Tag Archive for: People

Intrepid Woman: Star Jones, President, Professional Diversity Network

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Star JonesThough she’s widely known as a high-profile lawyer and former host of ABC’s The View, Star Jones doesn’t consider those her most important roles. Rather, she is proudest of the changes she is helping affect by serving as president of the Professional Diversity Network, Inc., which merged with the National Association of Professional Women in September 2014.

“As I have forged my career path, it was always with an eye toward a profound sense of service – knowing it would be about helping people,” says Jones.

As a young woman, Jones always wanted to be a big-city prosecutor and got what she considers her dream job straight out of law school. She rose to the level of senior prosecutor in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York, when she was invited to start her career in media at NBC News. At the age of 30, she became the youngest person to be named the network’s Legal Correspondent. “It was such a compliment from the then-president of NBC News, who said I had the ability to make the law user-friendly,” she recalls.

She became an admired legal talk show host and then national talk show host on ABC’s The View, where she relished her ability to give voice to women and speak about issues that matter to her gender and community at large. Joining PDN/NAPW was the perfect next step allowing her to advocate on behalf of women, minorities, veterans and the disabled to put them to work. “We are changing lives one job at a time.”

Jones says that though her career has taken multiple twists and unexpected turns, she has stayed on the path intended for her by making the most of each opportunity. “Luck doesn’t just happen,” she says. “It’s the result of preparation meeting opportunity, and I have been prepared each step of the way.”

“Doesn’t Get the Attention it Deserves”

Jones’ overall top mission is to bring attention to diversity, inclusion and gender inequality. “It doesn’t get the amount of attention it deserves,” she says, citing the statistic that, on average, a women working full-time earns .78 to the dollar compared to a man in an equivalent job. Wage disparities are even greater among Black and Hispanic women.

“This is the biggest challenge to women, and the No. 1 problem I’m trying to address is equal pay for equal work.”

The business case is there, of course – research shows that when women executives run a company, they lead the business to increased revenue, making it not just right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.

Rising Tides Lift All Boats

Her passion stems from her upbringing in the projects of Trenton, New Jersey. Her close-knit family always encouraged her to be anything that she wanted. However, they didn’t focus on the fact that she was the most beautiful or most talented, but rather that she had everything she needed to do what she wanted.

Applying for every grant and scholarship that was available, she started college. When she realized that the work/study program only paid $3.55 an hour, she applied at the Brookings Institute as a second-semester freshman. A 90 word-per-minute typist, she earned a data input position at $10 an hour, which she held throughout college.

“I had acquired a skill, and that’s one of my mantras to young people: I feel strongly that I want to empower young people to achieve their dreams, but they have to have the skills necessary to do so,” Jones says. “I always had a voice telling me I could succeed, and I want to give that voice to other women.”

PDN was founded on two premises: empowering people and networking, which Jones says are the foundation of her successful career. “Women do need to help other women. Rising tides lift all boats, and when women help each other professionally — especially women at the top — everyone benefits,” she says, advocating that women who can, should focus on recommending other women for positions and act as mentors.

When NAPW and PDN merged, Jones was tasked with nominating new board members. She proudly boasts that with four women on the nine-member board, it is now one of the most diverse among publicly traded companies in the United States, second only to Macy’s. “Achieving women leadership at the board level allows it to trickle down to all levels,” she says.

Success Doesn’t Come Easy

Jones is the first to admit that fulfilling your dreams is hard work; even once you earn your success, you have to work even harder to maintain it.

“I’ve heard ‘no,’ but I’ve been patient and persistent and never gave up,” she says. In fact, she is proud that the song played for her at the recent “Go Red for Women Red Dress Fashion Show” was I’m a Survivor by Destiny’s Child.

“I’ve heard ‘no,’ but I’ve been patient and persistent and never gave up,”

Says Jones, “You can’t step on people to get ahead but you can get around them if they’re in your way. Each time you hear a ‘no’ or encounter a stumbling block, you have to figure out what you need to do to be ready for the next opportunity.”

Role Modeling Begins at Home

Often called a role model herself, Jones recommends that people seek role models in their own communities, where they can be touched every day. Her grandma and her mom are her role models – her grandma who is 96 years old, still “dresses” every day. And she says her mom filled her with just the right amount of attitude to make sure that no one takes advantage of her.

Jones remembers a guidance counselor who advised her not to rock the boat. “My mom told me that if you’re in the boat, you better turn it over,” says Jones. “My grandma’s ladylike qualities and my mom’s ‘vinegar’ have made me who I am today.”

Jones also cites as role models Donna Brazile, Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, one of PDN’s board members and a friend since she was 17; and Barbara Jordan, American politician and a leader of the Civil Rights movement.

She adds that she has the deepest respect and admiration for Hillary Clinton, who she says has the uncanny ability to find common ground, a skill she tries to mirror on a daily basis.

