This week The Glass Hammer is celebrating Hispanic professional women – each day this week we’ll feature a profile of a Hispanic woman breaking the glass ceiling.
By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
After graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in tax, Yesenia Scheker-Izquierdo started as an intern at KPMG’s Miami office. Now a partner in KPMG LLP’s Financial Services Practice, she recalled, “Being born in New York, I always had in my mind that I would move back to New York after college. But I had started working for a very senior real estate tax partner based in Miami who became my mentor and I continued to work with him for many years.”
She added, “But five or six years into it, he retired from KPMG, and I took that opportunity to move to New York.”
In 2005, Scheker-Izquierdo transferred to the New York office and joined its Financial Services – Alternative Investment practice. “It afforded me an opportunity to join a practice that was expanding. My goal was always to become a partner,” she said. And she counts becoming a partner in the New York office among her highest professional achievements.
Additionally, she said, she is proud of her ability to build a new career after moving to New York. She explained, “Moving to New York meant starting over. I didn’t know anyone, and had to build a book of business and find new mentors and sponsors.”
One of the ways she did this, she said, was through networking. “One of the things I decided to do was co-found the Women’s Executive Circle of New York (WECNY) as a way to build my network.” WECNY is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of accelerating the advancement of women from diverse backgrounds to executive positions of leadership.
Currently Scheker-Izquierdo is involved with KPMG’s Alternative Investment practice’s growth initiatives. “It’s an exciting time to be part of this practice and our firm,” she said.
Voice of Experience: Lucy MacDonald, Managing Director, London and CIO, Global Equities, RCM
Voices of ExperienceFor Lucy MacDonald, Managing Director of RCM and CIO of its Global Equities division, developing a communication style that works is an important part of developing leadership skills.
“It means being able to speak your mind and add value without frightening people away,” she explained with a chuckle.
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Fabulous in the Boardroom: Owning It
Expert AnswersFabulous women who have risen to the top are a different breed. Their confidence is palpable. Their self-assurance is awe-inspiring. Their energy level is enervating, energizing and contagious. And their charisma–you can’t buy that kind of high-wattage aura. The secret: they’re fabulous.
To get to the top of the mountain, they’ve worked hard to create a persona that is more than just good at what they do. They lead. They inspire. They mobilize. And they inspire loyalty because they’re authentic.
Let’s look at how fabulous works in the boardroom…
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Voice of Experience: Yesenia Scheker-Izquierdo, Partner, Financial Services Practice, KPMG LLP, and Co-President and Co-Founder, Women’s Executive Circle of New York
Voices of ExperienceThis week The Glass Hammer is celebrating Hispanic professional women – each day this week we’ll feature a profile of a Hispanic woman breaking the glass ceiling.
By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
After graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in tax, Yesenia Scheker-Izquierdo started as an intern at KPMG’s Miami office. Now a partner in KPMG LLP’s Financial Services Practice, she recalled, “Being born in New York, I always had in my mind that I would move back to New York after college. But I had started working for a very senior real estate tax partner based in Miami who became my mentor and I continued to work with him for many years.”
She added, “But five or six years into it, he retired from KPMG, and I took that opportunity to move to New York.”
In 2005, Scheker-Izquierdo transferred to the New York office and joined its Financial Services – Alternative Investment practice. “It afforded me an opportunity to join a practice that was expanding. My goal was always to become a partner,” she said. And she counts becoming a partner in the New York office among her highest professional achievements.
Additionally, she said, she is proud of her ability to build a new career after moving to New York. She explained, “Moving to New York meant starting over. I didn’t know anyone, and had to build a book of business and find new mentors and sponsors.”
One of the ways she did this, she said, was through networking. “One of the things I decided to do was co-found the Women’s Executive Circle of New York (WECNY) as a way to build my network.” WECNY is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of accelerating the advancement of women from diverse backgrounds to executive positions of leadership.
Currently Scheker-Izquierdo is involved with KPMG’s Alternative Investment practice’s growth initiatives. “It’s an exciting time to be part of this practice and our firm,” she said.
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Position Yourself for Success: Female Leaders Share Advice at the 2011 Women on Wall Street Conference
Featured, Industry Leaders, LeadershipLast night, Deutsche Bank hosted its 17th annual Women on Wall Street conference at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The event drew over 2,000 people, mainly women in the financial services industry.
Jeffrey Mayer, Managing Director and Head of the Corporate and Investment Bank in North America at Deutsche Bank, opened the evening by pointing out that although the industry is seeing a generational shift when it comes to gender diversity – roughly 20% of attendees were at the Managing Director level or above, while 80% of were either “fresh out of college” or at the director level – “the percentage of women in senior front office roles falls short.”
He continued, “We need to attract, develop, and retain more women who can punch through to the senior ranks.”
The theme of the evening was “Breaking Through to the C-Suite.” Keynote speaker Sharon Allen, Former Chairman of the Board of Deloitte LLP said she believes that the ability to get to the top really comes from within.
“I know what a difference the organization can make because Deloitte was really a trailblazer with our [women’s] initiative.” But, she continued, “No matter what your organization may do to help promote your career, at the end of the day, it won’t matter unless you perform and watch out for your own career.”
