By Tina Vasquez
When Cynthia Freund was growing up, she dreamt of flying. After minoring in aviation technology and obtaining her private pilot’s license, she applied to the Air Force with the hope of making her dream of being a pilot a reality. The atmosphere was ultra-competitive and Freund jokes the closest she came to flying was sitting at her desk, but her time in the military gave her something some spend their lives in search of: their voice.
Freund’s first big assignment as a communications officer for the Air Force sent her to Panama, where she had an “outstanding” commander who would be responsible for one of the most significant moments of Freund’s career.
“My commander took me aside one day and said, ‘Cindy, you’re here to make decisions. That’s your job. You might not always make the right decision and if you make the wrong one, we can fix it, just know you have to make decisions.’ I’ll never forget it,” Freund said. “I needed to be reminded of that and it was empowering to me. It’s what put me on the path that got me where I am today.”
Today, Freund is a Wells Fargo & Company’s Senior Vice President in Consumer Lending Technology, where she leads a team of over 70 project and relationship management professionals and manages a multimillion dollar project portfolio. Each day, she and her team are working toward providing innovative, cost-effective solutions and services and it’s an environment she feels wholly comfortable in and has been highly successful in, though she admits the financial services industry is a bit of a stretch for someone who began their career in the military.
Before joining First Union in 2000, where she held various leadership roles, the former Air Force Captain worked primarily in technology for Science Applications International Corporation in Virginia and Washington D.C., taking advantage of her high security clearance. When she and her husband moved to Charlotte, Freund became a road warrior, spending the bulk of her week away from home and away from her two young children, who were one and three-years-old at the time.
“When I began looking for something local, I wanted to continue offering complete business solutions. When I heard about the First Union position, banking seemed like a bit of a stretch, but I knew I could be an asset at First Union because I had a strong project management background. It was around that time I began to realize that so many of the skills I learned in the military were transferable to financial services and on a larger scale, to corporate America,” Freund said.
Freund’s last assignment before walking away from eight-years in the Air Force was managing a help desk at the Pentagon, a role she says was crucial in her ability to walk into any position – no matter how new or challenging – and be successful. It was a matter of having the confidence to make decisions and stand by them, as well as being given the tools needed to adapt and thrive in any situation.
Her military training is also why Freund didn’t struggle with any of these transitions, from military to corporate to financial services. Something that’s helped, she says, is working with wonderful leaders.
“When you work with great leaders who are there for you and who teach you, any transition can feel seamless,” Freund said. “Here at Wells Fargo, I’ve had a number of different roles. I started in capital markets and then I moved on to support community banking and then I went on to support operations. Now, I’m in consumer lending technology. I’ve been so fortunate to work with so many wonderful people and see so many different sides of the bank. I’ve learned so very much.”
As it turns out, learning is actually one of Freund’s biggest strength. This is something she learned from Gallup’s StrengthFinder, an assessment included in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths, which spent more than five-years on bestseller lists.
“I enjoy learning and I’m good at it, so while it may seem like my career has been all over the place, I haven’t just hopped around to hop around,” Freund said. “I’ve used the tools and skills I learned in the military and in every other aspect of my career, taking advantage of every opportunity and chance to learn.”
Freund is incredibly proud to work for an organization that appreciates service members, as evidenced by the Wells Fargo’s Veteran’s Team Member Network and its commitment to helping veterans, military members, and their families. This year, the Charlotte chapter of the Veterans’ Team Member Network is participating in the 2013 “Salute to Veterans” Parade, sponsored by the Carolinas Freedom Foundation, which will coincide with Veteran’s Day. Wells Fargo also recently announced the donation of 66 real estate owned (REO) properties to wounded warriors. The organization has also participated in more than 150 military job fairs and launched its Hand on Banking for Military financial education program.
Though her time in the Air Force has been instrumental in informing her approach to leadership, the mother of two doesn’t necessarily advertise to everyone she meets or works with that she spent eight years in the military.
