efficiencies and opportunities for legal staff to develop deeper advisory roles with their clients. The new systems are designed to simplify core processes like contract maintenance in an effort to free up associates’ time for more strategic work, such as building business relationships and helping WEX achieve its business objectives. “It’s hard to work on becoming a trusted business partner if you are mired in contract work, so I look forward to seeing how these additional systems will help our team.”

As the department has grown, Rapkin has become an expert on new business segments, as WEX has moved into the broader payments landscape. She finds that 22 years later, her job is still challenging as she works through evolutions in technology and the complexities that a global payments company present.  She thinks future lawyers will have similar interdisciplinary experiences as law schools couple with business and finance functions to groom lawyers who are more well-rounded when they enter the field.

An Environment Dedicated to Success

While Rapkin never took psychology, she remembers taking the Myers-Briggs personality test. This led her to think about who she was compared to peers, and the effect those different personality styles had on their relationships.

“By knowing your relative strengths and weaknesses, you start realizing that it’s the sum of the parts that makes companies successful, and you don’t have to have the weight of the world on your shoulders,” she says. “It’s important to figure out how to get the best out of your team by managing each individual as an individual.”

She’s proud of the strides WEX has made in implementing programs that she says are a clear depiction of the company’s commitment to offering choices to both women and men, including paid parental leave, which only 17 percent of companies offer. “I hear from people all the time about how that sets us apart, and certainly our profile as a diverse company is bolstered by having three female members on the executive leadership team.”

Rapkin is poised to launch an informal women’s group this summer that will encourage them to learn from one another through informal dialogue around topics like networking, perceptions of women in the workplace and goal-setting.

Gender equality is just part of who WEX is as a company so Rapkin has never felt any gender bias. She does note that sometimes it’s hard to balance parenting and work, although she stresses that her work has ultimately made her a better parent.

A Commitment to Balance

Rapkin takes every opportunity to do yoga as part of her quest for balance, and also counts philanthropy as an important component towards that end. She enjoys bringing her kids, ages 15 and 12, with her to volunteer at a local Jewish nursing home, and is also on the board of a local theater company that often produces original works.

Her kids have inherited her love of adventure, having traveled since they were babies. “We live in a beautiful place, but I want them to see the world,” she says, adding they are looking forward to a summer trip to Chile.

She is also quick to mention that she doesn’t do it all herself.

“I’ve had the same nanny for 15 years; she’s part of our family, and I couldn’t be successful without her. In life, at home and at work, you get out of relationships what you put into them.”

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Voice of Experience: Amanda Rubin, Managing Director, Global co-Head of Brand and Content Strategy, Goldman Sachs

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 By Cathie EricsonAmanda Rubin

“When you work with a group of intelligent and diverse people there are bound to be those who disagree with your opinion, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t speak up,” says Goldman Sachs’ Amanda Rubin.

When first beginning a new position, she recommends focusing on excelling in the fundamentals of your role.  But once you have mastered some of your tasks, Rubin advocates communicating your opinions with confidence. “Sharing a thoughtful opinion backed by good judgment and facts will allow you to differentiate yourself and move forward in a meaningful way,” she says.

As your career progresses, Rubin advises that you are responsible for harvesting talent, and this means allowing junior members on your team to express their points of view: “Remember that your team is looking at you and your actions – from how you treat people and encourage them to be involved in the dialogue to how you engage in your day-to-day activities.”

An Evolving Industry, Ripe For Disruption

After earning her BA in Political Science from Emory University and an MBA from The George Washington School of Government and Business Administration, Rubin dove into the advertising world. She earned positions at top agencies such as Chiat Day, Ogilvy & Mather and DDB Needham Worldwide, where her MBA made her a perfect match with industry-leading financial services clients.

Building on her robust background working with clients in the space, Rubin joined Goldman Sachs’ Brand Marketing and Digital Strategy Group in the late 1990s, eager to parlay her experience into helping to establish the firm’s marketing department. At the time, the firm was just beginning to enhance its external communication efforts as it built its brand in advance of its initial public offering. In support of these efforts, Rubin helped launch Goldman Sachs’ first public website; developed a series of advertising campaigns designed to position Goldman Sachs competitively; and created recruitment marketing materials to further cement the firm as an employer of choice globally.

Almost a decade later as the financial crisis began, Rubin and the team had to evolve their strategy as the firm made a conscious effort to combat an increasingly negative narrative in traditional and social media. “We realized that a lot of people didn’t know what Goldman Sachs does, so we began to actively engage the public in our communication efforts,” she explains.  Previously Goldman Sachs had only targeted a limited set of stakeholders with its marketing outreach, but the crisis became a pivot point in her career as this set of constituents broadened and changed.

“While our approach may be different from other financial services firms who have more of a retail presence, our goal is the same: to demonstrate transparency and share the firm’s purpose and mission.”

Creating her team is the professional achievement Rubin is most proud of to date.  “When I look across the floor and see this talented group of people who are making an impact, it’s gratifying to consider the important role we are playing in shaping the firm’s narrative and explaining the role of Goldman Sachs in the economy and markets.  I am proud of what the team has accomplished and the profile we have earned for the firm.”