Feeding Her Passion

As a community advocate, Jones says her passion and purpose is with the American Heart Association. “My pastor told me that you often don’t know your purpose until you’re walking in it, and now I am.”

Five years ago, Jones had open heart surgery and due to this second chance at life, she has a new mission to educate the world about this disease that is the No. 1 killer of African Americans and women, but is 80 percent preventable with simple lifestyle changes.

“As a survivor I have an obligation to raise awareness,” she says, which is what inspired her to start the NAPW Foundation, the charitable arm of NAPW which now has more than 200 chapters. She knows that women love to network over causes they believe in, so she selected four philanthropic organizations that touch all aspects of women’s lives: the American Heart Association, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Girls Inc. and Dress For Success.

And what does she do for fun? “Everything I am doing is fun,” she says. “My version of ‘play’ is feeding my passion.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Voice of Experience: Teresa Weintraub, President and CEO, Fiduciary Trust International of the South

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Teresa Weintraub

By Cathie Ericson

“To whom much is given, much is expected.” Those are the words Teresa Weintraub lives by, especially when it comes to mentoring other young women, and she urges her peers to also lead by example.

Weintraub’s career has spanned the worlds of international tax, fundraising and now the wealth management world as the president and CEO of Fiduciary Trust International of the South in Florida, which she joined in 1998.

“Though my path seems circuitous, when you step back, you can see how it’s all connected,” she says. She left her career as a tax attorney when she realized it didn’t offer the flexibility she needed for her young family and her desire to spend as much time as possible with them in addition to activities such as president of the PTA and other roles. As a tax attorney, she gained the technical and analytical skills while her 11 years in fundraising at the University of Miami offered her the community knowledge and people skills necessary to succeed in her current role.

“Though my path seems circuitous, when you step back, you can see how it’s all connected,”

One of her key focuses right now is developing her firm’s Latin American strategy, which she has been working on for the past two and a half years in order to help families from that region, or who either have moved to the United States or have beneficiaries who are residents or citizens of the U.S. The fact is, there are many U.S. nationals who are living abroad who may not realize that there are certain reporting requirements. Her firm has identified a significant market to work with and the goal is to ensure those families will be able to successfully transfer their assets to future generations in the most tax advantageous manner possible.

She is extremely proud of having grown Fiduciary Trust International of the South to be the fifth largest trust company in Florida, with the help and support of her team and her colleagues at Franklin Templeton, the parent company of Fiduciary Trust.

Weintraub knows how vital it is to have a team that you believe in, because as she mentions, as you rise in management and the business grows, it becomes harder to work directly with clients. “You need people in place that you trust to do a great job. If you’ve done your hiring, training and mentoring well, you have those people,” she says, adding that one of her favorite aspects of her position is mentoring and working with young people in the firm and seeing them rise through the ranks.

Advice for Those Starting Out

Though her career path makes sense in retrospect, Weintraub is the first to admit that she never spent too much time assessing career goals or making long-term plans. “I have never felt regret over something I didn’t do because at that time, I didn’t realize it was something I should have been doing.”

She advises women who are starting their careers to speak up and make their voices and opinions heard. “Sometimes a woman who speaks up is considered aggressive, and a man who speaks up is considered smart. That’s an issue that’s still with us, but we are making strides and shouldn’t let that deter women.”

Weintraub says it’s important to work hard, with focus and integrity, and become that go-to person who can be relied on to get the job done. “People will recognize and be grateful for your support and hard work, and that’s when the promotions come.”

“People will recognize and be grateful for your support and hard work, and that’s when the promotions come.”

She hopes that women in leadership positions take the time to mentor, coach and develop other women. Of course, she says it’s important to mentor all young people, male and female, to really coach and pull people aside after meetings to spend time and give feedback – what did they do well? What could they do better?

“When I started, women tended to be harder on other women,” she recalls, appreciating how much that has changed. “We as women didn’t have role models helping us because they were just trying to survive. But since that’s no longer the situation, we need to be good role models — supportive and encouraging.”

Although the industry has matured – she recalls being told to wear dark suits when she first entered the workforce – there are still advances to be made. One area in particular relates to the issue of women and children. She says that although in this generation, you may see just as many men stepping down, only women deal with the prevailing mindset of ‘are they going to be coming back? “How can that be after so many years of women going back to work after having kids, especially when many men have equal childcare roles?” she asks rhetorically.

In past generations, men were expected to work full time, while women did the carpools, but that is no longer the case. Since this generation is more 50/50, with a lot more hands-on fathers than before, leaders have to be aware that men need similar flexibility options. “I believe strongly that we can’t forget the men in this generation.”

Sharing Success with other Women

Weintraub currently acts as global treasurer for the 60 chapters of International Women’s Forum, a global network of preeminent women, whose careers span fields from chefs to writers to educators. She’s also involved in C200, another invitation-only group of entrepreneurial women, and the Women’s Fund, along with other organizations dedicated to helping women and girls. Mostly notably she was on the founding board of the Miami Commonwealth Institute that mentors and trains women in middle management.

