Voice of Experience: Jennifer Barbetta, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, Alternative Investments & Manager Selection, Goldman Sachs

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Jennifer Barbetta“You should look at your career as a marathon, not a sprint,” advised Jennifer Barbetta, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Alternative Investments & Manager Selection business at Goldman Sachs. That’s one piece advice she said she likes to share with her junior team members and those she mentors.

In fact, Barbetta said, “Watching those I have mentored find success is one of my proudest achievements.” She believes in having candid and honest conversations with her team and mentees. “These conversations provide them with the tools to help lead them down the path to success.”

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Voice of Experience: Alison Rose, Head of Corporate Coverage and Client Management, EMEA, Global Banking & Markets, Royal Bank of Scotland

AlisonRoseBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Alison Rose’s advice for women in banking is to seek out and learn from the women who have gone before. She said, “Seek out role models and invest time your network. Role models are very helpful, particularly in an industry that is male dominated.”

Particularly sage advice, and after all, she should know. Having risen to the role of Head of Corporate Coverage and Client Management for the EMEA region in the Global Banking & Markets division of RBS, Rose is quite a role model herself. Now also leading the firm’s diversity initiative, she is a passionate supporter of attracting and retaining women in the industry.

“Helping women be successful is incredibly exciting and rewarding personally, but it’s also a critical business issue,” she said.

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Voice of Experience: Lis Brown, Application Management Outsourcing (AMO) Lead, Accenture

LisBrownBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Lis Brown, Accenture‘s Application Management Outsourcing (AMO) Lead, based in Singapore, is perhaps the most enthusiastic evangelist we’ve interviewed yet on the importance of relationship-building in the tech industry. According to Brown, working in IT is all about networking and building deep relationships.

“Don’t underestimate the power of networking. You don’t have to come out with your guns blazing to network,” she joked. “But in all that you do, you will become known.”

She continued, “And for women working in the tech space, you’ll be known as ‘the woman who…’ This is something that will just happen, but make sure it happens because you know something as well as someone. I’m probably best known for my ability to build relationships with clients at all levels.”

After over two decades in IT, with a career that has spanned the globe, Brown should know. She has been a passionate supporter of women taking charge of their professional growth in the tech space, as she continues to grow her own career.

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Voice of Experience: Joanne L. Alma, Managing Director, Head of IMD Technology for Europe & Asia, Goldman Sachs

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Joanne Alma“In my view, there are no particular barriers for women in technology,” began Jo Alma, Managing Director and Head of IMD Technology for Europe and Asia at Goldman Sachs. “But we need more role models and more senior female colleagues to learn from and work with.”

She continued, “We tend to look up one or two levels and look for people like ourselves. If more women were in technology, more women could see themselves in the industry. It would be like a self-fulfilling prophesy.”

Alma is doing her part to serve as a role model, as well. Having recently initiated a program at Goldman called Girls in IT, in the past year, Alma and other senior women have made time to speak with teenager girls in UK schools on careers for women in technology. She said, “It’s fantastic to feel you can make a difference for these girls.”

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Voice of Experience: Sallie Graves, Senior Vice President, Head of Insurance and Distributor Services IT, ING

SallieGravesBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Sallie Graves, Senior Vice President and Head of Insurance and Distributor Services IT at ING, has built a career that demonstrates the importance of taking on new challenges, as well as making lateral moves. For the past 15 years, Graves has been motivated by her interest in IT – moving between industries (from manufacturing to consulting to financial services) and functions to get closer to technology.

But, she said, what’s impacted her career more than anything is her family. She explained, “The balance my children have created within me has made me more successful than I ever could have been without them.”

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Voice of Experience: Yolande Piazza, Managing Director, Global Consumer Technology, Citi

YolandePiazzaBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Yolande Piazza’s career at Citigroup began with a six-week assignment. Twenty-two years later, it has blossomed into a role where she’s driving the strategy behind Citi’s Global Consumer Technology organization’s transformation.

“Our goal is to integrate and transform technology teams from around the world into a single, world-class IT organization,” said Piazza, Citi’s Managing Director of Global Consumer Technology. “Strategically, we are trying to drive the standard of processes and tools across 15,000 people in the organization. We have an incredibly aggressive agenda. We’re talking months, not years.”

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Voice of Experience: Kay Kapoor, U.S. Federal Practice Lead, Accenture

KayKapoorBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Having spent over 25 years delivering IT solutions for the federal government, Kay Kapoor shifted careers, becoming Accenture‘s new U.S. Federal Practice leader. Kapoor is enthusiastic about the importance of self confidence – and why it’s important for career success. She said, “Sometimes, as women, we don’t give credit to our own capabilities. Once I recognized early in my career that I needed to voice what I wanted, I was better able to move forward in my career.”

Kapoor added, “My advice to women is to just take the leap of faith and be courageous. Most of the time it does work out. As the saying goes, ‘if there’s a fork in the road, then take it.’”

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Voice of Experience: Kim Bozzella, Group Head of Technology Americas, UBS

kimbozzellaBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Kim Bozzella, UBS‘s Group Head of Technology in the Americas and Chief Operating Officer reporting to the CTO, is enthusiastic about recruiting more women into technology – and making sure women have the confidence in their abilities that they will need to find success in the field.

She advised women to “find a role that plays up their strengths. There are fewer women role models, so make sure you’re good at what you do and stay focused. As women, we should not feel we have to compromise our leadership style to be successful. Stay true to who you are and take responsibility for your own career.”

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Voice of Experience: Mary Cecola, CIO Asset Management Business Solutions, Deutsche Bank

Cecola_MaryBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I started my career as an Assembler programmer 23 years ago and wanted to be technically focused, but discovered that I had a innate talent for leadership and management,” explained Mary Cecola, Head of Asset Management Business Solutions at Deutsche Bank.

For 20 years, Cecola has built her career in the Technology space. She has relied on her interest in building strong teams to keep moving forward. “There have been so many moments throughout my career – so many challenges – that made a difference. And there have been a myriad of accomplishments with my team,” she said.

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Voice of Experience: Telle Whitney, CEO and President, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology

Telle_WhitneyBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“One of the most important things I’ve learned is how much the ability to influence the ideas of others is so important for your success,” began Dr. Telle Whitney, CEO and President of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology.

After earning her PhD in computer science, Dr. Whitney began her career in the Bay Area working in chip design. But it wasn’t long before she realized she had a passion for developing business, which led to her current role with ABI, influencing the world’s largest technology companies and helping women achieve their career aspirations.

“It’s not just about your ideas, but it’s about taking the rest of the world with you,” she explained.

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