As Goldman Sachs has begun its foray into the retail space by taking deposits and making loans, her team has been working closely with the consumer group as they look at new ways to engage and leverage what she describes as “the most innovative toolkit available.”  From Facebook to Twitter, they are constantly seeking new ways to introduce Goldman Sachs’ thinking and expertise to new channels and audiences.

This focus is more important than ever given the general disruption surrounding the intersection of advertising, media and brands.  Previously, each was a separate pillar: a brand would depend on agencies to develop content, which media companies would then distribute.  Now, as brands have the ability to be publishers of content, it allows them to directly share insights with their audience.  “Lines will continue to be blurred, which creates opportunities to establish our own thought leadership platform, distribute content efficiently and partner with new entities,” Rubin says.

Continuous Learning Yields Growth

One reason Rubin has been able to thrive during this time of disruption in the traditional marketing environment is her enjoyment of continuous learning.

“It’s not possible to keep up with changes in this industry if you’re not willing to continuously learn and ask questions, which can be uncomfortable at times,” she acknowledges.  However, she believes being intellectually curious and leveraging talented people is a strength.

In addition to staying abreast of industry changes, Rubin advises that networking is also vital to success in the space.  “That’s the only way you can expand your day-to-day world and contribute in a valuable way to people beyond your immediate sphere,” she says.

An advocate for more formal networking involvement as well, Rubin served as co-chair of the Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit and Executive Office Women’s Network from 2010 to 2014.

“One of the greatest things about Goldman Sachs is our people, and you have a unique opportunity while working here to connect with and learn from a group of incredibly intelligent and accomplished individuals,” she says.

Work and Family: Mutually Beneficial

With two teenagers and a husband, Rubin embraces both her time at work and at home. She finds that being a mom gives her valuable perspective that helps her in the workplace, and in turn, her colleagues give her perspective that helps her be a better mom.

“My kids see me experience highs and lows; they see me working hard and succeeding, but they also see me face challenges, dust myself off and go back to work the next day. I am grateful that work provides me with a platform to teach them these life lessons.”

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Voice of Experience: Leilani Farol, Executive Director, Program Management at J.P. Morgan

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By Cathie Ericson

JP Morgan

“Remember why you were hired, and you will continue to outperform. We brought you in not to conform but to shake things up,” is the advice JP Morgan’s Leilani Farol gives young women.

“Don’t do exactly what your boss does, but do things in a new way that only you can.”

Soft Skills Make the Difference

Leilani is proof that grades aren’t everything. As a self-described C-student, she never let her grades hold her back.

In fact Leilani hoped to parlay her degrees in marketing and computer information services into a position with one of the big companies that was conducting on-campus interviews. She visited one of the IBM recruiters while he was planning for the evening meetings but he told her she wasn’t on the list due to her grades. She persisted, and he said she could talk to him while he prepped for the first real interview; she impressed him so much she got the job.

Her career took off with stops at IBM, 1-800-Flowers, Estee Lauder, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and finally JP Morgan. This has been her longest tenure to date, a place she has stayed because of the variety of roles within the firm, from tech operations to cybersecurity and her current position in global technology infrastructure.

While she started out as a technical developer, she soon realized her social skills lent themselves to success as a business analyst; Leilani credits these soft skills with being able to attain “unexpected wins” despite her non-traditional background. In an environment where most people rise within the financial industry, she was recently promoted to executive director even though she came into the industry through a different route.

She’s also learned to trust herself. “I could have taken my ‘C-student-ness’ and said that was my path, but I know my ability and what I can offer to any organization so when I was given an opportunity I knew I would take it and run with it. It’s fun to come in every day and be thrown into the deep end.”

One area of particular fascination within the financial industry is technology risk, given the potential for cybersecurity incidents. “We always have to stay diligent with both active and passive plans to address any potential attacks. The hacker’s job is to attack, and mine is to thwart it. It’s a high-stakes game.”

Finding Support As a Woman and LGBT

Leilani counsels women not to put a gender barrier on themselves by assuming they will hit a ceiling. “I encourage them to work on realizing their value as a tremendous asset to the technology industry. You need to get out of your own way and be bold and fearless with all you bring to the table,” she says.

And women need to help one another. One moment that stands out was meeting the CTO who reported to President Obama at a Lesbians Who Tech Conference. At the time Leilani’s six-year-old hated computers, and she was trying to show her the many ways that women were successful in tech. “She gave me her card and asked my daughter to email her. This woman was so busy and did it anyway, and that meant a lot to me.”

In addition to her outside groups, Leilani appreciates the dedicated JP Morgan business resource groups such as Women in Tech and Women in FinTech and notes she’s always been able to find a supportive network of women in technology willing to bring people along.

She also recognizes great strides that have been made in the LGBT movement. She laughs that when she first started in the corporate world, there technically was a LGBT group, yet it was a “secret list.”  Fast forward to 2015 when she co-chaired the Tri State Pride Network, marching her family proudly down Fifth Avenue. “It was positively overwhelming to look around and see the support.

“Being gay is a non-event for me in my corporate life, but it didn’t happen because I did it but because of the fact others paved the way,” she says.

Leilani says that her two daughters, age nine and two, are as different as can be — one more gender nonspecific and the other “a princess.”  She appreciates her wife, who is a psychotherapist and has adjusted her schedule to be with the kids most of the time.

