News You Can Use: The SIFMA Technology Management Conference

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Tuesday kicked off the beginning of the annual SIFMA Technology Management Conference at the Hilton Club in New York City. For those who don’t know, this conference hosted by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, last three days, and provides updates on emerging trends for technology and technology management.

I spent a lot of time in the exhibition rooms looking at what all the vendors had to offer, as well as talking to people about emerging technologies in financial services. Virtualization is the next big thing for Wall Street data centers. The bulk of the people at the conference were showing all types of virtualization applications tailored for financial services, promising to make your firm everything from highly organized, to environmentally green and faster than the speed of light to boot.

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Breaking the Glass Ceiling -Jobs on The Glass Hammer

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This week, The Glass Hammer launched a job board (https://jobs.theglasshammer.com) filled with jobs that are specially selected by our staff. All of the jobs pay $100,000 or more. We work with evolved employers to put thought into jobs that are going to be great for our readers.

The Glass Hammer is here to help you get a better job than you have today, whether you are looking for a promotion, a lateral yet beneficial move, an on-ramp opportunity, and or a job that is entrepreneurial in spirit. Gone are the days of linear careers where you get a gold watch at the end of twenty years of service. Instead, you can chart and pursue a fulfilling career path.

As publisher of The Glass Hammer, I get to pick the jobs that I feel are noteworthy and my picks this week are interesting and varied. They include:

Commerzbank is looking for a relationship manager – leadership skills, good communication skills and 5-7 years experience of primary corporate banking relationship management. Is a small bank environment with a fast career track right for you?
https://jobs.theglasshammer.com/a/jbb/job-details/19519

Goldman Sachs is looking for a non-financial markets person to work with them on designing their new offices. An amazing opportunity for women who have chosen design as their career.
https://jobs.theglasshammer.com/a/jbb/job-details/19602

We also have some quant jobs up on the job board that are paying great salaries for all you math whiz kids out there. Have a look during your coffee break!

If you want to speak to me directly about glass-breaking opportunities, give me a call 646 688-2318 or email me on nicki@theglasshammer.com.

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Chicago Climate Exchange Targets Female Investors

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This week, 100 Women in Hedge Funds and Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC coordinated an event with the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) to present investment options while improving the environment. Exchange Chairman and CEO Richard Sandler addressed about 40 women on the future of his company, the environmental benefits, and how to get involved in saving the planet.

 

The event took place at the Chicago Yacht Club on Wednesday evening, April 16, 2008, in a room above Lake Michigan. With windows as walls, the room emphasized Sandler’s speech about the importance of the environment. As he talked about carbon trading and saving the environment, the audience looked out at the sand and water just beyond him.

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Catalyst Awards 2008 Highlights

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Nissan Motor Co. Ltd and ING US Financial Services were big winners at Catalyst’s annual awards yesterday in New York City at the Waldorf -Astoria. This award celebrates innovative initiatives that advance women and business and has had progressive companies (at least according to our opinion here at the Glass Hammer) win the award in 2007- Goldman Sachs, PWC, Scotiabank and PepsiCo Inc.

Speaking of PepsiCo, their fabulous CEO Indra Nooyi was the speaker at the luncheon, and she was engaging and entertaining in her keynote address, entitled “One Woman’ s Journey to the Top.”

Ms. Nooyi covered a range of topics that we will be discussing in a full article on Monday called “Mentors, Meritocracy and Maternity,” about the challenges and tradeoffs needed to get to the corner office.

There is clear message emerging from leading corporations- try to reflect your client base in your workforce make-up and try to create a flexible environment that works for everyone.

Catalyst is a non-profit corporation and for more information on them and how they rank employers check out www.catalyst.org.

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MECCA: San Francisco Hotspot for Women’s Networking

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Contributed by Heather Cassell

MECCAdoors.jpgSan Francisco’s professional women know where to go for great food, wine and cocktails, entertainment, and socializing: Mecca, a hip restaurant and bar located on the edge of the Castro district at 2029 Market Street.

“It’s a destination for a lot of people in the community to have your special dinner to celebrate or to lounge and just be chic,” said Ginny E. Brown, Mecca’s new general manager and wine director.

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The Natwest everywoman Awards

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Contributed by Philippa Robbins and Emma Lyon

“Behind every great businesswoman……”

The Natwest everywoman Awards have been running for several years now but in December 2007, as members of Rooks Rider’s networking group, With Women in Mind, we attended this event for the first time along with fellow With Women in Mind members, colleagues from the firm and guests.

The Awards are a celebration of female entrepreneurs who are running successful businesses, and it is particularly dedicated to those who have had to overcome difficulties along the way, whether financial or personal.

The event was held in the stunning ballroom at the Dorchester Hotel in London and was hosted by everywoman founders, Karen Gill and Maxine Benson. Barbara Follett, the Women’s Minister, opened the proceedings by giving a rousing speech about the difficulties women face today both in employment and as entrepreneurs and the ways in which she is campaigning for change.

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Happy Martin Luther King Day!

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In celebration of Martin Luther King Day here in the U.S., the Glass Hammer will not be publishing today. That gives you more time to go along with today’s theme, “A day on, not a day off,” and do something to commemorate or demonstrate for civil rights.

