by Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
“In my opinion, the number one barrier to success for women in public accounting is the lack of visible role models. If a woman does not see other women succeeding, it is very difficult to aspire to partnership and senior leadership within a male dominated firm,” said Jacqueline Akerblom, National Managing Partner for Women’s Initiatives and Programs, Audit Partner and International Business Center Director at Grant Thornton LLP.
Akerblom started her career 25 years ago at the Los Angeles office of one of the Big 8 accounting firms. She was recruited to Grant Thornton while working as a manager for that competitor, and quickly moved up the ranks, progressing first to senior manager, then partner. As a new partner, she was asked to go to London to head up Grant Thornton’s US transaction group for Europe, where she stayed for four years.
Upon her return to the US in 1999, she was tapped to head up transaction advisory services for the West Coast. She soon became the national managing partner for international client services and was appointed to the Board of Governors for Grant Thornton International in 2000.
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100 Women in Hedge Funds: Paris Networking Event During EuroHedge Conference
NewsPlease join 100 Women in Hedge Funds for informal drinks, the first evening of the Paris EuroHedge conference, in a lovely French Gallerie.
Equal Pay Day, April 28th
Money TalksToday is Equal Pay Day. The day, always a Tuesday in April, represents how much longer a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. And even though President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January, the work is not done. The Ledbetter Act reversed a Supreme Court ruling from 2007 so that women can file discrimination claims 180 days from their last discriminatory paycheck, not 180 days from their employer’s initial decision to pay them less. But women still earn, on average, only .78 cents for every dollar a man earns.
As we have previoiusly reported, there is more legislation pending designed to help fight the wage gap. The Paycheck Fairness Act is pending in the Senate. This legislation will, among other things, deter wage discrimination by prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about employers’ wage practices or disclose their own wages.
But can legislation really help close the wage gap? After all, The Equal Pay Act of 1963 made wage discrimination on the basis of sex illegal 46 years ago. And yet pay discrimination still occurs at alarming rates.
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City Women’s Network: Are markets really efficient?
NewsThe Chicago Booth School of Business has invited CWN members to a lunch time session with Eugene Fama, who is credited as the father of the efficient market hypothesis, and Daniel Hertzberg, International Editor of the Wall Street Journal.To register please go to www.eventbrite.com/event/312268002.Venue information: dress code is Business; nearest tube is Bank; telephone number is 020 7070 2245.
Open House – New Directions: Practical Skills for Returning to Law Practice
NewsFor information about our innovative and unique program to facilitate attorneys’ return to the legal marketplace, please come to our upcoming Open House. New Directions graduates will be attending to describe their experiences. You provide the questions – we provide food, beverages and answers!
Session 2, 2009: July 13, 2009 – December 18, 2009 – in New York City
Please RSVP to agewirtz@law.pace.edu by April 21, 2009
Eurohedge Summit 2009
NewsHeld in Paris every spring, the EuroHedge Summit is a major hedge fund event which attracts the industry’s elite from around the globe. This year, at a time of unprecedented turmoil and stress across the entire financial industry, we will be discussing the many challenges, opportunities and structural changes facing hedge funds under the overall theme of ‘Strategies for a Changed World’. We are expecting another big turn-out for what will be a crucial forum for debating and discussing the major changes sweeping the industry. • Experience a unique networking and educational opportunity with hedge fund professionals from all over the world
• Learn from a line-up of speakers you simply will not find at another hedge fund event
• Focus on the industry as a whole, as well as individual strategy areas
• Mingle with the best and biggest hedge fund firms in Europe, as well as U.S. and international firms active in Europe
• Debate informally with senior level hedge fund managers and investors on key industry issues
• Endure no pre-prepared presentations, set-piece speeches or marketing pitches
• Enjoy an up-to-date programme put together by our informed and experienced editorial staff
• Discuss the most topical issues to you and your industry
• Combine networking and education with 2 enjoyable days in the heart of Paris in the springtime!
Register here
When You Work with a Jerk: The Bad Apples Study
Office PoliticsEliza Byington was unhappy at her job. There was no camaraderie. People didn’t work together, they barely spoke to one another. Then one of her colleagues was out sick for a long while, and the change in atmosphere was dramatic. Byington and her coworkers became a team — people started helping each other, went out for drinks together; they even played classical music in the office. Life was good. Work was productive. But when the person returned, things went right back to the way they’d been. How could one guy make such a difference? He wasn’t the boss, and, granted, he mocked people, but he wasn’t mean. He wasn’t even the kind of person you’d secretly wish would disappear so life would be easier.
“I guess it’s true,” said Byington, “A bad apple really does spoil the barrel.” She and her husband were students of organizational behavior at the University of Washington Business School, so they combed the academic research to substantiate the old saw. But all the research actually supported the opposite: Individuals conform to group dynamics. At Byington’s job, the group seemed to be conforming to one person. Was this an anomaly or would the same thing happen with other people? Could they show what was behind it? Her husband was Will Felps, and he made it his PhD thesis. How, When, and Why Bad Apples Spoil the Barrel was published in 2006, with Byington as co-author, and has had a bit of play since being featured on a December This American Life episode called “Ruining It for the Rest of Us.”
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FWA 2009 Annual Dinner and 25th Anniversary Women of the Year Awards
NewsThe 2009 FWA Annual Dinner – the FWA’s largest fundraising event — will present its 25th Women of the Year Awards honoring the proud achievements of two distinguished women professionals, and the exemplary leadership roles they have played in the public and private sector.
Register here
Voice of Experience: Jacqueline Akerblom, National Managing Partner for Women’s Initiatives, Grant Thornton LLP
Voices of Experience“In my opinion, the number one barrier to success for women in public accounting is the lack of visible role models. If a woman does not see other women succeeding, it is very difficult to aspire to partnership and senior leadership within a male dominated firm,” said Jacqueline Akerblom, National Managing Partner for Women’s Initiatives and Programs, Audit Partner and International Business Center Director at Grant Thornton LLP.
Akerblom started her career 25 years ago at the Los Angeles office of one of the Big 8 accounting firms. She was recruited to Grant Thornton while working as a manager for that competitor, and quickly moved up the ranks, progressing first to senior manager, then partner. As a new partner, she was asked to go to London to head up Grant Thornton’s US transaction group for Europe, where she stayed for four years.
Upon her return to the US in 1999, she was tapped to head up transaction advisory services for the West Coast. She soon became the national managing partner for international client services and was appointed to the Board of Governors for Grant Thornton International in 2000.
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2009 Advanced Negotiating and Drafting Major Business Agreements
NewsDelivering Legal Services as an Integral Member of the Business Team
Get the latest practice tips on negotiating the best deal for your client for any business transaction and state of the art contract drafting by hearing from leading lawyers. They will discuss these and other hot button topics:
Register here
In Case You Missed It: News Round-up
NewsIn case you were too busy to have kept up with all the news, contributor Martin Mitchell has gathered some important market events from last week to help you start this week well informed:
Mergers and Acquisitions
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