“It’s funny, though,” the SVP said. “When new colleagues do find out, I always hear, ‘Now everything makes so much sense!’ I think the things I was taught in the military – integrity, honesty, respect, accountability for myself and for others – they’re apparent in everything I do and they’re attributes I try to pass on to every team I work with.”
Mapping Out a Strategy to Advance Your Career in Investment Management
Career Management, FeaturedThis year, the panel of senior women featured Debbie Hammalian, Chief Compliance Officer, ING U.S. Investment Management, Kerry Jordan, CFA, Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer, Chicago Capital Management L.P., Lale Topcuoglu, Managing Director, Co-head of Global Investment Grade, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Christina McCaughey, Managing Director, Futures and OTC Clearing Sales at State Street Global Exchange, Cynthia Steer, EVP Head of Manager Research and Investment Solutions at BNY Mellon.
Every woman on our panel took a very different route to arrive at where they are now in their careers. However, each of them undoubtedly shared the ability to get the job done, recognize new opportunities, and build stellar relationships. Whilst talking about how they navigated the early days of their careers, everyone discussed a pivotal moment in their careers that really mattered.
Cynthia Steer defined her first stretch assignment as a pivotal moment in her career. “My first boss put me on a lend-lease early in my career. He told me that ‘I am going to lend you into a treasury job and then I am going to get you back out’ and it was all about getting thrown into a hole and seeing how quickly you could do well.”
For some, the path was more linear than others. Christina McCaughey recounted the unique way in which she entered into the financial services industry without an MBA by signing up for a university program in Germany that included an internship spot at an investment bank there that enabled her to begin her career in derivatives. She stated “sometimes you have a path in mind and you have to deviate from that, so be open to it. My advice is to not give up, stay focused and take the risk.”
Kerry Jordan mentioned that her pivotal moment “was getting P&L responsibility,” which many of the panelists agreed can be a career-enhancing element of any job.
Building relationships
All of the panelists discussed how just working hard alone is not enough to advance your career and that you must learn how to navigate within your organization to build relationships and make senior members aware of what you contribute to the company. Cynthia Fryer Steer shared that when she worked in the treasury department of her first bank job that she would send handwritten notes to the Vice Chairman of the bank about how the markets did each day. That clever idea created a relationship that was mutually beneficial and made a very senior person aware of her work and he certainly missed the notes on the days that she was off work.
Lale Topcuoglu then spoke of how she has modernized the hand-written note with an email update that “frames for people” what her team is doing. The use of technology to make her team’s work visible to all levels of people in the company has helped Lale to build a strong rapport with people throughout the organization whom she may not have had direct access to and always provides a topic for conversation in the elevator.
Debbie Hammalian added that good communications with all team members really helped to build necessary trust in developing relationships at work.
“Commonalities come from the project you are working on to build a common thread…Really understand what your talent is that you bring to the group and that will be your thread that ties you to people you work with. I have found myself in that situation where I ask myself ‘How do I bring this group together on this project to make it happen’ and by doing that I can figure out what can I give them so they can give me something too.”
Also discussed by the panel was the topic of finding the right mentors, sponsors and advocates.
Christina McCaughey acknowledged “there just weren’t as many woman when I started” but stated the advice she has received from men and women along the way has been invaluable especially on pay and bonuses. She recounted a funny anecdote that concluded with the advice that “you have to go into that office and let them know what you expect.”
Debbie Hammalian commented that she felt that the future for female mentors helping younger women looked bright “I think there is a lot of hope, my advice to you is to find a woman in the organization who you connect to as I am always flattered and give the time when someone asks me.”
What got you here, won’t get you there!
Cynthia Steer insightfully commented on how things are different now for the industry and for the women in it. “What applied to me, doesn’t apply to you. Be humble, think about social networking, low inflation and a plan B. Have a different investment portfolio for what you think your own needs are.”
She also added how you get sponsors has not changed. “Advocacy is won by hard work and making relationships. You need someone that is going to fight in the pits for you.”
