by Heather Cassell (San Francisco)
As a little girl, Carmen Taran, Ph.D. was already on her way to being an in demand global keynote speaker and teaching corporate executives how to communicate on multiple platforms. Taran’s first audience was 12 dolls, which were very hard to come by in communist Romania, where she grew up.
“I had these 12 participants daily,” said Taran, a former AT&T research and development manager. “They were very punctual and, unlike today’s groups, they didn’t talk back,” she laughed.
Taran is the co-founder of Rexi Media and author of Better Beginnings: How to Capture Your Audience in 30 Seconds, the first book out of the Rexify series released in October. She, along with her business partner, Danielle Daly, a former Adobe Systems Incorporated technology sales and business developer, recently sat down with The Glass Hammer in a coffee shop in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
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Hedge Funds Care: Fighting for Children
Women and PhilanthropyBy Jessica Titlebaum (Chicago)
“Hedge Funds Care has been funding programs for the intervention and prevention of child abuse for ten years,” said Executive Director of the non- profit organization, Katherine Conroy. “In the future, I would like to see our portfolio expanded to help policy and advocacy as well as research programs.”
Conroy explained that she has been with Hedge Funds Care “since day 2” of the organization’s inception. Rob Davis, Hedge Funds Care founder, was looking for someone knowledgeable in child welfare to assist in the launch of an organization that would help combat child abuse. He found Conroy when she was working at Columbia University as an Assistant Dean. Her experiences at Good Shepherd Services, Community Service Society and as Deputy Coordinator for Youth Services for the Mayor.
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35 Under 35: Erika Serow, Partner, Bain & Company, Global Retail Services
35 Under 35Erika Serow joined Bain out of college, looking to consulting to help her figure out what she really wanted to do with her life. Bain sent her to work in London, Sydney, and then Milan, which ultimately allowed her to put her Italian major to good use.
After several years, she left to get her MBA from Stanford Business School, fully expecting to do something other than consulting when she came out; however, it was during school that she realized that she could advance faster in consulting than in any other industry and thus decided to return to Bain after graduation.
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Goldman Sachs Thinks Globally and Acts Locally
Industry Leaders, Leadership46 offices. 25,000 people. 146,800 hours. 780 nonprofit community partners. 1,761 projects. In 2008, Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks program marked its 11th year of doing well by doing good work.
Established in 1997, Goldman Sachs signature volunteer program, Community TeamWorks (CTW), follows in this mold. CTW is a global initiative that allows top Goldman Sachs employees to take one day off each year to volunteer for a local charity as a member of the company’s team. “Our people bring to their volunteer service the same qualities that they bring to their work at the firm: excellence, dedication, teamwork and an appreciation of both the big picture and the importance of the individual.”
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Rexify Me: The Art of the Unforgettable Presentation
Expert AnswersAs a little girl, Carmen Taran, Ph.D. was already on her way to being an in demand global keynote speaker and teaching corporate executives how to communicate on multiple platforms. Taran’s first audience was 12 dolls, which were very hard to come by in communist Romania, where she grew up.
“I had these 12 participants daily,” said Taran, a former AT&T research and development manager. “They were very punctual and, unlike today’s groups, they didn’t talk back,” she laughed.
Taran is the co-founder of Rexi Media and author of Better Beginnings: How to Capture Your Audience in 30 Seconds, the first book out of the Rexify series released in October. She, along with her business partner, Danielle Daly, a former Adobe Systems Incorporated technology sales and business developer, recently sat down with The Glass Hammer in a coffee shop in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
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Ask-A-Recruiter: Career Transition Tips
Ask A RecruiterI know I want a career change but I’m afraid to leave a job in this economy to try something new. How can I move towards a transition without quitting?
If you are unhappy in your current job, check first if you really need a career change or just a job change. If you like what you do in general, then you might just need a different work environment or employer. However, if you don’t like what you do or aren’t interested in your industry, then you may need a different career. Here are some career transition tips that don’t require a massive upheaval right now:
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Managing Career Lifechoices at KPMG
Featured, Work-Lifeby Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
Mentoring, flextime arrangements, networking, and opportunities for frank discussions about issues women face are all essential components in the programs KPMG has put in place to increase retention of women in their ranks. Through its Women’s Advisory Board, KPMG has created and rolled out over 300 programs designed to increase diversity in the workforce and keep women engaged throughout their careers.
Kathy Hannan, Midwest area managing partner for Tax Services, is the head of the KPMG Women’s Advisory Board. Interviewed by The Glass Hammer, Ms. Hannan proudly stated, “from when KPMG first created an advisory board through last fiscal year, there has been a decrease in female turnover by 30.3 percent. In particular, there’s been a reduction in turnover at the manager and senior associate levels. We’ve seen an increase in the number of women overall and an increase in promotions overall. This is a testament to building a pipeline. And it shows in our work environment surveys which show that [approximately] 81 percent of our women say KPMG is a great place to work–as compared to 66 percent in 2004–so we know the programs are working.”
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MBA JumpStart
Back to School, PipelineMBA JumpStart was created to address the lack of diversity and under-representation of minorities in the consulting and financial services industries and to “bridge the gap between minority talent entering top business schools and firms actively seeking to increase minority representation.”
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Movers and Shakers: Entertainment
Movers and ShakersIn these tumultuous times, who could blame a gal who wants to escape for a little while into the nonsense that is “reality” television or to go a live concert to sing cheesy hair band songs of her youth at the top of her lungs? Here are some of the top women in Entertainment who make these guilty pleasures possible:
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In Case You Missed It: Weekend Round-Up
NewsContributed by Martin Mitchell of the Corporate Training Group
In case you were too busy enjoying your weekend to have kept up with the news, contributor Martin Mitchell has been kind enough to gather some important market events from this past weekend (and week) so that you can start this week well informed:
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Passions: Fighting Talk
PassionsOn Monday evenings I punch people. Actually, mainly it’s bags or the air, but sometimes – in a restrained and respectful way – it’s people.
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