Originally transplanted to the east coast on a volleyball scholarship, she still enjoys sports, particularly following beach volleyball.

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Voice of Experience: Liesbeth Botha, Strategic Digital Transformation Leader at PwC Africa

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By Cathie Ericson

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Bringing diversity to any team is an advantage for the entire business ecosystem, says PwC’s Liesbeth Botha. “You get a different perspective from unusual backgrounds and combinations of influences. It’s eye-opening for so many people and paves the way for them to be themselves.”

Academia and Consulting – A Perfect Career Blend 

“Interesting and diverse” are the two words that Botha uses to describe her career. A South African native, she earned her undergraduate degree in electrical and computer engineering and then her PhD at Carnegie Melon University, where she became a prolific publisher of research papers. Based on her publication record, she was sought after to become one of the youngest professors at Pretoria University in South Africa, where she spent 13 years.

She then joined the leadership of Stellenbosch University, a prominent university in South Africa where her portfolio was innovation and commercialization of intellectual property, establishing the policies for start-up companies at the university, as well as the digital transformation of the university. She started a unit that today is still an iconic representation of the university’s focus on innovation.

After six years at Stellenbosch University, she joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa’s national laboratory, leading the Materials Science and Manufacturing business unit as executive director. In that role she led a number of national technological innovation programs such as the 3D printing of titanium for structural aircraft parts, in partnership with leading global aircraft manufacturers.

Most recently, in 2014, she moved to PwC, first joining the tech consulting practice before landing in her current leadership role in digital transformation. Her first significant accomplishment there was rolling out the G Suite (Google for Work) platform across PwC in 17 countries in Africa, a significant milestone in their digital transformation journey. Next she’ll be spearheading adoption of several other platforms, including Oracle Cloud for finance and engagement management; Workday, a human capital management system; and a new CRM platform, Salesforce. “It is exciting to implement these cutting-edge solutions in the market as a leader in the larger global PwC network,” she says. “It puts a spotlight on us, but we are up for that challenge.”

Being a leader in digital tech is a priority because of the opportunities for disruption and transformation, not only for PwC as a professional services firm, but the implications for clients as machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) become a reality. She sees this as a particularly exciting time, since the theories around AI and pattern recognition have been developed since the ‘80s but couldn’t become a viable option until the proliferation of big data and cloud computing, which provided the data storage and power to allow companies to build and adopt real-world solutions.

As a woman in engineering, Botha says she wishes she had known about the many opportunities that a professional services firm could offer — global opportunities that span different industries and allow you the chance to see the world through totally different eyes than is the case for most people in engineering.

Embracing Her Position as a Role Model

“Having a lesbian woman in the highest position changes the perspective on everything, and I appreciate that I can be a role model for women, lesbians and anyone who’s different from the stereotypes people have in their heads,” Botha said.

“I don’t fit into any box as a woman engineer, with a PhD from one of the leading universities in the United States, then working in academia, moving to leadership positions, and finally joining a professional services firm. Since nothing ‘fits together,’ so to speak, it shows others that being different can give you an advantage.”

She finds that although the structural barriers that impeded women’s professional progress a couple of decades ago have been largely removed, practical barriers remain as women are still the primary caregivers if they have a family, making it difficult to achieve work-life balance.
And, she notes, the other barrier is psychological: Since women don’t have as many role models, they are less likely to form a vision of the person they aspire to be. She sees this changing as women speak out about their experiences, pointing to Margaret Thatcher as holding the type of position that women can now see themselves aiming toward.

Gender is a very defining factor, she says, and the puzzle is that we often don’t know what influences gender-specific behavior. She herself has tried to introspectively determine how she was able to achieve her level of success in a patriarchal society, but can’t point to specific areas where her parents said or did something that influenced her. “I think we still don’t have an idea of how to bring up a child to behave in a gender-neutral manner, so you just do your best as a parent,” she says.

She advises young women not to limit their experiences, but to tackle anything that comes their way. “Just because there are no women in a certain kind of role doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” she says. “Set yourself up for anything that interests you.” She notes that she conquered her various career steps because she believed anything was possible, and that’s the type of approach that women should have.

“Try something, fail fast when you realize it isn’t working and try it another way.”

The Benefits of a Supportive Corporate Environment

As the sponsoring partner for PwC Africa’s LGBT “Be Yourself” network, Botha is proud of the difference it is making for younger people in the organization who weren’t yet comfortable being out at work.

She herself notes what a relief it was to come out to different groups of people, to sometimes experience their surprise and then mostly their acceptance. “It builds self-confidence and trust in the world when you see that, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised each time.”

She says this acceptance won’t happen by itself: Companies must have specific, defined programs with targets because it provides an aspirational goal. “You have to be specific about what you want to achieve,” she says, adding that companies need to be careful not to fall into complacency.

Botha and her wife have been married for 10 years — ever since gay marriage became legal in South Africa –and have two children, a boy and a girl. “Being a parent is one of the most amazing experiences; I never could have anticipated what joy it is,” she says.  And hard work. “I always understood work-life balance intellectually, but it is different when you are experiencing it,” she says.

The family loves traveling, especially adventure travel in their SUV. Botha also rides an on-off-road BMW motorcycle and grabs the opportunity for a quick ride whenever she can.

