Voice of Experience: Michelle Bottomley, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Mercer

Michelle bottomley“Work for bold and brave people – intent on creating positive change.” This is advice Michelle Bottomley, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Mercer, encourages young female professionals to follow.

“When you work for brave leaders intent on transforming their business – and partner across the firm – you have the impetus and opportunity to develop a holistic view that leads to more powerful solutions than any one person alone could have on their own,” advised Bottomley.

Turning Data Analysis into Strategic Decisions

Bottomley graduated from college with a dual degree in Economics and Biology, and was especially drawn toward statistics. She recalled, “I started my career in the corporate research department at Liberty Mutual Insurance. I was working toward my Ph.D. in Econometrics, and lucky to work with their corporate database – one of the most advanced at the time.” Bottomley added, “I was able to see the process of how data analyses were translated into corporate strategies.”

This early experience sparked Bottomley’s passion for looking at businesses through the lens of customer data. Recognizing this interest in unlocking customer value led Bottomley to Bronner Slosberg Humphrey – now Digitas –where she grew the analytics function into a strategic capability. “I was very fortunate to begin my career around data, putting the spotlight on how marketing programs drive customer behavior change in ways that help companies grow their business,” said Bottomley.

From Insights to Action

During her time at Bronner, Bottomley shifted from the analytics side of marketing to a strategic client management role when a colleague suggested that she utilize her analysis skills and her talent of really understanding the implications of data in order to build strategies and programs that grow client relationships. Bottomley noted, “I really enjoyed working with clients to help them connect the dots between their target audiences, highly targeted marketing programs and revenue growth.”

Bottomley’s next career step brought her to Epsilon, a leading data-driven marketing company, where she worked in the travel and entertainment area with clients like Disney, Enterprise Rental Cars, Dayton-Hudson and AMEX Platinum on building databases, segmentation and targeted communications to increase customer loyalty. “This was a fantastic time to be at Epsilon as they had lots of data and loyalty programs and clients who wanted to connect the dots between the data, communications and ROI,” said Bottomley.

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Movers and Shakers: Emily Griffen, Counsel, Shearman & Sterling

griffen_emily_webWelcome to Pride Week on The Glass Hammer — we’ll be profiling successful LGBT business women all week long!

As a litigator, Emily Griffen is accustomed to speaking out in court or in legal meetings on behalf of her clients. But, like most people and especially women, speaking out about her career didn’t come quite as easily.

That is why Griffen, a litigation Counsel in global law firm Shearman & Sterling’s Bay Area offices, advises other women to have confidence in their skills and knowledge.

“Be vocal about your career interests and find people who will give you the opportunity to share your opinion,” she says. “This is how you will learn and grow.”

Career in Litigation

To date, that approach has taken her far, even though she didn’t really have a definitive career plan set in stone after college. According to Griffen, she was drawn to law school and especially litigation because of the complexity of the subject matter and the enjoyment she found in grappling with challenging legal concepts. She honed her strengths, identified her interests and aligned her passion for legal research, analysis and brief writing with her ultimate professional goal: to join a global law firm with a strong litigation group.

When Griffen started at Shearman & Sterling’s San Francisco office, she was involved in a number of securities class action and shareholder derivative cases, but as the scope of the litigation group has expanded, so have Griffen’s role and responsibilities. In recent years, her work has grown to include white collar crime and consumer class action suits, as well as securities and corporate governance litigation, for major clients like LG Electronics Inc. and Toyota Motor Corporation – and that variety is something Griffen is excited about. She works regularly with Shearman & Sterling’s litigation partners in the Bay Area – Patrick Robbins, Jeffrey Facter and Stephen Hibbard – as well as with the firm’s other litigation partners and senior lawyers around the world. Griffen also spent a one-year rotation in Shearman’s international arbitration group in the firm’s Paris office, and continues to work with that group from time to time as well.

In Griffen’s field, it is somewhat rare for a case to go to trial – most disputes are settled well before a jury is empaneled. Yet in only her fourth year as a lawyer, Griffen found herself immersed in a three-week-long jury trial in San Jose in a securities-related employment dispute. “This was an incredible and unique experience for me so early in my career,” said Griffen, who argued complicated pre-trial motions in front of the judge and questioned witnesses at trial. “We won the case, obtaining a complete defense verdict, and I feel so fortunate to have had such a rewarding experience, which is rare for a securities litigator.”