Kerry Jordan encouraging women to read everything they can get their hands on. She shared that working on the derivatives desk is a very competitive job and it is imperative to stay laser focused and “make sure you have faith in yourself and be confident in your abilities.”
Lale Topcuoglu wisely noted the different stages in a person’s career. “If you are just starting out then your priorities might be to best the know as much as you can which is more important than networking. As you move up to managing people and leading a business, you realize just like the book ‘what got you here, won’t get you there’ and firms are run by humans so make sure you strike up a relationship with the upcoming leaders to let them know what you are doing.”
Thank you to our panelists, audience and sponsors (Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon and ING Investment Management) for another great event!
By Jewells Chambers and Nicki Gilmour
Derivatives Industry Turns a Corner at FIA Expo 2013
FeaturedSince its inception in 1955, the Futures Industry Association has transformed itself into the leading trade organization for the futures, options, and over-the-counter cleared swaps markets. Each year, the organization has an expo, attended by more than 6,000 people from more than 30 countries, with many attendees serving as senior staff at brokerage firms and exchanges to floor traders, pension fund managers, and corporate treasurers. Last week, while attending the 29th Annual FIA Expo at the Chicago Hilton, I was reminded of my first Expo in 2006. While it’s been tough to work in derivatives, it appears as if those who work in this niche market of finance wouldn’t walk away from it for the world. Thankfully, this year’s FIA Expo brought good news for market participants, namely that there is a light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
In 2011, as MF Global fought to survive, the global financial derivatives broker improperly transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in customer money to its banks and clearinghouses. While the dust was still settling from the controversy, the derivatives industry was hit again in 2012 by the news that Peregrine Financial Group (PFG) had a $200 million shortfall in customer funds. PFG CEO Russ Wassendorf is being sued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for creating false bank statements to hide the losses. Wassendorf was a respected member of the tight-knit derivatives community, so what happened with PFG felt like being kicked when the industry was already down.
Christopher Hehmeyer, the chairman of the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory organization that polices the futures and swaps markets, says that MF Global and PFG prepared the industry and made it stronger. In other words, the industry is now on the lookout for unethical behavior and is taking more precautions. The day before the 2013 Expo, the CTFC sued Alphametrix, accusing the Chicago-based firm of misappropriating at least $2.8 million and issuing false or misleading account statements to conceal fraud.
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How an Introvert can be Heard at Work
Office PoliticsFor women who identify as introverts, the workplace can seem like they are living on the outskirts of the enthusiastic, chatty, sociable town, where charisma, assertion, and out-going personalities win popularity and approval.
How can introverted women – the analytical thinkers and quiet influencers – make sure their voice is heard within the office bubble of loud group brainstorming meetings, self-promoting mentality, and social networking gatherings?
Introverted Dynamics at Work
The first step in learning how to use introverted characteristics to your advantage at work is to understand exactly what introversion is, versus the common perceptions of introverts.
According to Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D., psychotherapist and author of The Introvert Advantage (How to Thrive in an Extrovert World), temperament has a genetic basis. She describes in her book that psychologist Carl Jung (who helped popularize the terms extravert and introvert in the 1920s based on his human personality theories), “believed that diversity along the introversion and extroversion continuum had evolutionary advantages because there was balance among types of personalities.”
Introverts are, and would typically self-identify, as: quiet; reflective; content and gather strength in aloneness; richly imaginative; have a select number of close friendships/relationships; feel tired and drained after social activity (despite enjoyment) need alone time to recharge; are good listeners, think before speaking or acting; and are outwardly calm and contained.
The trouble that some introverts face at work is figuring out how to successfully incorporate their natural characteristics and personality strengths in work environments that seem to favor the more vocal extroverted individuals. This is what Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, refers to as the “extrovert ideal.”
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Voice of Experience: Cynthia Freund, SVP Consumer Lending Technology, Wells Fargo and Company
Voices of ExperienceWhen Cynthia Freund was growing up, she dreamt of flying. After minoring in aviation technology and obtaining her private pilot’s license, she applied to the Air Force with the hope of making her dream of being a pilot a reality. The atmosphere was ultra-competitive and Freund jokes the closest she came to flying was sitting at her desk, but her time in the military gave her something some spend their lives in search of: their voice.
