Movers and Shakers: West Coast Round-Up

By: Heather Cassell

Women are on the move in May and June into the executive suites of top industries.

Biotech

Pamela Cohen was hired as senior vice president and chief medical officer of Kosan Biosciences Inc. She was formerly the global oncology therapeutic head for GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics. Jane Moffitt became vice president of Nile Therapeutics Inc. in San Francisco. She formerly was the West Coast director of operations for SciLucent before joining the cardiovascular therapy biopharma. Mary Bolton was hired as vice president, clinical development of Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Judith Fox was promoted to vice president, product and preclinical development of the oncology therapeutics biopharma.

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9th Annual Women in Business National Conference

In June 2008, WBENC will hold its 9th annual Women in Business national conference and business fair in
Atlanta, GA. More than 2,500 attendees and 400 exhibitors are expected to attend the event. The national conference and business fair is the largest event of its kind in the nation for women’s business enterprises (WBEs). During the event, WBEs, senior corporate executives, supplier diversity and procurement professionals, and government representatives will foster many business opportunities by participating in an ambitious agenda including networking activities, workshops, general sessions and special events. Designed to benefit both corporations and women-owned businesses, WBENC’s national conference and business fair is the event to add to your calendar if you are a woman business owner seeking to do business with corporate
America, or if your corporation seeks to expand its supplier base by adding quality women-owned firms to its roster.

For more information and how to register: https://www.wbenc.org/wib2008/

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Legal and Global Compliance Networking Event

On June 26, 2008, the Legal Department and Global Compliance Division will host an event in partnership with their diversity affinity networks. The primary objective of the event, “Legal and Compliance Professionals: Developing Our Careers”, is to generate interest in legal and compliance at Goldman Sachs.

The event will include a brief overview of the Legal Department and Global Compliance Division followed by a panel of speakers who will share their experiences, career choices and development here at the firm. The program will conclude with a reception for attendees to network with Goldman Sachs employees.

Financial services expertise is not required. If you or anyone you know has an interest in legal and compliance areas and has relevant knowledge or experience – we encourage you to submit your resume to EHRTdiversity@gs.com by June 24, 2008. Qualified referrals will be contacted via email with further details about the event.

For additional information, please contact Monica Marquez at: monica.marquez@gs.com

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From hedge funds to running a charity – an interview with Diana Barran

By: Jane Lucken

Ever wondered if you should use your corporate-honed skills for the benefit of the wider community? Diana Barran moved from a successful career in fund management to found and run CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse ), a charity that has improved the safety of over 40,000 victims of domestic violence. The Glass Hammer met Diana to find out how she made the move.

Career path with a conscience

One of the few female fund managers who took part in the investment exuberance of the 80s, Diana looked beyond her personal bonus. In 1992 she was managing a long-only fund, one of the top five performers in its sector. Seeing that returns were no more than those delivered by high street savings accounts she decided her investors would be better served by a fund focusing on absolute returns. Her chairman supported her and she set up The Magus European Fund, only the second hedge fund to be launched in Europe. This time the fee structure ensured that ‘if clients got rich, we got rich, if they didn’t we didn’t’.

In late 1999 she sold her stake in the business and with the luxury of financial success chose to do something different. Fellow financiers asked her to join New Philanthropy Capital, a charity that advises donors on how to give more effectively. She was already a trustee of The Henry Smith Charity and an employee of NPC which provided a great way to work out which sector she’d like to explore further.
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Becoming The Boss?

This Sunday, I opened up my New York Times, and was excited when I spied the headline “Becoming the Boss,” which appeared to be an article about women entrepreneurs starting their own businesses.

The article opened by reporting that, in New York City, more than a half million businesses are owned by women, and these businesses employ 533,437 people. The article quoted a study by the Center for Women’s Business Research which found that these businesses have brought in $93 million so far in 2008.

I read on, hoping to find some inspiring stories about women who had branched out to start their own financial services firms, law firms, and businesses in growing sectors like energy, technology, communications and health care. I was hoping to learn a thing or two about the new female movers and shakers running companies in New York City.

However, upon closer inspection, I realized that most of the “successful women business leaders” described in this article clearly fell into the dreaded “pink ghetto” of decidedly women’s work. They were from industries that are universally acknowledged to be the province of women, and the kind of jobs that high achieving men would more than willingly cede entirely to the other gender.
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6th Annual Hedge Fund Industry Awards

Alternative Investment News’ 6th Annual Hedge Fund Industry Awards recognizes the hedge funds, fund of funds, endowments, foundations, and corporate and public pension funds that have stood out for their notable accomplishments in alternatives investing during the past year.

This year’s nominees will be honored and winners will be announced and awarded ‘oscar-style’ at the dinner and ceremony on June 25th at the majestic Cipriani Wall Street.

This gala awards dinner, held in conjunction with Institutional Investor Conferences’ Hedge Fund Investor Symposium, will host more than 400 leaders from across the hedge fund industry and is an event not to be missed!

Evening Agenda:
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Cocktail Reception
7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: Dinner and Awards Ceremony
10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.: Awards ‘After-Party’ Sponsored by: Fraser Yachts

Dress Code:
Black-tie preferred
To Reserve a Seat / Table

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Women & Networking Effectively

By: Robin Barone

Imagine the start of a cocktail party: the setting is a terrace of a midtown office building with an impeccable view of Bryant Park. The bar is full stacked with a selection of good wine and attended by two attractive bar tenders. Tables and chairs scatter the balcony with a selection of antipasta, crudite, and cheese to dine on. God held up his promise of good weather and you can feel good karma spreading in the air through the beats of background music.

As the event progressed, I noticed a trend. As each woman arrived, they would enter the terrace, look around, grab a glass of wine, find their friends, sit down, and get comfortable for the remainder of the evening. I will admit the chairs were really comfortable and the food was really good. But in the back of my head I kept thinking, “Aren’t they here to meet other women in our field?”

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Ask-A-Recruiter: No Magic Bullet Answers

Contributed by: Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

What is the best answer to the strength and weakness interview question?

I got this exact question after a workshop I recently led. Other than his name and industry background, I had no other information. Yet, he fully expected me to come up with answers to very personal interview questions.

Actually, I am asked this question so much I almost expect it after every workshop I give. It seems that many jobseekers out there are looking for the magic bullet answers that will get them past the interview to the offer stage.

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Brokering Change: A Wall Street Multicultural Women’s Exchange Interbank Conference

Save the date!

Goldman Sachs cordially invites you to save the date for the Brokering Change: A Wall Street Multicultural Women’s Exchange Interbank Conference. The half-day conference will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Bayard’s in New York City, immediately followed by a cocktail reception.

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration
12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Conference
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

Please contact for more information

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Work/Life Balance For Singles

By: Cynthia Diaz

No lifestyle options are easy and while being single, living alone, certainly has its perks, the single lifestyle—as with every lifestyle choice—does have its challenges. There is an incredible amount of freedom in fending for oneself and not having to answer to anyone but, is being solitary all it’s cracked up to be?

Generally, unless one lives the single life, it is difficult to understand that being single is not all “Sex and the City” and impossibly high heels. Often, there are higher expectations for those without spouses and children. Working in corporate America, I have been told that putting in extra hours would be expected during a crunch, not a problem. I think everyone has heard that request at one time or another. It is what often follows that is insulting: “After-all, you’re single. You have no responsibilities.” Being single somehow allows my free time to become someone else’s asset.

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