More recently, Griffen found herself on the eve of trial again when she was part of the defense team representing the former CFO of a Silicon Valley software company in a civil enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange Commission. “We obtained a favorable settlement for our client at the last minute after years of litigation, but we had to prepare our case as if we were going to trial. It was a very exciting case to be involved in,” said Griffen. As part of the settlement avoiding trial, the SEC agreed to drop all of its fraud claims against Griffen’s client.

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Susie Scher, Managing Director and Head of Investment Grade Capital Markets/Syndicate and Liability Management, Goldman Sachs

Susie Scher “For the first fourteen years of my career, I was not out at work. I think this was a self-imposed barrier that was holding me back,” said Susie Scher, Managing Director and Head of Investment Grade Capital Markets/Syndicate and Liability Management, Goldman Sachs.

“It was a turning point in my career when I decided that I just couldn’t hide anymore. I was able to be myself at work all the time,” she added, “and everyone at Goldman Sachs was so incredibly supportive and accepting.”

Her Beginnings in Banking

Although Scher has had a long and fulfilling career in banking, she attributes her start in the industry to serendipity. When Scher entered her final year at Middlebury College as a Political Science major with a minor in English, she was certain that she would either become a lawyer or a writer upon graduation.

Scher did not pursue either of these paths, and instead decided to enter the workforce. “I applied for a bunch of different jobs in banking, consulting, advertising, and marketing, among others,” recalled Scher, “and ended up with thirteen interviews at different companies, including a handful of investment banks.”

Even though Scher had developed a bit of an aversion to math growing up, she did not let this deter her from pursuing a car

eer in banking. She explained, “I loved the energy of the people who interviewed me for the investment banking jobs. They were smart, type A, young individuals, and I thought it would be a lot of fun to work for and alongside those people.”

After the interview process, Scher accepted a job with Salomon Brothers, and the feeling she had about the energy of the business was spot on. Moreover, Scher began to realize that she had an affinity for understanding corporate finance and how companies operated from a strategic perspective.

“I decided to go to business school at Columbia after three years at Solomon Brothers to obtain a broader view of corporate America. Here, it clicked for me that corporate finance was a story being told with numbers,” Scher said. “This is when I realized that banking was for me.”

In business school, Scher also became very interested by how external factors impact the markets, and thus impact businesses. “I paired my interests in corporate finance and the markets and landed in a capital markets function which marries advising companies and executing transactions,” she said.

Her Work at Goldman Sachs

Currently, as head of Investment Grade Capital Markets/Syndicate and Liability Management, Scher takes a lot of pride in the growth of this business considering just ten years ago, the firm was not as strong in the investment grade bond business as it is today. Now, Scher and her team handle many high profile deals and attract even more business when the markets are tumultuous.

“I advise big cap companies on financing, risk management and capital structure,” said Scher, “and right now I am focusing a lot on capital structure optimization and helping companies with the complexities of M&A transactions in a global market.”

She added, “Our clients rely on us for our judgment on complex deals or during tough markets, and I am proud to have been a part of the rebuilding and restructuring of the investment grade debt finance business over the last decade.”

According to Scher, one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is having the opportunity to work with some of the most interesting and exciting clients in the world. “I am also really interested in how technology will continue to transform our industry and how we do business in the future,” explained Scher.

Her Experience as a LGBT Woman in Banking

“As a gay woman in banking, I do not feel like I have encountered insurmountable hurdles,” Scher remarked. “The path to success requires all of us –men, women, gay people and straight people –to think about how to be strategic about our careers,” she added.

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Voice of Experience: Yas Banifatemi, Partner, Shearman & Sterling

Yas BanifatemiEvery day is a new day for Yas Banifatemi, a partner at Shearman & Sterling in Paris. An internationally acclaimed leader in international arbitration and public international law, Banifatemi works in an area of law that is very fluid and where clients regularly confront highly complex – and often emerging – issues.