Freund’s first big assignment as a communications officer for the Air Force sent her to Panama, where she had an “outstanding” commander who would be responsible for one of the most significant moments of Freund’s career.
“My commander took me aside one day and said, ‘Cindy, you’re here to make decisions. That’s your job. You might not always make the right decision and if you make the wrong one, we can fix it, just know you have to make decisions.’ I’ll never forget it,” Freund said. “I needed to be reminded of that and it was empowering to me. It’s what put me on the path that got me where I am today.”
Today, Freund is a Wells Fargo & Company’s Senior Vice President in Consumer Lending Technology, where she leads a team of over 70 project and relationship management professionals and manages a multimillion dollar project portfolio. Each day, she and her team are working toward providing innovative, cost-effective solutions and services and it’s an environment she feels wholly comfortable in and has been highly successful in, though she admits the financial services industry is a bit of a stretch for someone who began their career in the military.
Before joining First Union in 2000, where she held various leadership roles, the former Air Force Captain worked primarily in technology for Science Applications International Corporation in Virginia and Washington D.C., taking advantage of her high security clearance. When she and her husband moved to Charlotte, Freund became a road warrior, spending the bulk of her week away from home and away from her two young children, who were one and three-years-old at the time.
“When I began looking for something local, I wanted to continue offering complete business solutions. When I heard about the First Union position, banking seemed like a bit of a stretch, but I knew I could be an asset at First Union because I had a strong project management background. It was around that time I began to realize that so many of the skills I learned in the military were transferable to financial services and on a larger scale, to corporate America,” Freund said.
Freund’s last assignment before walking away from eight-years in the Air Force was managing a help desk at the Pentagon, a role she says was crucial in her ability to walk into any position – no matter how new or challenging – and be successful. It was a matter of having the confidence to make decisions and stand by them, as well as being given the tools needed to adapt and thrive in any situation.
Her military training is also why Freund didn’t struggle with any of these transitions, from military to corporate to financial services. Something that’s helped, she says, is working with wonderful leaders.
“When you work with great leaders who are there for you and who teach you, any transition can feel seamless,” Freund said. “Here at Wells Fargo, I’ve had a number of different roles. I started in capital markets and then I moved on to support community banking and then I went on to support operations. Now, I’m in consumer lending technology. I’ve been so fortunate to work with so many wonderful people and see so many different sides of the bank. I’ve learned so very much.”
As it turns out, learning is actually one of Freund’s biggest strength. This is something she learned from Gallup’s StrengthFinder, an assessment included in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths, which spent more than five-years on bestseller lists.
“I enjoy learning and I’m good at it, so while it may seem like my career has been all over the place, I haven’t just hopped around to hop around,” Freund said. “I’ve used the tools and skills I learned in the military and in every other aspect of my career, taking advantage of every opportunity and chance to learn.”
Freund is incredibly proud to work for an organization that appreciates service members, as evidenced by the Wells Fargo’s Veteran’s Team Member Network and its commitment to helping veterans, military members, and their families. This year, the Charlotte chapter of the Veterans’ Team Member Network is participating in the 2013 “Salute to Veterans” Parade, sponsored by the Carolinas Freedom Foundation, which will coincide with Veteran’s Day. Wells Fargo also recently announced the donation of 66 real estate owned (REO) properties to wounded warriors. The organization has also participated in more than 150 military job fairs and launched its Hand on Banking for Military financial education program.
Though her time in the Air Force has been instrumental in informing her approach to leadership, the mother of two doesn’t necessarily advertise to everyone she meets or works with that she spent eight years in the military.
“It’s funny, though,” the SVP said. “When new colleagues do find out, I always hear, ‘Now everything makes so much sense!’ I think the things I was taught in the military – integrity, honesty, respect, accountability for myself and for others – they’re apparent in everything I do and they’re attributes I try to pass on to every team I work with.”