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Mover and Shaker: Kerry McBride, Director, Application Development, WEX

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 By Cathie Ericsonkerry

Kerry McBride started at WEX on a four-day temp assignment and never left. As she recalls, she was there to do some filing and said “Do you want me to come back?” They did; she did; and after three months, was named an entry-level employee on the credit side.

Her initial reasons for staying were practical: As a recent college graduate in a tough market she was looking for a steady job and health insurance. It was also the beginning of the PC boom and she appreciated the in-depth training WEX was offering. She made the most of the opportunity though, and after five years on the business side, she was a recognized subject matter expert, which she considers to be the pivot point where she shifted her thinking from WEX as a job to a career. She subsequently took on business analyst and project management roles before there were formal teams, then a team lead role and a manager role and eventually was named director of applications development.

A Culture of Acceptance and Support at WEX

Another reason McBride meshed so well with WEX’s culture was because the nature of the organization was so far from her initial expectation of the corporate world. Her mother had worked in a corporate role and she remembered the cube-filled workplace as conservative, stressful and hierarchical. “I knew I never wanted to work in that sort of environment, so when I started at WEX I was delighted that it was such a different organization with so much flexibility to try different things. I have been very fortunate that the culture promotes stepping out of your comfort zone in a supportive way, with no political backstabbing,” she says.

She also noticed immediately that it was more diverse than she had expected — in age, skills and background – which was important to her, as she is able to be out at work. “It’s just one aspect of my life, but it’s who I am, and I appreciate that I can just be myself without a division of a ‘work persona’ and a ‘home persona.’ When you’ve been somewhere for 22 years, you develop friendships and so I mention my partner frequently,” she says, adding that when you’re pouring time and energy into a company, you want to make sure that everyone is respected and treated fairly.

She also appreciates that she’s had the chance to possibly open the minds of coworkers who might not have known many openly gay people before.

“A diverse and progressive culture is important for all of us”

McBride’s tenure and trajectory at WEX has been helpful in her current position as she coaches her current team members in directions they may not have thought about. For example, she had a recent direct report who took on a stretch assignment as a lead; though he was a bit shy by nature she knew he had the right skills and indeed, his contributions to the year-long project were recognized at the company’s recent annual awards ceremony. “He was proud of himself, as was I. As I progress in my own career, I find the coaching role highly satisfying,” she says.
She considers it a way to pay it forward, based on her own positive experience at the company. Since she herself didn’t come in with a clear picture of what she wanted to do or idea of where she was going, she appreciated that her managers were wonderful advocates in helping create positions that suited her skills and helped open her eyes to qualities she had and how they aligned with her skills to create her successful career path.

After spending 21 years on the North American Fleet line of business, McBride was asked to take on an assignment to build a U.S.-based development team to support the International Fleet line of business. Building the team with talented in-house developers and coordinating the transition of two experienced developers from Auckland, New Zealand, provides a great opportunity for WEX to expand U.S.-based development capability.

She knows that while mentors and sponsor can facilitate opportunities, each person has to drive their own career, filling the void when there are leadership gaps and taking full advantage of an opportunity.

Career Lessons Learned From Childhood on Up
She considers her mom, who pulled double duty as a single working mother, to be her role model. “Since she was in the corporate world, that’s what I saw, so when my friends played house, I would play office,” McBride says. Of course, she also remembers the times her mom came home stressed and so now whenever she feels overwhelmed, she is able to draw on that memory of how her mom persevered.

She also modeled the smart risk-taking behavior McBride brings to her career. “Failure can happen, and I took a risk going over to the international side of the business.” Recent leadership changes, a new vision and new requirements mean that McBride will leave the international role behind her, but not without taking away the positives. “Right now, I’m setting the base and supporting the new strategy. Even though I won’t get to see the end result, I’m proud of what I started and want the team I put together to be successful.”

McBride also makes sure to take time to focus on her mental health. She took up running at the age of 35, gravitating toward longer distance running. She was surprised how much she loved it, and notes many parallels to success at work. “I love having a schedule and getting those runs in,” she says.

“Long-distance running is all about mental preparation and being able to visualize the end and coaching yourself through the distance and miles. It’s what keeps me sane.”’

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Voice of Experience: Ruth Punter, Director in Tax PwC UK

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By Cathie Ericsonruth punter

For PwC’s Ruth Punter, diversity takes many forms: Most obviously, of course, she is a woman working with clients in the male-dominated financial services industry. She also is an openly out gay woman, and then takes care to mention her intermittent mental health challenges that have also underlined for her the importance of having an open and supportive working environment. She says:

“It’s important for people to be able to be themselves and have a chance to shine in all their forms of diversity,”

Her time at PwC has been marked by an openness to all these forms of diversity, particularly the “Green Light to Talk” campaign that encourages people to openly discuss mental health wellbeing.

“I have personally found it easier to talk about my sexuality than my mental health, and at times this reticence undermined my performance. Having been more open with colleagues about my symptoms more recently, partly as a result of profile-raising campaigns such as Green Light to Talk, I have benefited from much more support,” she says.

A Career Combining Tax with Larger Business Issues

After graduating from the University of Sussex, Punter joined another Big 4 firm as part of the tax team, the start to a successful career in the field.  She joined PwC as a director in 2014 while studying part time for an MBA with Henley Business School. At PwC she has had the opportunity to increase her responsibilities in leading and building teams, playing to her strengths in both the operational and interpersonal aspects of the workplace.