“What I love about arbitration is that this is a field where you can truly be creative,” she says. “The law is in the making, so you can be a pioneer of the law.”

In many ways, Banifatemi has already been a pioneer. When she joined Shearman & Sterling 17 years ago, the arbitration field was clearly male-dominated. Today, not only is she the head of the firm’s Public International Law practice, but she was instrumental in the development of the firm’s investment arbitration practice and also acts as deputy managing partner of the firm’s Paris office. In her different capacities, she has seen more and more women in senior corporate and government roles and at her firm.

Beginning Her Career in Arbitration

Banifatemi joined Shearman & Sterling’s arbitration practice in 1997 after earning her doctorate in International Law from Panthéon-Assas University in Paris and her Masters of Law from Harvard. “It was quite a hectic year for me as I was juggling between my studies at Harvard and completing my PhD and writing my dissertation,” she says.

Before joining the firm, Banifatemi had considered a career in academia, but after studying under Arthur van Mehren at Harvard, a leading figure in arbitration in the US, she decided to practice law. “I wanted to be engaged in the process and be an agent of change – to make a difference instead of staying behind the scenes and merely reflecting on matters,” Banifatemi says. “Given how few firms practiced arbitration back then and how few positions existed in the field, joining Shearman’s arbitration practice and having the opportunity to work with Emmanuel Gaillard, one of the world’s leading figures in arbitration, felt like a miracle.”

Although a practitioner first and foremost, Banifatemi has been fortunate enough to indulge her academic interests, conducting seminars in Paris and all over the world and being a co-founder of the Arbitration Academy, an international institution providing for advanced courses in the field.

Overcoming the Odds

Many naysayers told Banifatemi that it was practically impossible to become a practitioner in public international law, which governs the rights and obligations of states and international organizations. International arbitration seemed like the safer bet, and Banifatemi initially focused her efforts on this area of law instead. However, she persisted in her quest to become a specialist in public international law, and as fate would have it, she worked on a matter that would change her career path.

“Three months after I started,” she recalls, “Shearman & Sterling landed a major treaty arbitration case for Slovakia. We were one of the first firms to work on treaty arbitration. I worked specifically on the international law aspects of the case and have been engaged in treaty arbitration and public international law issues ever since.”

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Voice of Experience: Daphne Karydas, Director, Senior Equity Analyst, The Boston Company Asset Management LLC

women-workingEarly on in her career, Daphne Karydas learned that a key component of success is to match your skills and talents with your interests and passions. After studying chemical engineering at MIT, Karydas entered the pharmaceutical industry where she worked in research and development at Merck for about 3 years.

Seeking a different career path, she decided to earn her MBA from Harvard Business School and proceeded to work as an Investment Banker in the Healthcare sector at Goldman Sachs for 4 years.

“I was not able to leverage my entire skill set in investment banking,” explained Karydas, “and it was important for me to find a role that fully utilized my skill set and professional interests.”

Career in Asset Management

It wasn’t until Karydas transitioned into Asset Management as a healthcare analyst that she felt truly fulfilled by her career path. “The nature of the industry gives me the opportunity to utilize my scientific background and financial markets training while still being able achieve a healthy work-life balance,” she said.

Now, as a Director and Senior Equity Analyst at The Boston Company, Karydas says one of the exciting aspects of her job is moving away from traditional models and incorporating more alternative strategies to maximize the portfolio performance. “It is challenging but interesting work trying to determine new ways to add value for clients,” Karydas noted.

Women in Asset Management: Mentoring is Key

According to Karydas, there is a still a wide leadership gap in asset management, but she is encouraged by the increasing number of women she sees emerging in the industry. As more female asset managers are coming on to the scene, Karydas emphasized just how important mentoring and sponsorship will be in developing the next generation.

“The cycle of mentoring is critical,” Karydas noted, “and when you have influential leaders taking the time to identify young talent and help them navigate their careers, there can be a big impact..”

Finding a mentor and developing that relationship is important to career advancement, but Karydas also stresses the value of hard work and dedication. “Performance matters in Asset Management so you have to work hard and be proactive about your career,” she advised.