Reinventing Your Career in Three And a Half Steps
Expert AnswersDo you ever wonder whether you should move into a different profession? Do you resist the question because you don’t know how to start answering it? Before I changed careers from litigation to academia, I spent years quashing my own doubts about whether practicing law was right for me. When lawyers struggle with this issue, they often face a flurry of internal objections. Some fear that they’ll never be able to make as much money or enjoy as much status in another field; some wonder whether they’ll be able to succeed doing something different. Most could use help thinking about transitions in a realistic and productive way.
In my experience, the most successful career reinventions happen when women strategically tap into the skills they enjoy using, not just the ones they are most praised or best paid for. In talking with over a hundred former lawyers while writing Life After Law: Finding Work You Love with the J.D. You Have, I developed a three-step process for lawyers and anyone else considering a career transition. The three basic steps are: (1) identifying favorite skills, (2) reframing those skills in terms that employers in other fields value, and (3) advocating for yourself by highlighting how your past successes have prepared you to succeed in the field you want to enter.
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New Class of First Time UK Board Directors: More Diverse, Less Experienced
Managing Change, PipelineA new Korn / Ferry Institute study shows that first time board-appointees in the UK are getting younger and are more likely to be female than ever before. According to the report, 47 percent of first-time directors in the FTSE 350 last year were women. That’s a huge leap from just 2007, when a miniscule 11 percent of first-time appointees were female.
On average, last year’s class of first-time appointees was 52.6, four years younger than the average for all appointments to the FTSE 350 in the year. It’s a year younger than the 2007 class of first-time appointees.
In fact, the report authors, there’s more than demographic diversification taking place. UK director positions are also opening up to people in roles outside the traditional commercial background to people with human resources, marketing, and legal expertise. Additionally, first-time appointees were more likely to have international experience, with more than half having lived or worked abroad.
The downside to all this diversity amongst non-executive directors (NEDs), the report says, is less executive director experience.
Fresh Perspectives
The vast increase in the percentage of female first-time appointees can be attributed to the push from the public to promote more women to leadership positions. In particular, the push for more women on boards can be attributed to the Lord Davies report, published in 2008, which called for companies in the FTSE 100 to increase their proportion of women board directors to 25 percent by 2015. Groups like the 30% Club have also led the charge to increase the gender diversity on boards.
It’s likely that at least some of the other diversity factors within last year’s class of first-time board appointees were been driven by the need for companies to reach beyond their traditional circles to find women to fill these positions. Korn / Ferry indicates that the gender and age factors may be linked to some extent. But as for the other areas of diversification, it may simply be a case of the UK’s biggest companies realizing they need new views and broader areas of expertise in order to stay competitive. The report says:
Nevertheless, this diversification does come at a cost, Korn / Ferry says. The 2007 sample of first-time directors had significantly more people with executive-director experience. “In 2007, 46 percent of first-time NED appointees had executive director experience gained on a quoted company board, including 24 percent with a FTSE 350 company. This dropped to 29 percent among The Class of 2012, and only 11 percent with a FTSE 350 company.”
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Congratulations! You’ve been identified as a “High Potential.” Now What?
Managing Change, Next LevelAccording to Harvard Business Review, companies identify 3-5% of their workforce as “High Potential.” If you have made that list, congratulations! You likely have outstanding technical expertise and an aptitude for strategic thinking. You probably have already delivered strong results, succeeded in various roles, and sought ways to improve processes and efficiency. Although making the list is an achievement in and of itself, it is only the first step. Now, as your journey as a “High Potential” begins, what steps should you take to position yourself for realizing that potential?
Anticipate that “soft” skills will increase in importance. A common mistake is assuming that the same skill set, approach, and behaviors that led you to be named a “High Potential” will also lead to further advancement. Your technical skill, strong work ethic, and strategic thinking will likely allow you to continue excelling in your current job, or to make lateral moves. However, additional competencies may be necessary to reach the next level – ones you may need to work on developing. For instance, as ”High Potential” candidates are considered for promotions and stretch assignments, ”soft” skills such as influencing, delegating, networking, and leadership become more important than technical expertise. According to INSEAD, these all-important shifts are “common traps” for women as they transition to senior management. To successfully make these transitions, it is essential to be self-aware and make a conscious effort to hone the new competencies that will be needed as you strive to advance in your organization.