She explained that to make it to the top, women must plan their own career, seize the opportunities that come along, and be willing to promote their own accomplishments.
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Alter Your Outlook: Is Your Mindset Diminishing Your Success as a Leader?
Expert AnswersA recent Forbes article indicated that the perception of power—more so than gender—may have to do with women’s challenges with negotiation. And while this may be true, it does not change the outcome—we see little female influence at the top ranks of organizations. The mind is powerful and shapes our interpretations of events and experiences in the workplace. When driven by fear, it can overwhelm us with a constant dialogue of self-criticism. In a state of constant mental negativity, our leadership, influence, and confidence are undermined. Indeed, changing our mindset from negative to positive can literally change our perspective and enable greater leadership performance, influence, and advancement.
Could it really be that simple? In my experience, simple, yes; easy, no.
As a leadership coach to women, I deal with these challenges every day. Here’s how I advise my clients to alter their outlook.
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Voice of Experience: Nellie Borrero, Managing Director, Global Inclusion and Diversity, Accenture
Voices of ExperienceBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
“Just this month is my 25th anniversary with Accenture,” began Nellie Borrero, Managing Director, Global Inclusion and Diversity, at the organization.
“When I came on board, I was very focused and aware of the possibility and opportunity to increase diversity,” she recalled. Borrero was the first person to start a full time diversity role, having begun in the New York office, and then expanding the diversity program to the US. “Now, today, we have a global focus,” she said.
“I’m happy about the progress I’ve seen in the culture in my organization,” she said. “We’re incredibly diverse. My mission and objective has always been to create an environment where everyone can feel like they can succeed.”
She continued, “And now people – whether they’re in the US, or India, or Japan – are coming in, feeling a sense of belonging, and that they can succeed.”
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Voice of Experience: Marilyn Foglia, Managing Director and Head of Latin America, UBS Global Asset Management
Voices of ExperienceBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
“I used to be very timid,” began Marilyn Foglia, Managing Director and Head of Latin America at UBS Global Asset Management.
After 25 years in the industry, Foglia has learned her lesson. “I wasn’t always so persistent about getting my ideas on the table – but now I am!” she laughed.
“If you’re too polite and wait for an opening to speak you may never get a voice. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. We women tend to think that if we work hard, we will be rewarded. But we have to ask for it.”
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Thought Leaders: Ana Duarte McCarthy, Managing Director and Chief Diversity Officer, Citi
Thought Leaders“As a female leader, it’s not just the women you influence. It’s also the men whose vision of leadership – that women are effective leaders – changes.”Beginning the Diversity Journey
Duarte McCarthy has been with Citi since 1995, and one of her proudest achievements, she said, was being part of the work to bring employee resource networks to the company.
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Intrepid Woman: Foluke Akinlose MBE, CEO & Founder, Precious Online
Intrepid Women SeriesAs a child growing up in Manchester, Foluke Akinlose dreamed of launching a magazine for women and girls who looked like she did. But how did this childhood vision culminate in the creation of Precious Online, an e-magazine, network and resource for the UK’s c. 2.3 million women of colour and of the UK’s only awards for this community, described as a “memorable occasion” and “inspirational” by British Prime Minister David Cameron?
“When I was younger, there were no British magazines that featured girls who looked like me. I’d spend my pocket money on American imports and they were great, but I really wanted to read about the Black British experience. When I grew older and started working in the media as a journalist, I quickly realised how expensive setting up a print magazine was. I just didn’t have those kind of funds, so I decided to put the magazine idea at the back of my mind for a while.
“In 1996, I began working in the online department of TV company ITN. Because of the nature of my job, I spent a lot of time researching online. I came across so many online publications aimed at African-American women but there was nothing for those based in the UK. I soon realised that the web gave me a publishing channel and that it was a way for me to launch the magazine of which I had always dreamed. So I followed my dream.
“Precious got underway in 1999 and was the first publication of its kind to launch in the UK. We now get 80,000 unique website visitors each month and reach 10,000 women via the mailing list – our goal is to be the premier destination for women of colour on the web.”
Precious aims to provide resources for and to showcase women of colour and to shine a light on their achievements in business and life. The site runs articles on health and beauty and profiles black writers and artists, as well as organising events every quarter on topics such as the joy of networking or an audience with an entrepreneurial woman.
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Senior Women in the City: The Impact of Regulatory Reform on the UK Financial Markets
Industry Leaders, Leadership, Senior Women in the CityModerator of the event, Monica McConville, Partner, Practice Leader, English Law Equity Capital Markets at Shearman & Sterling, invited the panelists to give their perspective on the way capital market regulatory changes might impact day-to-day business.
The panel, consisting of Mary Pragnell, Managing Director, Regulatory Response, GBM Treasury, RBS Global Banking and Markets; Joanna Cound, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, BlackRock; and Dr. Sonja Koerner, Partner, Risk, Financial Services, Ernst & Young, tackled a set of questions posed by regulatory reforms in the post 2008 crisis ‘New Normal.” To manage risk and continue to grow as an industry, we contemplated how could we predict, define, and manage some of the unintended consequences of regulators’ actions.
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