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Voice of Experience: Susan Soh, Partner and Global Head of Marketing and Client Services, Perella Weinberg Partners

Susan SohSomeone once asked Susan Soh, a partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, what she would do if she was to retire today. Her response:

“I would choose to do exactly what I do now because I love it,” said Soh.

If there is one underlying theme that has followed Soh throughout her career, it is that you must be passionate about your work. She first discovered this valuable tenet early in her professional life.

Building a Rewarding Career

Soh, as it turns out, did not always think she would enter the world of financial services. In fact, after graduating from Harvard Law School, she had aspirations of moving to Asia to become a successful attorney. Her trajectory changed, however, when she realized that the corporate legal environment did not ignite a spark in her. “I knew very early on that I would not be happy in a career doing something for which I lacked passion,” said Soh.

Soh, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yale University, recalled her interest in finance and decided to pursue a career in banking. “The M&A market was heating up at the time and many firms were in search of reformed lawyers to join their team,” explained Soh. She accepted a position as an M&A banker at Bear Stearns. “I worked long, hard hours,” said Soh, “but I loved every minute of it.”

While in this role, Soh expanded her interests and moved to the merchant banking business at Bear Stearns where she worked on private equity investments as well as marketing for the firm’s first institutional fund. That turned into a full-time marketing role, which launched her career in asset raising. When an opportunity presented itself to get in on the ground floor at Lightyear Capital, Soh jumped at the chance to join a venture that appealed to her entrepreneurial nature. It was at Lightyear Capital that she was exposed to the hedge fund industry, an emerging space at the time.

In 2003, Soh entered the hedge fund industry, which brought a whole new world of dynamic markets and different strategies than she had previously experienced in the private equity world. “Very few people make the transition from private equity to hedge funds, so this was definitely new ground for me, but I always found being open to change and new challenges was one of the best ways to advance in your career,” she explained.

During this period, Soh was responsible for hedge fund business development at Highbridge Capital Management. “It was extremely exciting and a great learning experience as I was responsible for marketing each sub-strategy in Highbridge’s multi-strategy fund as a new standalone funds. It was there that I had the opportunity to be mentored by Glenn Dubin, one of the great titans of the hedge fund industry.”

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Voice of Experience: Kris Muller, Partner and Assurance Strategy Leader, PwC

Kris Muller PwCFor Kris Muller, Partner and Assurance Strategy Leader at PwC, many doors opened for her throughout her career as a result of saying, “Yes.” Early on in her career, Muller was fortunate enough to be recognized by key decision makers who would recommend her for stretch assignments, thus furthering her career.

“I was lucky in this way,” said Muller, “but I wish I had realized that you can advocate for yourself and have more influence in your career.”

Muller, who will be celebrating 30 years with PwC in August, urges young women to be proactive in their careers. She advised, “Don’t wait for opportunities to fall into your lap. Be vocal and go after exactly what you want.” PwC’s approach to real-time feedback and development, in which leaders provide performance feedback throughout the year, rather than only during the traditional annual performance review process, creates opportunities for such conversations and requests to take place.

Career Path

Muller graduated from college with one goal in mind: to be the best at whatever she did. This drive and dedication has been the foundation for Muller’s rewarding career at PwC. She began her journey at PwC’s Stamford, CT, office where she was part of the Assurance and Audit team.

When Muller’s mentor and coach at PwC approached her about moving to the Washington, D.C., office to start up the technology Internet group there, she accepted the opportunity. “It was during the Dotcom Bubble and we were busy working on countless IPOs,” recalled Muller, who became a partner during this time.

As Muller continued to progress, she joined PwC’s “chief auditor” network, which supports the methodology of the firm and focuses on the consistency and quality of the Assurance practice. She was also the Southeast Software Leader in addition to her responsibility as TICE (technology, infocomm, entertainment and media) team leader at the D.C. office.

In another pivotal conversation, Muller was asked by the same mentor and coach to move to Finland to join the Global TICE group in an Assurance and Audit capacity. She spent five years in Helsinki and was the lead on a top global account for PwC during this time. This experience gave her a whole new perspective, international awareness and broad professional and personal network.

