Voice of Experience: Lisa Jacobs, Partner, Capital Markets Practice, Shearman & Sterling

This week The Glass Hammer is publishing a series of profiles on top leaders in corporate diversity. Check back all week long to learn about the women making a difference.

LisaJacobsBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

After working as a part-time lawyer for the majority of her career, today Lisa Jacobs is a high-profile lawyer at Shearman & Sterling, a prominent member of the firm’s Diversity Committee and a staunch supporter of women in law. She wants women to know: you can build the life and career you want.

“I’m not a subscriber to the Sheryl Sandberg ‘ambition gap’ idea,” said Jacobs, a partner in Shearman & Sterling’s Capital Markets Practice in New York. “Success is how you define it.”

“I’m not a woman partner who will tell you, ‘this is what success is,’” she added. “Success is what you want it to be and what you take it to be. I wanted a family and to be a truly participatory mom – and I wanted to be a deal lawyer. Fortunately, I found a way to do both.”

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Voice of Experience: Joanne Rodgers, Chief Diversity Officer, New York Life

This week The Glass Hammer is publishing a series of profiles on top leaders in corporate diversity. Check back all week long to learn about the women making a difference.

JoanneRodgersBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Joanne Rodgers, now Chief Diversity Officer at New York Life, began her career at the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA) before moving to New York Life’s Compliance Department. Eighteen years later, Rodgers has held a variety of roles in the company, moving from compliance to marketing and, most recently, corporate strategy. “I also had the opportunity to head up the company’s women’s leadership program and that definitely helped with my new role as Chief Diversity Officer,” she said. Rodgers says she is looking forward to promoting diversity on a broader scale.

Having just moved into the CDO role this year, she is now charting the future diversity strategy for the company. “I’m currently working with all of the business units to analyze and develop our diversity strategies so that we remain an employer of choice. My experience in the corporate strategy group has been a real asset, since much of my work involved working with the business units, being engaged with critical strategic goals and understanding the environmental landscape that affects us. My directive is to make sure New York Life has strong diversity and inclusion practices and I am pleased that my colleagues at New York Life take this very seriously.”

She continued, “If you simply look at the changing demographics in this country, the business case for diversity becomes more apparent based on the makeup of our customers and of the workforce today and in the future.”

“We want to really consider how those changing demographics affect us as an organization and how our increasingly diverse workforce can make us a better company.”

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Voice of Experience: Laura Friedrich, Partner, Global Asset Management Group, Shearman & Sterling

Laura FriedrichBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

In her position as a leading private equity funds lawyer and as a former hiring partner at global law firm Shearman & Sterling in New York, Laura Friedrich has learned a few things about work/life balance.

“I have two children spread ten and a half years apart,” she said. “I had my first when I was a fifth-year associate, then I had another last year. It’s interesting to see how different it feels this time – easier in some ways and harder in others.”

Friedrich is adamant in her recommendation that junior women commit to their careers for the longer term, despite periodic work/life challenges. “Too many women are looking to have everything exactly how they want it throughout their whole career,” she said. “But you’ve got to take the ups and downs as they come. I think women drop off the fast-track too soon. Anticipating that it’s going to be difficult, they don’t even try.”

“I love my career and I love my family,” she continued. “Sometimes I do feel stretched thin, but I wouldn’t give up any of it.”

In fact, when she first began her career, she herself didn’t anticipate the level she would reach in the profession. “But the momentum kept me going,” Friedrich said, “and I stayed, and I love what I do now.”

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Voice of Experience: Jennifer McLaughlin, Senior Executive, CMT Operating Group, North America, Accenture

JenniferMcLaughlinBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Jennifer McLaughlin has spent a two-decade career at Accenture, all of it working with clients in the communications area. It should be no surprise, then, that one of McLaughlin’s key lessons is the importance of clear communication.

“One of the things I’ve learned in my career is how openly you should communicate. When I was younger, I would second guess and form opinions about how people would receive what I had to say – instead of just openly communicating.”

That went for client work and her own professional needs – like flex work, she explained. “But I’ve learned that when you’re direct, you just get a better result. There’s more transparency about where you stand with others and that’s important.”

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Voice of Experience: Shona Milne, CFO EMEA, Deutsche Bank

shonamilneBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

After spending more than twenty-five years in investment banking in London, Shona Milne has taken on quite a few big roles. Now CFO for EMEA and Managing Director of EMEA Finance at Deutsche Bank’s London office, Milne is responsible for 27 countries.

But today, she’s also passionately focused on her position as a role model for women and LGBT individuals at the firm.

“I suppose I should be telling you my proudest achievements have been something like building a global finance function for equities or EMEA,” she said. “But actually what gives me more pride is my involvement in Deutsche Bank’s diversity networks, particularly being a senior sponsor of the LGBT network.”

“A few years ago I realized that I had to give something back, that I had the ability as a Managing Director to be a positive role model. There are not many people who are out at the Managing Director level, and it’s a privilege for those of us who are to be able to make a difference on this topic.”