“I believe strongly in being a valued member of the community – that could be your work community, the broader community or your family community.”

Weintraub knows she’s been blessed with a large circle of friends and a close family which includes her husband and three kids, a son and two daughters. She and her husband are committed to traveling as much as they can, having enjoyed recent trips to Cairo and Istanbul. “I have met wonderful women from around the world, and it is great to see their countries and learn their cultures,” Weintraub said. “Women around the world have much in common and much to learn from each other. That’s why I believe that mentoring and helping bring up the future generation of leaders is very important.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Intrepid Woman: Kat Gordon, Founder, 3% Conference

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Kat Gordon“Diversity + creativity = profitability. There is no downside to increasing the number of women in creative director positions.”

That’s the philosophy of Kat Gordon, who began her copywriting career in the magazine world, working for titles such as USA Today, Cosmo and Sports Illustrated. She found the work fun and dynamic, and anticipated that she would eventually rise to the position of promotions director for a magazine. However, fate intervened, and when her husband was transferred to the west coast, she joined him in San Francisco. What followed was a major career re-invention, which she calls the best thing that ever happened to her.

After taking night classes in advertising copywriting, Gordon realized how much she loved working that part of her creative muscle, and joined the ad world, landing positions with several large agencies.

She left agency life when she had kids, and quickly discovered a niche as a freelance copywriter. At that time, everyone needed websites written so Gordon was able to work at home with the help of a nanny. In 2008, she started her own agency, Maternal Instinct. It was a reflection of the work I was getting from so many brands that hired me to write for them because so few creatives knew how to speak to one of their key audiences — moms.”

As time went on, Gordon began to increasingly wonder why the female influence was not being reflected in the ad world. “I was living in this entrepreneurial area with tons of startups, and yet this huge issue was not being addressed,” she said.

“I was living in this entrepreneurial area with tons of startups, and yet this huge issue was not being addressed,”

When Gordon realized that only 3% of creative directors were women, The 3% Conference began, a social movement that now consumes the majority of her professional time.

Where are the Women Creative Directors?

Since Gordon began her research five years ago, the group has held three conferences and nine traveling events, and she has become an in-demand speaker and thought leader. In August 2014 they recreated the study that had unearthed the 3% number and found that the number of female creative directors is now up to 11 percent – “out of the single digits at least,” she notes, wryly.

According to Gordon, the industry has a lot at stake: the vast majority of purchasers in every consumer category are women, and companies are losing sales by not reaching them. “It is a business imperative to change this because brands are leaving rich ground for creative exploration untapped,” she says.

Unlike STEM and other fields, adverting doesn’t have a recruitment problem at entry levels, but it does have a retention problem. “In some ways, our situation is worse,” Gordon says, because women have expressed a desire to train in the field and want to work in it, but then they lifestyle out when they would be the most productive. She calls it “death by 1,000 paper cuts” – all the little annoyances and issues eventually become so untenable that women give up.

So while the bad news is that there lots of small things impacting the industry, the good news is that they don’t have to reinvent the entire world. Rather, the industry needs to identify the pitfalls and side step them to keep women in.

The 3% Conference website identifies 50 small things that can make a difference – such as changing hiring practices and increasing maternity leaves — and just recently they ran a breakout session where they identified 50 more. Much of the retention problem relates to crazy and unpredictable hours and, as Gordon notes, making allowances that would create a workplace friendlier to women would do the same for men.

Lighting the Fire

Gordon’s interest in the topic was fueled by her disgust for how women were being marketed to — how despite the unbelievable power of the female consumer, they were being ignored and stereotyped.

“I started this as a passion project and didn’t realize how much the message would resonate and how many corners of the world would want to get involved,” Gordon says, adding that she feels an enormous sense of responsibility to the women in her industry.

“I started this as a passion project and didn’t realize how much the message would resonate and how many corners of the world would want to get involved,”

“Unlike with some missions, I don’t run into people who are naysayers, but rather it’s a battle that people want to talk about. I’m motivated and love it and I feel blessed to have this responsibility. I am eager to get more women involved to help carry it forward.”

One recent endeavor was holding a Tweetup on Super Bowl Sunday where ad women around the world were live tweeting their reaction to the ads, complete with the brand and ad agency Twitter handles. Using hashtags like “#3percentSB,” “#mediawelike” and “#notbuyingit,” the group garnered 59 million impressions. The consensus was that the loser by far was Carl’s Jr., while the NFL’s domestic violence and the #LikeAGirl campaign received high marks.

Personal Sales Skills Crucial

Gordon encourages women in the industry to remember that it’s key to be a persuasive sales presenter — most women spend time training on the creative aspects, without ample attention on how to sell the work. She urges women to take a class if they’re not confident speakers and seek out low-stakes opportunities to speak out so they will be ready when it does matter.

