Voice of Experience: Tarazeta Huntley, Managing Director, Audit & Risk Review, Citi

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
TJHuntley
Tarazeta (TJ) Huntley, Managing Director of Audit & Risk Review at Citi had three pieces of advice for professional women – all equally inspiring.

On Believing You Belong:

“Regardless of the level of people you’re dealing with [at the table], at the end of the day, everyone has a vested interest in making the company successful and your voice counts. Never feel intimidated when engaging with more senior individuals. Believe that you’re there to contribute, and you will be successful.”

On Knowing Yourself:

“Early in my career, someone told me never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Acknowledge who you are and your background. Regardless if those around you have a different background or perspective, don’t lose sight of who you are as an individual or your values.”

On Values:

“Stay true to your values. Never compromise them. As you grow in your career, management and influential people will appreciate that.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Linda Singh, Senior Executive, Health & Public Service, Accenture

Linda Singh AccentureBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

As both a Colonel in the National Guard and Client Account Lead for Veterans Affairs at Accenture, Linda Singh has devoted her career to the service of her country. She has spent almost 30 years total service time and 20 of those years with the Maryland Army National Guard. She was deployed to Kosovo from2006 to 2007. Besides her current client work at Accenture, Singh is passionate about the company’s corporate citizenship focus.

“Our corporate citizenship theme is Skills to Succeed and the goal, by 2015, is to equip 250,000 people with the skills to get a job or start a business. We are teaming with clients as well as nonprofits to get individuals trained, re-employed and transitioned back to work,” Singh said. “We are working to apply this program to help our veterans.”

She continued, “It gets to one of the key issues that Veteran Affairs that is facing. It’s our most daunting issue – there are 1.2 million veterans unemployed and over 100,000 who are homeless. And the fastest growing population within the veteran community is women. There are increasing numbers of women in both of those groups. This is something I would love people to rally behind and support. It’s something we can fix together but it will take more than just one organization to do it.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Ci Ci Holloway, Managing Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Americas, UBS Investment Bank

Image courtesy The Network Journal

Image courtesy The Network Journal

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Ci Ci Holloway spent the majority of her career working in the diversity and inclusion space in the entertainment industry. But four years ago, she found herself drawn to the financial services. Now Managing Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Americas at UBS, Holloway said she’s working on an exciting new initiative – DROI.

Holloway explained, “Diversity Return On Investment will clearly make the connection between diverse achievements and the impact on the organization – how that ties to the bottom line.”

She continued, “It’s certainly not an easy argument to make, and it gets challenged. But the good thing is that the numbers don’t lie, and we can tie those numbers or new clients to diversity. Showing how a diverse team outperforms a homogenous team will make people rethink how they look at diversity and inclusion in an organization.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Aine Leddy, Executive Director, Investment Management Technology, Morgan Stanley

Leddy-1By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Just go for it. Don’t be afraid to show interest. If you prefer a career in something considered to be an all-male bastion like Wall Street investment banking, just do it,” said Aine Leddy, Executive Director, Investment Management Technology at Morgan Stanley.

As chief operating officer for the company’s investment technology group, Leddy, who hails from Ireland, has plenty of experience in a traditionally male dominated field, and has found success in “going for it.”

And while she encourages women to enter roles where they may initially be the odd person out, she encourages men to do the same. She continued, “I try to give the same advice to my sons as to my daughter.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation & SVP, Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING

rhondamimsBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation & SVP, Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING, said she was glad to have learned the value of a non-linear career.

Having begun her career as an attorney, then working for the government, and finally moving to the corporate space, Mims has had a broad range of experiences. She explained, “For a number of years, I have understood the fact that every career doesn’t have a straight linear curve.” Looking back though, she said, “When I started, I was so focused that I may have missed opportunities to go to the left or the right, instead of going straight up.”

Mims now leads the ING Foundation as well as corporate responsibility and diversity and inclusion initiatives at ING. “It’s an incredible job,” she added.