While Punter has had many successes at work, still she perceives earning her business degree as the professional achievement she is most proud of. Although she was balancing up to 20 hours of study a week with full-time employment, she found that to be the most rewarding year of her career, largely because she was able to focus the elements of her university project and research on something that was relevant to her work: Talking to the heads of tax in FTSE 100 companies to find out what qualities were needed in tax leaders in the modern business. This research has led to her involvement in conversations at both PwC and with clients on the skills needed by the tax professional of the future.

In fact, right now much of her role is focused on change and transformation, where she is able to combine her knowledge from a tax perspective with her consulting and business skills. “Every organization has more to do and less time to do it in, so they need to do things differently, including using technology. Today I focus less on technical tax interpretations and more on helping businesses to deal with how they manage their tax obligations.  Often these are multi-faceted business problems with a wide group of stakeholders, none of whom have time to deal with all the change that is occurring.”

Over the years she has gained a wider appreciation for bigger issues of change and finds her energy comes from consulting in addition to her technical expertise.

Recognizing and Embracing Differences

Punter believes that many of today’s diversity challenges are more about recognizing the different working styles of people. Rather than operating in a homogenous workplace, it’s important that people with different styles are able to play to their strengths. She appreciates the experiences she had while earning her MBA, where she would meet people with different communication and working styles; after spending time with them on projects, it was easy to see their strengths come out. A self-described introvert, she made certain to push herself to raise her profile and found that being “in the cauldron” with so many different types helped her improve her own style.

A key part of workplace success is connecting with people who will challenge you and help you engage on different topics, whether it’s diversity, business or politics. You have to continue learning and being inquisitive, she says, noting that she decided to earn her MBA simply because she hadn’t been feeling as energized as before. “That ignited my desire to read business books and think about wider political and business issues, which allowed me to better connect with clients and peers,” she says.

At PwC, she has appreciated being part of GLEE@PwC, PwC UK’s inclusive business network for gays, lesbians and supporters. “PwC is full of Allies who are very visible, and the GLEE network creates that openness to talk, and the more visibility there is, the more comfortable people will be being themselves”, she says. In her case, she benefited from having several role models at the right time in her life through playing rugby and whether it’s inside or outside of the workplace, she says that it’s “vital to find people who help you feel comfortable in your own skin and create an environment where others can be themselves.”

“The more out I’ve been, the stronger the human connections I make,” she says, noting that while she’s always been out at work, she finds herself continually coming out to new people. “You have to get used to saying you’re going on holiday with your wife, for example,” she explains.

Since her wife Clare is also a professional woman, Punter finds it helpful in that she understands similar work challenges and aspirations, and they can spur each other on.

Nurturing Her Creativity

Punter used to sing and play the guitar as part of an acoustic duo until a couple of years ago and has always had a flair for performance. Realizing how much she misses that outlet, she is trying to find a new band as well as getting involved with her local amateur theatre company.

“Not every personal ambition will be fulfilled by work, and you need to make sure you keep other activities as part of your life to achieve a balance. It’s easy to make excuses, particularly when there is always more work to do, but no one has stopped me so it’s up to me to create the opportunities to make me happier, more productive and more engaged in all aspects of my life,” she says.

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Voice of Experience: Chinwe Esimai, Managing Director, Chief Anti-Bribery & Corruption Officer at Citigroup, Inc.

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By Cathie Ericson

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“Don’t be afraid to experiment. Over time your definition of success will grow and change, which can be helpful to consider as you navigate your career,” says Chinwe Esimai.

“No matter where we are in the professional journey, it’s important to commit to ongoing improvement and not get too comfortable – both for ourselves and for women as a whole.”

That philosophy has carried her throughout the various iterations of her career trajectory.

Innovating Throughout Her Career

After earning her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, Esimai began her legal career as a corporate associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, LLP, where she worked on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. She moved to the corporate world, doing compliance at MetLife, and worked for Axiom Legal, which provides contract in-house legal services to financial services clients. Her first assignment was at Goldman Sachs, which subsequently hired her in a full-time role covering regulatory audits and inquiries in relation to the firm’s options and derivatives trading businesses.

She then served as assistant professor of law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis before returning to Goldman in New York in 2011, helping build out its anti-bribery group. In 2012 she joined Citi in a similar role, which she deems a “perfect fit.”

As Chief Anti-Bribery & Corruption Officer at Citi, Esimai oversees Citi’s global anti-bribery program, which develops and maintains a framework for adherence to anti-bribery regulations in over 160 countries around the world where the bank does business. She notes that “beyond adhering to legal and regulatory requirements, it is about doing business ethically, maintaining an ethical culture, embedding that culture in the bank’s processes, and giving employees the tools to mitigate potential bribery risk.” Citi has over 200,000 employees globally.

Esimai is passionate about her work because it has a positive impact on how business is conducted around the world. She also notes that this is a particularly fascinating time to be involved in anti-bribery work at a global bank because of the rapidly changing regulatory environment.

Promoted from Senior Vice President to Director, and subsequently, Managing Director within three short years at Citi, Esimai has overseen global enhancements of the bank’s anti-bribery compliance program from its early beginnings, to now leading a team of professionals managing anti-bribery controls across the enterprise. She also frequently participates as a thought leader in her industry, as well as at global fora, such as the United Nations.