In the future, The Glass Hammer will be publishing some articles on the outstanding accomplishments of women of color, and the unique challenges still faced by minority women in the workplace. If you are interested in seeing more coverage of this area, please write in and tell us what you think!

Additionally, The Glass Hammer is now following a new editorial calendar, which looks like this:

Mondays– Voice of Experience interviews- we interview women who have broken the glass ceiling and have made it to the top. What advice do they have for our readers? Mondays are also a chance for us to interview outstanding human beings who contribute to society greatly (as well as being excellent in their careers!). Look out for these articles under Spotlight on People.

Tuesdays– Work/life issues. How to have it all. We also cover Returner Programs on Tuesdays- so if you are looking to off-ramp or perhaps return after a career break, then watch this space!

Wednesdays– Career advice on to “how to” get to the next level. Expert answers from career coaches, lawyers, peers and mentors.

Thursdays– Industry news. We get deep into the functions of different parts of the sellside and buyside. We cover industry events.

Fridays- Fridays is when we can all have a little fun. Tune in for some hilarious true life tales from our writers and readers about what its like to work in financial services. We also cover ” passions” and we would love to hear what you live to do on the weekends! Evolved People have interesting lives.

As always, we love feedback. Write to our editor at erin@theglasshammer.com to let us know what you love, hate, or can’t get enough of.

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Security Traders Meet To Navigate New Landscape

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The older generation of traders wouldn’t even recognize the U.S. markets anymore. The past decade has brought so many changes to the trading landscape that even today’s traders need help navigating the new territory. Technology has reduced the number of floor traders because of its ability to speed up an order as well as make the trade more efficient. The arrival of Order Management Systems has allowed traders to place orders in multi-asset classes. While the Reg NMS standards have been put in place to keep a fair and competitive U.S. marketplace, they too have altered the landscape…and we haven’t even gotten into the European markets with its MiFID initiative.

To discuss these and other recent developments, traders and industry professionals gathered at the Security Trader’s Association (STA) 82nd Annual Mid-Winter Event. The conference, which was put together by the Chicago division of STA, was held January 10-13, 2008 at the Chicago Hilton.

The three-day conference had a packed agenda including a panel covering Chicago’s buy side perspective on the marketplace. The discussion touched upon the sometimes volatile relationship between the buy and sell sides. During one heated panel discussion, buy side traders accused the sell side of exaggerating the amount of trades they actually made and the sell side accused the buy side of not making their orders clear enough. After the discussion calmed down, the participants on the panel explained that it was important to have a personal relationship with their sell-side counterparts. The panelists agreed that trust between the two parties is a key factor in successfully executing trades.

Alternative Trading Systems were also a hot topic. Kain Cederberg who sat on the panel from Institutional Capital, explained that, with the emergence of electronic venues, buy side institutions felt that they might be “in it for a while,” with regard to ATS.

Among the buy side speakers, the ominous sounding topic of “dark pools of liquidity” had many participants following the discussion. Joe Buerillo of IronBridge Capital Management, said his problem with these black holes in the marketplace is that you don’t know who is seeing the trades take place. He did admit that dark pools are part of the trading landscape and that the buy-side would have to learn to live with them, for now.

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The Black & White Soiree and The Power of One

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Every year, I host a traditional holiday party called the Black and White Soiree. It’s a gathering of about 60 friends in my small vintage apartment. My friends Alanna and Megan help with the cooking because, as my mother would say, I am domestically challenged. I managed to make cookies but I told people they were for only decoration. They didn’t look edible although they managed to disappear, along with the other hors d’oeuvres.

Each year at the party, we raise money for a different charity. This year, we asked our guests to make an optional donation to breast cancer research. In honor of our charity, Megan found light pink M&Ms that I put out in crystal cocktail glasses. Then we also served Oreos, marshmallows and Hershey kisses to follow the theme. It was a classy affair made even fancier by the dress code. I requested black and/or white attire, no jeans.

The party took place on Saturday, December 15th, and Chicago had a horrible snowstorm that night. I remember looking out the window around 3 p.m. wondering if anyone would show up because of the weather. In the end though, I was impressed with the turn out. Inside we stood in my warm orange-spiced kitchen while a blizzard spun snow around us. I kept the keg on the porch so we never forgot how nice it was to be indoors. The room was filled with the scent of cloves and wine.

Most people drank sangria, except for those who braved the cold to get a beer from outside. We all raised our glasses and toasted to recent engagements, promotions and babies on the way. Our black and white outfits were decorated with light pink ribbons in the name of breast cancer research.

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100 Most Influential Women in London Awards

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Last night on London’s Liverpool Street, there was a glamorous gathering of designer bags and stiletto heels, all assembled with their occupants at the Financial News 100 Most Influential Women in the City Awards. The Great Eastern Hotel boasted a gathering of ladies sporting mainly black and navy suits (both skirt and pants variety), with crisp cotton blouses and luxury silk scarves featured prominently. Dior, Hermes, Ferragamo, Celine, Manolo et. al. were spotted in abundance. The Glass Hammer held its head high with your own correspondent sporting pearls, Gucci scarf and (vintage) Chanel jacket.

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