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Aynesh Johnson, Head of the Office of Global Leadership and Diversity, Goldman Sachs

,

Aynesh Johnson“Look ahead to other senior women who have gone through the experience and learn from them,” said Aynesh Johnson, Managing Director and Head of the Office of Global Leadership and Diversity at Goldman Sachs. But, she continued, “Be comfortable that you will be successful and do it on your own terms.”

Johnson, who has been with Goldman since the beginning of her career, is enthusiastic about the importance of leveraging mentors and sponsors throughout one’s career. But, she said, ultimately you are responsible for your own success.

“You have to be able to find support, but you are responsible for owning your career,” she advised.

Read more
/by

Voice of Experience: DiAnne Calabrisotto, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, The Williams Capital Group, L.P.

DiAnne CalabrisottoBy Elizabeth Harrin (London)

DiAnne Calabrisotto wanted to be a graphic designer or a paralegal when she grew up, but reluctantly settled for a job as a receptionist at Prudential Securities in 1984. Since those early days, Calabrisotto has risen through the ranks to the C-suite, and is now Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at The Williams Capital Group, L.P., a leading boutique investment banking firm in New York.

“Working at a boutique firm allows me, on the one hand, to have creative input on challenging special projects. On the other hand, I deal with a lot of legal and regulatory issues, working closely with top-notch attorneys at prominent law firms,” she says. “I never thought I could combine my two passions on Wall Street.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Yaarit Silverstone, Managing Director, Talent & Organization Performance, Accenture

Yaarit Silverstone Picture-higher resBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“Be your own best critic,” advised Yaarit Silverstone, a managing director in Accenture’s Talent & Organization Performance practice. “Be sure you are showing up as the best you – and be open to development.”

Silverstone’s career, which spans continents and industries, has taken her from consulting on human capital issues externally to human capital management within the firm, and she is passionate about the importance of helping people develop the skills to succeed, no matter what their career or geographic location. “It’s a matter of global economic importance,” she said.

She said, “Each of us, every 2 years, should be somehow different in terms of our capabilities. And the only way to do that is to be aware of your strengths and where you would like to stretch. I’m doing something entirely different every 2 years.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, Senior Vice President, Commercial Group, Moody’s Investors Service

ArleneIsaacsLoweBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I think it’s really important that women are authentic in their professional lives,” said Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, Senior Vice President at Moody’s, and recently appointed to head business development for Moody’s Commercial Group’s bank loan franchise.

She continued, “There are aspects of you that make you the best you – and if you put up a facade to fit into an organization, eventually that facade will crack. You are better suited to put that energy into contributing to the organizations strategic objectives.”

Isaacs-Lowe’s drive to learn – to excel at multiple disciplines – has often taken her to the next professional opportunity. Moving from accounting to investment, to entrepreneurship, and now to the credit industry, Isaacs-Lowe has diligently followed her authentic interests.

She said, “Rather than worrying about what people think of the real you, be thoughtful about working for a company that can embrace the authentic you.”

Read more

/by

Voice of Experience: Anna Pinedo, Partner, Morrison Foerster

annapinedoBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“If you’re good at what you do, most people will understand different approaches and work styles,” said Anna Pinedo, a Partner in the Capital Markets Group at Morrison Foerster. She advises women entering law “not to assume that there is any one right path.”

“The one rule I’ve leanred is that there aren’t any hard and fast rules to follow,” Pinedo said. She continued, “All along, colleagues, clients, and friends have given me career advice. I listen carefully, but decide things for myself.”

Having been named one of the Best Lawyers in America 2010, as well as featured in Crain’s New York Business “Forty Under 40,” Investment Dealer’s Digest “Forty Under 40,” and Hispanic Business‘s “100 Most Influential Hispanics, Pinedo has build a successful, globally recognized career in capital markets and derivatives law.

Her leadership advice for professional women is: “Spend time being involved in professional organizations, talking to colleagues at other firms, and building close relationships with clients – it’s amazing how helpful other people can be.”

Read more

/by