She mentioned her involvement in Deutsche Bank’s web videos on diversity, participation in chairing diversity networks, and speaking on LGBT issues at events. “It’s incredibly rewarding. And maybe as you get older you become more comfortable about doing these things. You want to be a role model, not just for LGBT, but for senior women as well, and other diversity networks.”

“That gives me personal pride,” she added.

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Voice of Experience: Melissa Butler, Partner, Capital Markets Group, White & Case

MelissaButlerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

After graduating from the University of Colorado – Boulder, Melissa Butler, now partner at White & Case, went on to study law at Georgetown. In 2001, she started her career working in corporate finance at Thacher Proffitt & Wood. “Then in 2006, after a particularly horrendous transaction, I got a call asking if I’d like to move to London… and I said sure,” she recalled with a laugh.

The call came from White & Case, and shortly thereafter, she joined the firm’s London Capital Markets Group focusing on US securities. Early this year, Butler was named partner – and, she says, this is her proudest achievement. “It’s the most amazing thing I’ve accomplished in my professional career.”

Currently Butler is fascinated by her current work in Africa. “It’s so exciting to work in a places that are not tainted with this idea that everyone knows everything. My clients really appreciate my advice as counsel, and I’m really contributing to the development of the market. I love it.”

In general, she continued, “As a securities lawyer, there are a lot of interesting developments, like issues around the new JOBs Act. As the world changes, the question is how we apply security acts from nearly 100 years ago to today’s markets.”

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Voice of Experience: Kimberly Wood, Senior Partner, Central Market Business Leader, Mercer Investments

kimwoodBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Kimberly Wood, Senior Partner and Central Market Business Leader at Mercer Investments, believes that mentoring the next generation is an important responsibility for senior leaders. She encouraged seasoned women to reach out to the next generation. “I don’t think senior women can do enough,” she said. “I think we need to do a lot more in terms of mentoring, coaching, and being a support system.”

Wood, who spent the majority of her career at in finance and asset management at Ford Motor Company before joining the burgeoning field of implemented consulting (or Outsourced CIO) at Mercer, has taken this responsibility to heart.

“When I go back to my college or do speaking engagements, I get a lot of questions. They really want to know what you’ve been through – both the women and the men actually,” she said.

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Voice of Experience: Deborah Freer, Chief Operating Officer, US, RBC Capital Markets

DebbieFreerBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Deborah Freer, U.S. Chief Operating Officer at RBC Capital Markets, began her career over three decades ago, and says she believes strongly in the importance of women helping women, and of being a mentor.

For example, looking back on her own early career, Freer said, “I wish I had a little more insight into how to deal with certain types of people. My first 10 years would have been easier. I wish I had had more insight into how things ultimately work in this business.”

It is fortunate, then, for Freer’s niece, who is beginning her own career on Wall Street. Her aunt has amassed a slew of advice to share with her. “I tell her, ‘Keep your eyes open, every single day. You can’t think for a second that you’re not going to learn or add value.’”

She continued, “The other thing is that you have to do your job really well before you start trying for the next one. You need to prove you can ace a job before you get considered for the next promotion. And always ask for feedback. Push people into telling you how you’re doing whether it’s good or bad. And don’t be afraid to try new things.”

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Voice of Experience: Judy Wesalo Temel, Principal and Director of Credit Research, Samson Capital Advisors

JudyWesaloTemelBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Judy Wesalo Temel, Principal and Director of Credit Research at Samson Capital Advisors, believes enthusiasm about your work is crucial for a successful career.

“You have to be passionate about what you’re doing,” she explained. “You are not going to be successful unless you really care about your field. Read and absorb new developments and do not get stuck in a rut.”

“A colleague once told me, ‘If you go home at night without learning something new every day, you haven’t done your job.’ This advice applies to everyone, no matter what area you’re in,” she added.

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Voice of Experience: Doreen Lilienfeld, Partner, Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits Group, Shearman & Sterling

doreenlilienfeldBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Doreen Lilienfeld, a partner in the Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits Group at global law firm Shearman & Sterling, has established her reputation as a leading executive compensation lawyer through exceptional client work and thought leadership initiatives like article writing and speaking opportunities.

But when it comes to career advancement in the legal profession, Lilienfeld believes that establishing and maintaining relationships is key. In her experience, networking matters.

“Everyone is a potential contact,” she says. “You never know where the people you meet along the way are going to wind up. You see people move from one path of life to another. To the extent that you can network earlier in your career rather than later, and keep those contacts, it is incredibly useful later in life.”

Part of that networking should be internal, she suggests. Having climbed the ranks at Shearman & Sterling’s Frankfurt, London, Bay Area, and New York offices, Lilienfeld emphasizes that the benefits of finding a role model can be considerable. “Get a mentor,” she says. “It’s the most critical piece of advice I can give anyone for career success.”

But earning the support of colleagues is not automatic. It requires delivering on commitments and nurturing key relationships all along the way. “You need to stay connected and have a team dedicated to your success throughout your career,” she explains.

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