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8 Ways to Survive a Re-Org and Keep Your Career on Track
Managing ChangeHow can you make sure that new bosses or those above you in the new organization know who you are so that you receive support for promotions, even as you find yourself with a series of new bosses? Is it possible even in the midst of corporate upheaval to make yourself seem indispensable during turbulent periods, so that you will stand out companywide?
Yes, there are ways to get through a re-org with your career intact—or better yet thriving. Here are 8 ways to survive and succeed in any environment:
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Voice of Experience: Elizabeth Crain, Chief Operating Officer, Moelis & Company
Voices of ExperienceWomen can have incredibly exciting and rewarding careers in financial services and investment banking if that is what they want to do. Elizabeth Crain, COO of the global independent investment bank Moelis & Company, has worked her way through the ranks of investment banking and private equity during her career.
“I have been in the industry in many capacities over the last twenty-five years and have had to make some difficult career decisions during that time,” Crain stated. “One of the most critical moments in my career was when I met Ken Moelis, who had just joined UBS to run investment banking. I pitched him on the idea of creating a business development role which he bravely agreed to.” Crain recognized that making the leap to UBS was potentially risky – she had no title, job spec nor a clear career path in this new role – but she knew it felt right, and that she could leverage her experience in banking to help run a business on the management side.
Also, having met Ken, she was impressed and remembered an important piece of advice from a colleague who told her that if you have the opportunity to work with someone like him, take it. “This was without a doubt the most critical decision of my career,” added Crain, “and it took me down a different path that has been hugely rewarding.”
Early in her career, Crain entered the Analyst training program at Merrill Lynch after graduating from Arizona State University in 1987. She completed two year junior analyst program, then went on to earn her MBA from Wharton before returning to the financial services industry.
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Intrepid Woman: Lois Braverman, President & CEO, Ackerman Institute for the Family
Intrepid Women SeriesLois Braverman, President & CEO of the Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York City, lived and worked for thirty-two years in Iowa before joining the Ackerman Institute in her current role seven years ago. “The Ackerman Institute is one of the premier family therapy training institutes in the world. Some of the most innovative ideas and strategies for helping families and members of families get better,” said Braverman.
Being asked to lead the Ackerman Institute would be an honor for anyone in Braverman’s field, but the fact that throughout her career she has always regarded the Ackerman Institute as thought leaders in family therapy certainly seems to have foreshadowed Braverman’s appointment as the leader of the institute.
She was excited to come to the Ackerman Institute and become a part of the approach to family therapy that involves approaching issues both contextually and systemically, according to Braverman. “My whole team is thinking about best practices all the time.” added Braverman, “We are like a think tank and we are always pushing the envelope to find the best treatment interventions for each family.”
Exploring the Role of Women in Relationships
“From very early on in my career I was very interested in the intersection and interworking between feminism and psychotherapy,” explained Braverman. To this end, she was the founding editor of the Journal of Feminist Family Therapy where she published some of the earliest collections of writings on women, feminism and family therapy.
Braverman added, “I bring a very long history of interest in this field to be able to ask the question: how does a woman’s role in the workplace affect their physical health, mental health, and the health of the relationships they have with their family members?”
One of the biggest questions that Braverman strives to answer through her work is: What does it take to have a truly egalitarian relationship? She noted, “While most of the early work on this topic is focused on heterosexual relationships, I also approach this question from the perspective of a same sex couple as well.” She focuses a lot on the dynamics of power and privilege within relationships, especially with regard to ideas about gender roles and stereotypes.
“Although some things have changed, women are still the primary caretakers of their children, they use mental health services more than men, and they feel more burdened when something is going wrong with their kids,” Braverman noted.
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