sparkling 2014 lightsWith the holidays upon us, it is beginning to look a lot like ……Groundhog Day. From a numbers perspective, this Year End Review has very little progress to report on a macro level. The number of women on boards is pretty stagnant – 17.7% in 2014, up from 16.6% in 2013 to be exact in the Fortune 1000. The FTSE board seats for women are up slightly to 23%. Outside of the big firms, the Gender Diversity Index is helping track progress in smaller firms and to understand the gains from specific industries which is helpful but doesn’t provide a real wow factor this year there either.

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Guest Contribution by Christine M. Riordan, Ph.D.

“One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” Lewis Carroll

The holidays are often a time of reflection. One important area to contemplate is how we actively back, encourage, and support the people we work with – whether we are a boss, co-worker, or subordinate.

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By Josh Durso

We have never been better poised to fix the culture that exists around women in the workplace.

Men still dominate the workforce’s highest paying positions, and even for the women who manage to claim those positions, working harder, justifying your position or vying for power can be a less than appealing task even for the most ambitious.

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Kelly Driscoll knew she was in the right place to take on more responsibilities at State Street Global Advisors. She just didn’t know that her next step would involve moving to Asia; Hong Kong to be precise, to head up the broad Asset Management business for all of Asia ex Japan.

“I literally went there, sight unseen and I had never been to Asia before. It was such an exciting adventure to accept a great job and have the opportunity to experience the multiple cultures of the region.”

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Christina Mohr describes herself as “solidly an M&A person,” a statement reflected by her 34-year career on the Street. One of the first analysts on Wall Street in 1978, she became the first female partner in Mergers and Acquisitions at Lazard Freres, prior to joining Salomon Brothers (which became part of Citi), where she has built her career ever since.

Though she has run different coverage groups – including retail, consumer and media – M&A is what she most enjoys and where she excels.

“The M&A business is focused squarely on our clients,” says Mohr. “I am proud of the fact that after 34 years, I still have clients who seek out my counsel. I consider it an honor and a privilege, and it’s what keeps the business interesting and fresh to me.”

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woman sitting at deskSilvia Lucena Gosalvez has spent her entire career on the M&A team for PwC Spain, having joined 15 years ago after a short stint at a family business while finishing her tax advisement master’s degree. And for her that has been a perfect fit.

“Being on the M&A team has given me the opportunity to work on complex international projects, exploring the full continuum of deals — from restructuring to execution to post-deal integration.”

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working on a computer“Play the course and not the other players,” says Kristin Wells, when asked about her personal drive. “Don’t constantly compare yourself to others. Instead, focus on what you’re doing right, and improve on what you need to within yourself.”

Wells has embodied the definition of a ‘mover and shaker’ since she began her career as a Corporate Securities Associate at Pepper Hamilton. She became a partner the first year that she was eligible and had a baby that same year.

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“Explore and learn about all the things you can achieve and then ask for what you want.” That’s the advice Priscilla Hughes of Thomson Reuters gives to women, whether they are novices or seasoned professionals—a lesson she had to learn the hard way.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Hughes didn’t know how many career opportunities were out there for women. “I thought that my dream job would be working for the telephone company,” she says. But thanks to hard work, good mentors, and a willingness to take risks and try new things, her dreams have been dwarfed by reality. Never did she imagine she would find herself as a leader in the legal field — as General Counsel Europe & Asia and Chief Counsel for M&A in Financial & Risk at Thomson Reuters.

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Mass alison“Clients want to do business with people they like and trust, and you can only build trust over a long period of time,” says Goldman Sachs’ Alison Mass.

Mass began her career in the fast-paced industry at Drexel Burnham after earning her MBA in 1981 from New York University. Then in 1990, Mass went to a competitor before joining Goldman Sachs in 2001 as a partner.

“I’ve been fortunate to have had the same client base for most of my career, and have seen the private equity industry grow almost from inception,” she says, recalling that when she started in the 1980s, there were few funds over $1 billion. “I’ve been able to grow with my clients and invest in relationships that span decades. It’s been a privilege to watch private equity firms evolve over that period of time. Most professionals don’t ever get that kind of an opportunity.”

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By Hadley Catalano

Effective businesses require, at every level, administrative organization, the daily managerial maintenance of paperwork, schedules, clients, and finances. Outside the office, however, while reprieve is sought from such clerical obligations, professional women often feel little relief from the additional personal administrative chores of life. The appointment making, bill paying, family planning, and particulars of “life admin” can cause stress, take attention away from job-related responsibilities, and challenge personal or family time.

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