Making an Impact

Currently, Muller is very excited about her strategy role within the US Assurance Leadership Team, which PwC’s current Assurance leader, Vin Colman, asked her to take on. She noted, “I love the forward looking nature of this role and the excitement of bringing it all together, seeing the progress, and being directly involved in the direction of our Firm. Vin has a thoughtful perspective about the transformation of our practice and the opportunities in the profession – it was an easy decision to join Vin and his team.”

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Voice of Experience: Miranda Brawn, Barrister and Director, Daiwa Capital

Miranda Brawn“Believe in yourself and exercise confidence,” said Miranda Brawn, Barrister and Director at Daiwa Capital in London. This, she added will help you face and overcome any hurdles you might encounter as you navigate your career to the top. “No one will invest their trust or confidence in you if you cannot invest it in yourself. Develop your skill base, learn and increase your knowledge to increase your confidence,” added Brawn.

One of Brawn’s first mentors advised her to treat this industry like a marathon, not a sprint. “There are far too many people who burn out and age rapidly due to burning the candle at both ends and not looking after themselves,” she said.

“Achieving a senior leadership role will not happen overnight,” Brawn added. “Stay focused and be patient.”

A Multitude of Experiences

When Brawn decided to enter the financial services industry after completing her A levels, she only intended to work for one year before entering University. Life, as it would have it, had other plans for her as she went on to enjoy a successful and multi-faceted career in the male-dominated worlds of financial services and law.

Since entering the workforce at age eighteen, Brawn has held many different roles at some of the world’s leading financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, and Deutsche Bank. She has also worked for law firms where she has acted as a consultant legal advisor. Currently, Brawn is a Director at Daiwa Capital, where her primary role is to manage the company’s legal risk across Europe for the derivatives and securities financing businesses.

“It is a transformational time for the industry right now as changes in banking regulations are presenting new challenges,” said Brawn.

Although she did not follow a strictly traditional path, Brawn is proud of the fact that she was able to complete all of her studies while working full-time in demanding positions. “I am not afraid of a challenge,” remarked Brawn, who has earned her MBA, Law degree, Journalism Diploma, and most recently, completed her studies in Political Philosophy at the University of Cambridge.

It is this same mentality that keeps Brawn busy outside of her daily 9-5 responsibilities. “I have other interests such as being a board director, barrister, freelance writer, motivational public speaker and now a brand ambassador for The Fold London,” said Brawn. Additionally, Brawn is also the founder and CEO of Pluto Law Limited.

Keeping Diversity on the Agenda

Brawn is very passionate about diversity issues, which is why she has been extremely committed to networking, mentoring, and sponsorship initiatives throughout her entire career. “I wish I had realized the value of having mentors early on in my career,” Brawn noted.

She continued, “It can be difficult for women to break into that established ‘old boys’ network especially within Front Office client facing roles where it is still pretty much a male dominated environment.” According to Brawn, women need to increase their networking efforts in order to gain the mentoring and sponsorship relationships that will ultimately have a positive impact on their career growth and advancement.

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Voice of Experience: Kim Posnett, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

kim posnettWelcome to The Glass Hammer’s Celebration of Asian Heritage Month! All month long we will be profiling successful women here in the US who have Asian heritage as well as spotlighting some amazing women in Asia and discussing what it means to work there.

According to Kim Posnett, a Managing Director in the Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) group in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs, diversity is something she became accustomed to early on in her life. “I was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised in New York City. I grew up as an American kid in multi-ethnic family with a Vietnamese mother and Swiss father,” she explained.

“I was always comfortable being different. More importantly, I grew up with the instinct to bridge gaps and find commonalities among different people. That has carried over into my professional career and has been very helpful,” Posnett added.

Career in Investment Banking

“I had a non-linear career path,” said Posnett, who attended Yale University to study History and Theater. After graduating Yale, Posnett moved to California in her early twenties to work in the media and entertainment industry. Then, in her late twenties, Posnett decided to make a career shift, and attended The Wharton School of Business to study finance and earn her MBA. After graduating from business school, Posnett joined Goldman Sachs. Early in her career, Goldman Sachs asked her to cover internet and eCommerce companies, which she has been doing ever since. Posnett noted, “I am fortunate to work with the leading internet, eCommerce, software and technology companies that are disrupting their industries through innovation and technology.” She finds that working with visionary founders, CEOs and CFOs is the most rewarding aspect of her job, and is something she has remained passionate about throughout her decade of working as a banker in the industry.