“I believe this is the best time ever to be a woman in advertising because agencies and brands are realizing the unbelievable value women have due to their insight into the female experience. It’s an asset,” she says. “The field is starving for that work, and the superstars will be the ones who are bold enough to tap into their whole life experience…”

And she says it’s the responsibility of all women – not just those in advertising — to speak up as part of the 3% commitment. Since all consumers are exposed to 3,000 ads daily, we want all women to be aware of the 3% movement and how we’re working hard to up the quality and effectiveness of those messages. “We need women to cheerlead for us and tell us what they like and don’t like.”

On the Court and In the Kitchen

Gordon loves spending time with her two sons, especially cooking and baking with her younger one. She also makes time to play tennis: “It’s so important to find something physical you do that brings you joy,” she says.
An active supporter of early childhood literacy, Gordon says, “It’s such an important gift to give to your child, to read to them from when they’re babies.” Nurturing the future class of creative directors should come early!

By Cathie Ericson

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Voice of Experience: Bin Hwee Quek, Vice-Chairman of PwC Singapore and the Markets Leader of PwC Asia

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Bin Hwee Quek“The barriers to success for women in our profession are sometimes ourselves,” says the Vice-Chairman of PwC Singapore and the Markets Leader of PwC Asia Bin Hwee Quek. “We sometimes believe we cannot reach the pinnacle of our career. This is not always true. It is possible for those who desire it. These women tend to embrace change and always keep an open mind.”

In her current position, Bin oversees all industries and sectors, both in Singapore and in the Asia Pacific Region, including financial services, health, technology, infrastructure and government. “I spearhead the markets and industries initiatives to enhance a high-performance culture and propel growth,” she says. “For each industry and sector, we aim to bring the best solution to our clients through our subject matter experts.”

Additionally she sits on the Global Markets Core Leadership Team which is charged with developing client solutions for the future. The Team identifies megatrends and determines how to help PwC win in the market, which is rapidly becoming more complex, transparent, interdependent and subject to continuous and accelerating digital disruptions.

“I feel privileged to work with talented people on projects ranging from statutory audit to restructuring, debt and equity financing and fraud investigation,” she says. “I am most proud when my team pulls together to deliver the best solutions for our clients and whenever our clients acknowledge our contribution to their success.”

As she has ascended through the hierarchy of PwC, she hasserved in various capacities including Asset Management Leader, Government Leader, Real Estate Leader and Human Resource Leader (Assurance).

With today’s rapidly changing world, full of new technology and disruptions, she is interested in how they work together to create new businesses and drive out old ones. In addition, she is intrigued by Big Data. “It has many secrets yet to be revealed,” she believes. “Data analytics will provide hindsights, insights and foresights to enable faster informed decisions for operational excellence and business growth.”

Advice from the Top

As Bin reflects on her career, she sees that she has always been more externally focused, thoroughly enjoying her work with clients and various government agencies. However, looking back, she believes she would have benefitted from spending more time with her colleagues to take advantage of increased opportunities to collaborate.

She encourages women in the industry to put themselves forward for different roles within their firms and in the network, advising that an overseas stint can greatly enhance work experience. And she believes that women should contribute to their community in areas where they are most passionate. “I strongly encourage everyone to make time in their busy schedule to contribute and to give back to our society,” she says. “Each little bit goes a long way.”

A Philanthropic Mindset

She puts that advice into practice, serving on a number of boards herself, including various Singapore Government statutory boards, such as The Housing and Development Board (“HDB”), where she was honored to receive the Public Service Award from the Singapore Government for her contribution to HDB. “It is humbling to know I have made a difference in the lives of my fellow Singaporeans.”

Other boards she has served on are those for Industrial and Services Co-operative Society and The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, and she currently serves on the boards of Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Health Promotion Board, where she chairs the audit committees, and The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

She also has volunteered her time for the prison ministry for the past 10 years, which stems from her belief that everyone deserves a second chance. Further, as president of the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (“SANA”), she is a firm believer in keeping Singapore drug-free. SANA is committed to empowering the pillars they have identified as the bedrock of a drug-free society: youth, family and the community. “Together, we can work toward creating a crime-free and drug-free Singapore,” she says.

In her remaining free time, she loves outdoor activities, including skiing, trekking, cycling, playing golf and running, having completed a marathon.

Many of her adventures include her husband and three children, who enjoy spending time together skiing, trekking and snorkeling. “I remember feeling a sense of achievement at the summit of Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan and am looking forward to trekking in Patagonia in September this year,” she says.

By Cathie Ericson

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Karuna Annavajjala, Director, Corporate Systems Technology, TIAA-CREF

Karuna AnnavajjalaKeep an open mind, be willing to try new things and ask for help. For Karuna Annavajjala, this trio has provided the key to her corporate success.