Most recently, she has been involved in an initiative called the “Citi Tech for Integrity Challenge,” a landmark global accelerator program to invite and encourage technology innovators from around the world to submit solutions to help the public sector promote transparency and fight corruption.

A World Economic Forum survey showed that 67 of 144 economies identified corruption as one of their top three challenges. An example of corruption is bribery, which totals an estimated $1 trillion a year.

“I am proud of our work bringing together allies, such as Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, and PwC, and then working with startups to find the best ideas and present them to public and private sector clients to tackle this global issue,” she says, adding that Citi is showing leadership by using innovative technologies to move the anti-bribery and corruption conversation forward.

Supporting Women as a Business Imperative

While there are still very few women at the highest levels, Esimai believes the reasons vary based on the company and the industry. However, one solution remains across the board: Women must get the support they need to ensure they have sufficient development, through both formal and informal support, tailored to their level as they rise in the organization. “Women who have already come so far have to help bring others up,” she notes. She says:

“Since it’s harder to find role models, support helps women stay in their positions, but also underscores the company’s commitment to diversity. As more industries recognize that diversity is a business imperative, support and resources will grow,”

 Diversity as a business imperative recognizes that diversity is not just a nice thing to do, but is an invaluable tool in identifying business opportunities and spotting risk.

Citi demonstrates that commitment on an ongoing basis; in particular Esimai cites the Citi Women’s Leadership Development Program, delivered in partnership with the UCLA Anderson School of Management, as the ultimate in training. “I’m grateful Citi has invested in me and offered me these opportunities, but I also have played a role by taking ownership of my career.”

In addition, Esimai participates as a mentor in the thriving Citi Women Emerging Leaders program as a way of giving back and lifting up other women. “I’m a firm believer in employee networks.”

She adds that beyond on-the-job performance, setting aside time for professional development, while largely discretionary, is worth the commitment. In fact, she notes that these opportunities may be more important than the daily work and yield great fruit over the course of one’s career.  At their very best, they help provide clarity on key strengths, offer tools to be more effective on the job, and expand one’s professional network and vision of what’s possible.

Inspiring Immigrant Women Leaders in the United States and Abroad

 Busy with her husband and three kids, two sons, ages 11 and five, and an eight-year-old daughter, she maintains time to share lessons about what it means to be an immigrant woman and leader. “I came to the United States from Nigeria as a teen and am passionate about helping other immigrant women,” she says proudly. In 2015, Esimai was named the Trailblazer of the Year by the Nigerian Lawyers Association, an award honoring a distinguished attorney whose professional accomplishments and leadership abilities have been recognized in the legal profession (private or public service). She is also an Executive Council member of the Ellevate Network, a global network for professional women, providing opportunities for women to connect, learn, and invest in themselves.

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Voice of Experience: Barbra Bukovac, Partner, Vice Chairman, Mid-Central Region, PwC US

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By Cathie Ericsonbarbra

On most mornings, Barbra Bukovac is up before the sun. Running shoes tied, she’s out the door knocking out a few miles before her day gets started–even when her weather app shows temperatures in the single digits during Chicago’s winter months. “You have to get it in when you can,” Bukovac says with a laugh. For Bukovac, her morning runs are usually an opportunity to think through the day ahead and organize her thoughts, from what she wants to accomplish to where her kids need to be and when. In fact, the new Vice Chairman of PwC’s Mid-Central Region equates running to having a career.

Finding Success in Balance

“When you’re out for a run, sometimes the best thing to do is to slow down for a bit and then speed up when you’re ready,” says Bukovac. “I think the same holds true in our professional lives as well. Sometimes we have to pull back and then accelerate forward when the time is right.”

Bukovac’s career with PwC began over 25 years ago as an auditor in Chicago where she supported PwC’s international tax practice during their busy season, working with both U.S. companies expanding their international footprint and foreign companies doing business in the United States. But once she had her first daughter, she left the firm to work for a client, worried that she wouldn’t be able to balance working at a professional services firm with her family.

“Looking back at that time in my life, I made a really big career decision without stopping to consider what might be possible at PwC. In fact, there were options, but I didn’t ask. I just assumed,” Bukovac said. Three years later, when her husband took a job requiring the family to move to Boston, Bukovac considered a potential return to the professional services industry and to her old firm.

But there were still many assumptions that she needed to overcome – mainly in figuring out how she would be able to balance client commitments while running a household and also having a working spouse. “When I returned to PwC as a senior tax manager, it was critical for me to have direct communication about my schedule with my teams, my clients and the partners for whom I worked,” Bukovac said. What she found was that more people were understanding and supportive of her schedule as they had similar situations and could rely on her to get the work done.

The move would eventually pay off for Bukovac as a couple years later, she was named partner in the international tax group. After working as a PwC partner full-time for several years, she challenged her own assumptions again and asked her leaders for an 80 percent work schedule with Fridays off. “With two young daughters, it was important for me to be involved in their classrooms and connect with the other professional moms who were similarly choosing to take a day at home,” Bukovac said.

Throughout the years, she has continued to appreciate the focus PwC places on flexibility, which she says is the reason she’s been able to advance her career and be successful in her different roles, while still feeling positive about the balance she has achieved with her family.