“I feel most proud when I know I have earned the trust, respect and loyalty of my clients,” Posnett added. “I am also incredibly proud of our Goldman team’s commitment, integrity and singular focus on helping clients, and helping each other.”

The pace of innovation in internet and eCommerce is exciting for Posnett, who enjoys working in a dynamic sector that is undergoing fundamental shifts. “We are entering a post-PC era,” said Posnett, “where consumers can transact anytime and anywhere off their mobile devices. Companies are leveraging data and analytics to drive personalization and relevance for their customers. Powerful interest communities and vertical content companies are changing the way people browse, discover and shop online. There’s much more — it’s a very exciting time.”

According to Posnett, there can be misperceptions about what a career in investment banking actually means. “I don’t think young people grasp how interesting and dynamic investment banking can be,” she explained, “especially in technology banking, where our clients are entrepreneurs who are changing the world as we know it. The job can be incredibly entrepreneurial and creative.”

Women in Investment Banking

“I think it is really important for young women to figure out what they want in life. Everyone has a different definition of happiness and success,” said Posnett. She explained how lucky she was to have her parents as role models. “They both loved what they did for a living, and as a result, they always encouraged me to pursue what I loved most,” she added.

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Voice of Experience: Grace Wang, Chief Financial Officer, Green Dot Corporation

women shaking handsWelcome to The Glass Hammer’s Celebration of Asian Heritage Month! All month long we will be profiling successful women here in the US who have Asian heritage as well as spotlighting some amazing women in Asia and discussing what it means to work there.

“Early on in your career, the quality of your work will get you noticed.” said Grace Wang, Chief Financial Officer at Green Dot Corporation, “But as you grow older and move up the scale, you have to be cognizant of how you partner, how you are perceived, and how you are helpful to others around you.”

Sharing experiences and giving back to the upcoming generation of women is extremely important to Wang, and she encourages women at all career levels to make sure they are supporting other women along the way.

Making a Difference in Her Career

Currently, Grace Wang serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Green Dot, the top provider of prepaid debit card products and prepaid card reloading services in the United States, and creator of the award winning mobile bank account, GoBank. “Throughout my career, I have always been drawn to roles where I am part of a team that is driving both innovation and change,” said Wang.

Wang began her professional career in management consulting working for A.T. Kearney, and later Booz, where she focused on financial services, telecomm, media, and technology companies. For the last nine+ years, Wang worked at JP Morgan, where she started as the Head of International Strategy and Business Development. In this role, she ran teams in EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Latin America for their $8 billion Treasury and Security Services business.

After this role, Wang advanced to become CFO for Europe, Middle East and Africa for the same business where she was responsible for managing several hundred people primarily based in London. Wang continued to grow with JP Morgan, eventually becoming CFO for their Investor Services business.

“At the beginning of my career with A.T. Kearney, I had the opportunity to help build out the financial services practice,” said Wang. “This experience sparked my passion for building businesses in addition to doing my day job of analysis and advising large banks and corporations.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of working for Green Dot is the mission and purpose driven environment, according to Wang. “This is a company that believes in existing for the consumers, especially those who are unbanked –which is an astonishing 50 million people in the U.S. alone –and need a way to make purchases,” she explained. “The Green Dot product suite gives people that capability.”

For example, Green Dot is currently partnering with the Steve Harvey Show to provide pre-loaded Green Dot prepaid debit cards to individuals who have made an impact in their community. “It is our way to say ‘thank you’ and recognize people making a difference who could use a hand themselves,” said Wang.

She continued, “It’s about launching, promoting, and building new products that are transforming the financial services landscape for the future in a way that is helpful to the people who need it the most.”

An Advocate for Women in the Workplace

A key moment in Wang’s career came when she was nominated for the Asian Women of Achievement Award in the business category while working in London, where she was based for 15 years. “The award was for sponsoring and supporting diversity in the workplace,” said Wang, who founded and led JP Morgan’s Women MDs committee in EMEA along with two other senior women at the firm.

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