After completing her bachelor’s in engineering in India, Annavajjala came to the United States and earned her master’s degree in computer science. She moved to Columbus, Ohio, to become a developer at a startup company, eventually moving into the role of software architect. She then joined Alliance Data in the marketing technology department prior to segueing into product management. At that point, she realized that she wanted to focus on core strategy as her full-time job, rather than just engaging in special projects or other sporadic engagements, and pursued her Executive MBA from the University of Michigan, specializing in corporate strategy.

After earning her MBA, she worked at Deloitte Consulting in the technology strategy area and then joined TIAA-CREF three years ago in a role that would maximize her years of strategy experience at the intersection of business and technology.

Last year, she assumed a new role at TIAA-CREF, heading up IT teams that support corporate functions, including human resources, legal and compliance. She cites one of her major achievements as establishing solid internal partnerships and providing value as a technology leader for human resources function.

Right now, Annavajjala is working with her team to refresh the company’s technology strategy roadmap and developing the digital strategy for human resources, a project she relishes because of her interest in strategy work.

“It provides the perfect opportunity to partner with leadership on the business side, as I explore what they need and how we can make it happen,” she says.

This is also part of one of the ongoing industry trends that interests her: the increased focus on data centric decisions and the digital user experience.

Career Lessons

As Annavajjala has progressed through her career, she has realized the importance of being in tune with the bigger picture of the department’s function and how it relates to the overall business strategy. In her case, that meant keeping the technology function relevant to the business process change to enable the end to end solution.

“To be successful in a professional environment it takes a combination of skill sets, but one big lesson I have learned and consistently applied that yielded positive results is to always be curious and being a lifelong learner.”

To that end, she encourages her team to always ask questions, especially in the technology sector where it’s imperative to be in tune with the rapid pace of change. “You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn and how much faster things will move forward because you took the time to ask the right questions.”

An Opportunity for Women

According to Annavajjala, the pool of female talent in the technology space is not where anyone would like it to be, but that also offers a positive opportunity for women who excel. “It’s easy to shine if you capitalize on the opportunity because there are fewer women,” she says, adding that more women would bring much needed diversity to the field and adds that more girls and young women would be interested in technology careers if they understood all their options.

As an example, she cites a coding class that one of her middle school daughter’s teachers was holding. At first, no girls signed up for it, but when they created a separate class for girls, it filled up faster than the boys’ class. The girls just needed the chance to try it in an environment they saw as more conducive to their learning. It is important to understand, acknowledge and act on such cultural nuances when educating and encouraging girls to pursue technology learning.

She also finds that many perceptions of the financial services industry are false as well. “The idea that the entire industry is full of male-dominated Wall Street Type A personalities is a stereotype that’s no longer relevant,” she says, though she does add that there are subtler barriers that typically manifest themselves later in one’s corporate career growth.

For that reason, she advises her peers to be bold about sharing their story openly to help others navigate from what they know and have achieved.

Annavajjala is part of the steering committee for TIAA’s IT Women’s Council and a member at large of the women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), and adds that she is personally passionate about women in technology, and so is keen to continue to serve in the Diversity and Inclusion Council.

Annavajjala believes that these types of programs have to be a “pull,” rather than a “push.” “It can’t be just about the company sending out communications and making opportunities available,” she says, but rather that individuals should be invested enough to want to participate and make time for such programs.

Throughout her career, she has been active in these types of initiatives, including founding the Diversity Committee at Alliance Data. “It was designed to provide a framework and forum for everyone to feel like they have a place for their voice to be heard and share ideas. Each of us has an important perspective, regardless of what we look like or where we come from and it is vital that we express it.”

Sharing Her Passion for Education

Annavajjala carries her passion for STEM and education into her volunteer pursuits, working to make sure that school-aged kids have access to STEM education and new technology and capabilities. She is also actively involved with the BeEducated Movement, a non-profit organization that helps sponsor libraries in rural communities in India, Nepal and Pakistan.

“Kids in those rural communities drop out of school not because of a lack of interest, but because schools can’t provide text books, and families can’t afford them. These rural libraries were established to provide standard text books, job and exam preparation material relevant to their local regions, so kids can graduate school successfully and then aspire for higher education or jobs.”

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Voice of Experience: Pauline Ho, Assurance Leader, PwC Malaysia

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Pauline Ho“Women need to understand that they have opportunities, but there will be sacrifices along the way. It’s not easy: you might have to give up your “me” time to be with the family, and you may have to take a back seat for a short time to concentrate on your family and then return to focus on your career,” says Pauline Ho. “It’s a balance that each person has to figure out for themselves.”

Since 1993, Ho has worked for PwC in the Malaysia office, augmented by a two-year international assignment with PwC UK, working with clients in the energy and utilities sectors among others. She became Partner in 2005 and almost immediately learnt that she was pregnant with triplets. Confined to bed rest towards the end of the pregnancy, she worked from her hospital room until her doctor banned her from conference calls. “I am not one to take it easy. However it is a choice,” she says.

When she did return, she decided to take on client work that didn’t involve much travel demands in addition to taking on what she felt would be a more stable position overseeing Human Capital and Methodology for the Assurance practice.