A Passion for Mentoring Women

As proud as Bukovac was to become partner, she says her greatest professional achievement has been helping to promote other partners. She has sponsored five women on their path to partner, and she describes the feeling as “incomparable” to see their accomplishments and how far they’ve come.

In fact, she says that identifying a role model and mentor was one of the defining moments of her career, knowing she had superiors of whom she could ask questions. While it’s important for both men and women, she says it’s even more critical for women, particularly as they work to achieve balance.

She has a particular interest in tempering the notion that women need to leave challenging positions in order to simultaneously fulfill work and family goals. “You don’t have to opt out of promotions or the next step; women often assume they don’t have the ability to achieve those higher roles, without ever asking,” Bukovac says. She notes that at PwC, all partners and staff are encouraged to communicate both their personal and professional goals with their managers and staff as there are many programs and policies in place to support individuals’ choices both in and out of the office.

“The roads we run all have twists and turns along the way. So do our careers. Sometimes it’s best to slow down, and other times we need to speed up. It’s important to remember that there isn’t one right choice and having the right guidance along the way makes all the difference. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my mentors,” Bukovac says.

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Voice of Experience: Vivian Flynn, Managing Director of Investor Relations, Pomona Capital

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 By Cathie Ericson

“You have to keep things in perspective throughout your career,” says Pomona Capital’s Vivian Flynn. Vivian Flynn

“A career is not a sprint. It’s a marathon, and each stage is about learning, developing and adding to your foundation. You have to expect to make mistakes, but it’s important to learn from them,”

She adds that, “Successful professionals will remember the fundamental importance of staying true and honest to yourself. By recognizing and embracing both your strengths and weaknesses, you define the unique tools you bring to the table. Be confident and know that you belong. Own your accomplishments and celebrate your achievements, and don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone.”

A Front Seat to Industry Evolution

Vivian describes her path as atypical, having attended law school rather than business school like many of her counterparts. The decision paid off. Her legal background provided an incredible foundation to develop skills, such as problem solving and negotiation, she knew she would need regardless of what role she accepted.
Her first job out of law school was in equity operations at Deutsche Bank. She soon parlayed that experience into a role in Goldman Sachs’ Pension Services Group, which was her first introduction to capital raising and investor relations. In this role she developed a niche focusing on real estate private equity and soon moved onto Goldman’s real estate team.

She joined Pomona, which has a strategic partnership with Voya Financial, in 2010, where she became part of an established, yet entrepreneurial, organization. Vivian says that this position offered her “a clean sheet of paper” to help reorganize the business development function. The autonomy and ability to work with a small group of less than 50 people was an excellent opportunity that offered an environment where she could strategically and thoughtfully use her skillset that had been developed throughout her career.

Vivian has now spent 17 years in the alternative space working with both hedge funds and private equity funds, which she calls, “challenging and rewarding — both personally and professionally.” “Building long-term relationships and trust with our investors is what makes my job so fulfilling,” says Vivian.

“Being a part of an environment that changes every day is exciting and forces you to always be on top of your game.”

While some professionals in her field might name their most important accomplishment as their title or how much capital they have raised, Vivian says that she is most proud of how she has controlled various steps throughout her career and navigated through unexpected circumstances while remaining true to herself and never compromising her values.

Vivian appreciates the latitude she’s had with Pomona; while many firms divide investor relations and business development into two groups, she’s always preferred having them together because she believes that the two roles go hand-in-hand. “Relationships with investors don’t end once you get their commitment,” she says. “You have to be able to articulate a product or strategy, but you also need to be able to connect with investors and understand their unique needs to provide solutions.” She finds that the consultative approach she learned at Goldman has helped her along the way.

Over the years, Vivian has witnessed the evolution of investor relations and business development. When she first started, it was not uncommon to raise a multi-billion-dollar fund in a matter of months, but now, it is not uncommon for an investor’s due diligence and decision-making process to take 6 to 12 months, a trend she sees continuing. Additionally, she has seen both the investor relations and businesses development components emerge as important and critical parts to any firm in the industry, a progression that she is excited has occurred.

 

Addressing Women’s Challenges in the Industry through Support

While fewer women tend to enter and stay in the finance industry, Vivian sees this as an issue that starts at a young age and how different genders are steered in their educational development and rewarded for their behavior.

“We need to encourage young girls to pursue studies in areas where boys tend to be seen more prominently, such as in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It won’t happen overnight, but it can make significant difference down the road,” says Vivian, noting that although the finance industry has made strides, there’s still more to be done.

To that end, Vivian believes that women at senior levels have a fundamental responsibility to act as role models on a daily basis, including displaying confidence and encouraging junior women to seek their place at the table. “We need to inspire young women and provide guidance and opportunities that push them and encourage them to step out of their comfort zone.”

At her firm, she is proud that senior women are represented broadly. Women make up nearly half of the employees, and 1/3 of senior leaders, including two partners.

One of her first career memories was an early mentor who, no matter what, would thank the team and treat everyone equally, and even roll up her own sleeves to achieve success. “This simple approach left a huge and lasting impression on me. I try to practice it every day and set an example for others,” Vivian says.

“It’s important to say thank you and let everyone know how hard the junior staff worked when you accomplish a goal.”

