Voice of Experience: Denise Diallo, Partner, Banking and Capital Markets Practice, White & Case

DeniseDialloBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

“I definitely think work/life balance exists,” said Denise Diallo, Partner in White & Case‘s Banking and Capital Markets Practice at its Paris office. “It can be difficult at times, and you have to be willing to adapt –“ At this point in our conversation, Diallo started laughing.

“I’m laughing because my daughter is actually here in my office today,” she said. “My nanny wasn’t able to pick her up from school, so I did. It just illustrates that not everything goes the way you plan. But it doesn’t mean you don’t have work/life balance.”

“You just have to be adaptable,” she explained.

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Asahi Pompey, Managing Director, Compliance, Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs

Asahi PompeyThe aphorism “know thyself” has been attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (and many others), but according to Asahi Pompey, Managing Director, Compliance, Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs, the advice is still critical today, over twenty-five hundred years later.

“Know yourself – know your strengths and weaknesses,” she advised. “Do a realistic appraisal of yourself – almost a gap analysis. Where could you develop greater expertise? What is your comfort zone?”

Beginning a career in law, and them moving into corporate counsel roles, and then compliance, Pompey is enthusiastic about striving for excellence in all she does. She advocated passionately about the importance of understanding the business objectives and the objectives of those around you. She said, “Understanding who you are in an unadulterated way is really going to help in your career.”

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Voice of Experience: Kathy Nieland, U.S. Sustainability and Climate Change Leader, Managing Partner, New Orleans Office, PwC

kathy-nielandBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Kathy Nieland, PwC‘s U.S. Sustainability and Climate Change Leader and Managing Partner of the firm’s New Orleans Office, has had a lot of experience seizing opportunity. Throughout her career, when the unexpected has occurred, she hasn’t shied away.

From having leadership thrust upon her at a young age, to leading the rebuilding of PwC’s New Orleans practice after Hurricane Katrina, she’s been up to the challenge. “Often, the perception of what you are capable of is a bigger barrier than the challenge itself,” she said. “A lack of confidence can keep people from being successful.”

She continued, “Don’t limit yourself. Seek higher positions in the company. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be shooting for the stars.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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

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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.

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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.”

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