After three years, she relinquished the Methodology duties in order to oversee larger clients, eventually leading to being asked to lead the Assurance practice for Malaysia – the first female Assurance Leader in Malaysia.

She names this as the professional achievement she is most proud of, overseeing 1,200 professionals which is roughly half the firm in Malaysia.

Right now she is focused on working with PwC on building trust in a competitive marketplace, noting that Assurance is the foundation for that trust. “The audit market is very mature, but we are working to change mindsets to view assurance in a broader lens, to demonstrate the value we can bring to our clients.”

Learning to Take Risks

As she has progressed throughout her career, Ho says that she has learned that it’s ok to make mistakes because trying new things is how you learn. She says that in the past she had taken the approach that if she wasn’t certain about something, she’d better not do it.

That held her back, she says, but as she progressed she had mentors who pushed her along and helped her take on more courageous roles and new challenges.

She cites one time when her Managing Partner asked her who would be suited to take on a new role, and she offered three names, excluding her own, and explained why those people could do the job. When he asked about her, she said that it had never crossed her mind because she wasn’t ready. When he said I think you are the person, I agreed,” she remembers, reflecting on a conversation playing in her mind about other times she had turned down a role because it required too much travel or otherwise was outside of her comfort zone.

Making Strides In Equal Representation

Ho is proud that the firm has excellent female representation at all levels – 60 percent of its graduate intakes are women, along with 40 percent of partners and directors, and even two of the nine executive board members, including Ho.

One area where it is trickier to maintain equality generally, but desired by female millennials, is in mobility since it is more challenging for women to take their family overseas in the Asian culture than men.

She also sees that many women take a break when they have children and it is challenging for them to return. The firm is addressing that by supporting the national “Back2Work” program, where they help women re-acclimate, and the firm also offers flexible working arrangements, which allows people to work a minimum of three days a week..

The board level is another place where she sees women can have an impact. “When people retire from board positions, they try to find others whom they know to take their places, so it’s important for women to remember to do the same for women.”

She is also a believer in mentoring, and recently volunteered to help in a pilot program to mentor young, high-potential women called “Womentum,” an idea that came from her Markets Leader, another female partner on the executive board of PwC Malaysia. “Women need to help each other more, share their stories and let people see that there are successes and failures, and it’s ok to do something out of your comfort zone,” Ho says.

She herself benefited from a mentoring program earlier in her career, when she was fortunate to be assigned by the firm’s former chairman to a female CEO of an international bank in Malaysia, whom she says was instrumental in helping her prioritize what was important and how to make it happen.

Away from the Office

Ho’s triplets, now nine, keep her busy away from the office with their sports and activities. The family also prioritizes quarterly holidays – whether to the beach or the slopes to enjoy family time.

 

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Voice of Experience: Frances Janis, Senior Partner, Pomona Capital (the private equity arm of Voya Investment Management)

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Frances Janis“Make sure you take control of your career and assert yourself, and you will be rewarded,” says Frances Janis. “You will have a successful career if you seek out opportunities that fit your strengths and then perform to the best of your ability.”

Janis knows that this path will pay off: her career in the venture capital industry has been the result of seizing new opportunities and taking calculated risks along the way.

She was first introduced to the field when she filled a six-month gap between university and graduate school as a receptionist at a venture capital firm. It just happened to be one of the most prolific VC firms at the time, one that had backed Apple and Genentech, and Janis recognized her good fortune to be working with great people doing exciting things. She sought employment at the firm after completing business school, and while there were no current opportunities there, one partner who had left to start his own firm hired her. She worked for him for 11 years and continues the relationship today — he remains her mentor and is on the board of a fund for which she is the portfolio manager.

Her next move was to join her current partner at Pomona Capital, who was launching a new concept at the time — buying out the interest in funds from investors who needed liquidity. “It was a mad cap idea, but he was very convincing and he really had foresight in a market that was not yet evolved,” she says. “It’s been an amazing ride. Neither of us could have dreamed it would become as big of a business as it has,” says Janis. The 21-year partnership has spawned a business that manages $8 billion and has 45 employees in three global locations.

For Janis, building the business is the achievement she’s most proud of. These days, her main functions are in an upper management capacity, rather than making investments. She recently was intricately involved in overseeing the development of a recently launched retail product, which will be distributed by Voya. It will create an entirely new market for Pomona Capital, since all its previous products have been institutional.

“I love being involved in strategizing how to make sure that the business is moving forward on lots of different fronts. The industry has changed and evolved so much, and we are constantly faced with exciting new challenges.”

Finding the Right Talent and Right Fit: A Two-Way Street

For Janis, one of those recurring challenges is managing the people side of the business. As a small firm, it’s critical that new hires fit in to the collegial culture since each person affects the dynamic. The interview process typically includes having the potential candidate meet with a cross section of employees to check that personality fit. “From senior-level employees down to junior, it can be hard to get it right,” she says.