The daughter of Greek immigrants, she appreciates that her parents were ahead of their time in educating her and providing her with the same opportunities as her two brothers.

“Now that I have my own daughter, I hope to show her the endless possibilities I felt, and impress upon her that, with hard work, she can accomplish anything,” says Vivian. “My own success is not just for me; it’s also for my daughter in providing her with an example of going after what you want and achieving your goals.”

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Mover and Shaker: Yuko Ikeda, Vice President, Senior Human Resources Generalist, Voya Investment Management

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yuko ikedaBy Cathie Ericson

Yuko Ikeda carries with her the image of a young woman navigating the streets of New York, holding a tote bag emblazoned with the words “Carry yourself with the confidence of a man.”

To her that is the epitome of what will help women succeed in the workplace. “I believe some women create their own barriers by underestimating their abilities and waiting too long to grab opportunities,” she says. “Also, projecting confidence is a big part of advancing your career. Generally, men do this better than women.”

This is why she advises young women to work hard, but effectively, and with a purpose. “Be smart by having a keen focus on the big picture,” she says. “You have to understand your business and how your company makes money, and then develop a line of sight to how you connect to that and how you can contribute. Volunteer to fill gaps and look around to find ways to help the team succeed with the interests of the firm at heart.”

She recalls the words of one of her sources of inspiration, General Electric’s Jack Welch, who reminds people to “Control your destiny or someone else will.”

“While hard work is only the ticket to entry, high performance will broaden your choices since people are watching and will offer you new opportunities,” says Yuko.

Creating Her Own Success

Ikeda has seen that philosophy at work as she has created her own HR trajectory.

Born and raised in Japan, Ikeda started her career in the Tokyo human resource offices of American companies. Her first stint was with semiconductor firm General Instruments; since they didn’t have an official HR department, she describes her three years there as a time of self-learning, where she attended seminars and read books to understand HR theories and best practices. She was fortunate to have a great mentor who guided her throughout her time there, which demonstrated the importance of having mentors in your life. After that valuable experience, she developed relationships with two other life mentors later in her career – one Japanese and one American – who became indispensable in her personal development which she cherishes to this day.

During her tenure, she built the infrastructure they needed, implementing various processes such as customized performance reviews, all without formal training. “It was like creating my own business school curriculum where I would apply theories and make them practical,” she says.

Thanks to her active participation in one particular seminar she attended, she was noticed by GE Capital and recruited there, an important move considering GE is known as a luminary and trailblazer in the HR field. Their well-established HR function helped propel her to the next phase of her career. “It was like drinking from a fire hose,” she says.

She was offered to be on GE’s “HR Leadership Program (HRLP)”, a program designed to help develop and nurture the leadership pipeline at GE . She rotated through stretch assignments and global seminars during the two-year program, giving her career an enormous boost. At the end of the program, she was assigned to be head of recruitment, leading a group of older team members, many of them male. She quickly found that not all of them felt comfortable being managed by a younger female, which ultimately offered another step in her growth.

When AIG acquired one of the units, Ikeda was chosen to be the head of Japan human resources for their asset management arm, AIG Global Investment Group. This opportunity constituted a major promotion which she held for four years. At the time she was reporting to the global head of human resources who asked her in 2008 if she would be interested in a newly created global HR Generalist role based out of the New York office. In this new role, Ikeda partnered with the equities, fixed income and business development teams on a global basis. A month later, the AIG meltdown occurred, which expanded her responsibilities to include leading the HR effort on the separation and divestiture activities. This gave her invaluable experience with change management and navigating through uncertainties.

Five years ago, she moved to Voya Investment Management, working with various investment platforms as a senior HR generalist. She is currently leading the talent review process, where the senior leadership team comes together for a full day to discuss succession planning as well as identifying emerging talent for Voya’s future leadership pipeline and building bench strength. “We are entrusted with people’s money, so it’s vital to have a strong succession plan in place to ensure our clients remain our focus and their money we are entrusted with has the best talent overseeing it.”

A key part of that is talent retention; she is proud that Voya Investment Management is routinely named one of the best places to work, which reflects well on its culture and provides an important differentiator in a saturated industry.

“Our focus on culture and talent development not only leads to better company performance but also provides a competitive edge,” she notes. “When we are in the finals or part of a due diligence process, we may be competing against companies with similarly strong performance and competitive fees, so we believe that culture is increasingly becoming a key decision factor.”

Being Mindful Can Help Reduce Unconscious Bias

Ikeda believes it’s important to be mindful for two key reasons. “One, it helps you grow – the more conscious and focused you are on the moving parts, the more you see the connections between the tasks you are busy fulfilling, as opposed to being on auto pilot.”

Secondly, she says that being mindful will allow professionals to see deeper into unconscious bias to help identify it and make an effort to explore with curiosity how to address it. “This concept has been increasingly a part of our conversation, and we have to deepen our understanding of why it happens, which is the only way we can work toward changing it.”

She believes that it’s important for professionals to choose a company that is consciously making an effort in diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as Voya is with the women’s network and various other programs of which she is a part.

When not helping improve HR at Voya, Ikeda enjoys traveling with her life partner, particularly seeking out experiences where she can be in nature. “It gives me perspective in life and renews the energy I bring to my work,” she says.

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