Once selected, her firm aims to keep associates engaged so Pomona is constantly considering how to offer new experiences. For example, just recently a younger associate who valued international experience spent time in the firm’s London and Hong Kong offices; another will go to Hong Kong in September.

Much of a candidate’s future success has to do with how they respond to the smaller, less-structured environment. Janis recommends that all professionals realize that bosses prefer employees who are self-starters and ask how they can help, rather than sitting and waiting to be tapped on the shoulder.

Janis stresses that long-term career satisfaction comes from finding something you love to do. She knew from her first position that she loved private equity – being around smart people and the excitement of hearing about new businesses and strategizing on their behalf. She also says that she knew a big bank wouldn’t be a good fit for her; for her part, she preferred the smaller environment, where she was spending a lot of time with people who become like family.

“You have to understand what the right environment is for you: Are you a self-starter? Do you need hands-on management? You have to be an active manager of your own career, and while you shouldn’t be impatient and jump before you fully understand the opportunities a certain position might offer, you shouldn’t stay at something too long if it’s not fulfilling your needs.”

Success in a Man’s World

Janis notes that the financial industry is still predominantly male – and that much of the networking happens on golf outings and during other sports-oriented events.

“While that remains a barrier and it does not always provide the most comfortable networking environment for women, that doesn’t mean one can’t have a successful career in the financial services industry; you just have to accept that these venues exist.”

She says that there are many successful women in the industry – she points to her firm which has two female partners and women heading up finance and marketing, but notes they are not always as vocal about their achievements. “These women both have roles of significant responsibility, and you usually don’t hear about them. Women tend to be more low key and modest and don’t get as much recognition as men choose to take.”

As the mom of two boys, ages eight and 13, her home life can be a “man’s world,” as well. She loves nothing more than having breakfast with her sons, and spending as much time with them as she can. “I leave work and turn into a mom,” she says.

And lastly, in addition to Janis’s role as a Senior Partner of Pomona, she serves on the board of trustees of her alma mater, Northeastern University.

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Intrepid Women: Moira Forbes, EVP of Forbes Media

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Moira ForbesMoira Forbes, EVP of Forbes Media, grew up in a family with almost a century of experience in the publishing industry as part of the Forbes family. She clearly bears the wisdom of her ancestors yet has the incisiveness and insight of a woman who knows how to make her own way.

Forbes says, “We were always involved in the business from the time we were young.”

After graduating from Princeton and the Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development, she joined the marketing team of Forbes Europe in 2001. After a few years in London, she returned to New York in 2013 where she had the opportunity to work with Forbes Life, a division of the magazine that has more to do with the best ways to spend your money, rather than how to make it. Forbes comments,

“It was really important for me to start on the sales side of the business. It allowed me to get to know my clients and understand why our brand was so compelling to business leaders from around the world.”

After proving herself as more than competent in the cut and dry game of sales’ quotas where “success is evident in a very transparent way”, Forbes was named the Associate Publisher of Forbes Life. In 2008, she helped launch ForbesWoman, a section of the online magazine meant to look at the experiences of female leaders.

Forbes talks of the mission of ForbesWoman. She adds,

“The stories weren’t always about women, but I think women were looking for community with other people who had taken a similar path. Now, ForbesWoman is one of the highest traffic sections of the site.”

In addition, Ms. Forbes serves as the EVP of Forbes Media, helping to build new strategies to grow Forbes Life.

Redefining power as a pathway to change

2013 saw the first time occurrence of one of Forbes’ proudest accomplishments: the Forbes Women’s Summit. There are many conferences that can pass like weddings. People gather—in this case, 250 of the most extraordinary female businesswomen, scientists, artists and groundbreakers from around the world—for a couple of days. They make new friends and reconnect with forgotten loved ones. There are hugs when it’s time to depart and promises to get together again, but those promises are rarely kept. Moira Forbes did not want to plan a wedding; she wanted to ensure this Summit would plant seeds that could grow conversations forceful enough to last 365 days a year.The summit seeks to find lasting solutions to the most critical issues facing the world today. Forbes asked herself how she would scale the conversation beyond the 250 women in the room when she found herself thinking about power. She has come to the following conclusion,

“Power is the ability to shape dialogue, and use our influence to effect change in all areas of our lives. When you define power as influence, you must look outside of your industry and approach the issues from unique vantage points.”

The summit strives to represent women from a variety of backgrounds in order to bring together as many different eclectic ideas as possible. When asked who she invites, she comments that she tries to find the people who are doing extraordinary things in their field, and ‘those who would be really cool to talk to’ she adds with a smile.

Perspective is everything

With all of the pressure, and excitement, of surviving and growing in the publishing industry today, Forbes feels that it is important to stay as relaxed as possible by trying not to worry about the small things. On success she comments,

“We are our own toughest critics. If we are lucky we will have many chapters and experiences. There will be bumps along the way, but you will get through them.”

Forbes acknowledges that social media and the online media landscape brings an exciting opportunity for the publishing industry that comes with many challenges and even a few “sleepless nights”. But the ability to “feel the pulse of the audience, in real time, through social media is a powerful opportunity to create relationships with our readers.” Despite the fast rate of change and disruption, the strength of the brand anchors her work in a strong sense of purpose.

Goals and benchmarks are useful for achieving more than we think

Forbes has a somewhat unique vantage point for considering the different barriers that face women in the business world today, as her own work allows her to interact with women from several different industries.

“I think women are challenged to really plan and think about their careers. We set benchmarks and define indicators of success in our professional lives, but we fail to do it in our personal lives. I talk to so many women who are afraid to set a plan and say, ‘This is where I want to be in 3 years’, and then back track from there to figure out what they need and how they might get there.”

For this reason, she is a strong believer in helping women develop career plans—and that this is something that needs to be hardwired into the company culture. There are many times women will assume they have to hit the pause button because they just aren’t sure how to navigate the dual obligations of work and family.

“The cost of losing such high potential talent is too high. Transparent conversations about how the organization can help bring their employees to the point they are looking to get can remove the stress that sometimes leads women to taking themselves out.”

It is easy to see that Forbes is a product of her own good advice.

She says, “Nobody else is thinking about you twenty-four hours a day. You are the only one who knows what you want. People aren’t mind readers. If you don’t ask for what you want, you won’t get it.”

She encourages women to raise their hand when it’s time for a promotion or a project lead, even when they don’t feel 100% ready.

“There are so many lessons that are learned on the job; experience is the greatest teacher.”

By Rebecca S. Caum

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Men Who Get It: Mark Pestrella, Chief Deputy Director for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works

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Mark PestrellaMark Pestrella knows that everyone has a story, and that women in particular need to feel they can tell their story without looking like they’re weak. “Really listening to my employees’ stories can change the whole environment.”

As the Chief Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Pestrella is essentially the COO of all types of infrastructure that protect residents from natural and manmade hazards in Los Angeles County. With a service area that covers 4,000 square miles and 88 cities including Los Angeles, the department is made up of special districts that provide emergency services, waste management, water resource management, development services, transportation services and public building construction.

With a background in engineering, Pestrella started with the department as a civil engineer assistant, designing and reviewing storm drains.

Now 28 years later, his role as overseer for the 4,000 employees at 78 facilities involves “managing people, not things,” he says. “We have a large and very diverse workforce, which allows us to operate at optimum capabilities.” Pestrella knows that having a diverse workforce enables them to serve a diverse community, but it’s more than that. “If you are trying to create solutions without a group that reflects diversity in education, gender and culture, you’ll get a siloed response.”

Raised With Diversity

From a business standpoint it’s clear to Pestrella that the diversity of his team has to reflect the community, but he emphasizes that it’s also a personal value for which he credits his family dynamic. As a Pacific Islander, his father came to the country as a minority, but says he was “put in the box of mainstream white males.” Growing up with four sisters, a strong mother and a dad who believed in tolerance helped form his thinking, augmented by his childhood in San Bernardino, Calif., an area ripe with diversity.

Addressing and Overcoming Blind Spots

While acknowledging that everyone has blind spots, Pestrella says that he works consistently to address his, even asking trusted colleagues to help him identify them.

Public Works is primarily an engineering organization and as such, has historically been predominantly a male-based agency, but under his guidance, gender recruitment has improved greatly. Even so, he knew he had to address intolerance.

“I could see it happening throughout the organization, where the women were feeling they had to be superheroes to think they deserved a promotion,” he says, adding that in extreme cases he’s had to fire people whose blind spots were interfering with their ability to treat people with equity.

“I could see it happening throughout the organization, where the women were feeling they had to be superheroes to think they deserved a promotion,”

One solution he sees is for men to acknowledge and value differences, rather than seeing them as problems. “We’re being taught you can’t act like anyone is different but that’s not true, and not the best way to deal with gender diversity. There are built-in biases that we have to understand, respect and deal with.”

For example, he says that the way men approach a woman boss often should be different because their styles are usually different. As an example, the first woman director of Public Works for L.A. County is Pestrella’s boss, and he knows that when he comes to her with an issue, she wants him to also offer two or three solutions and then allow time for her to process them. “You have to educate yourself that there are some differences in style.”

And blind spots aren’t just for men. He recounts a woman employee who was so frustrated with the department that she wanted to share her concerns publicly through a complaint. Pestrella says she was one of the department’s best engineers at the time and had potential to be a top leader. He knew that her blind spot was causing her to miss the bigger picture. “She was hearing what she wanted to hear,” he says. Ultimately he was able to broker an arrangement where he would meet with her monthly to discuss her concerns in lieu of her continuing with her complaint. “I wasn’t trying to change her mind, but I felt that she was making a mistake in waving the woman flag. I was able to address her issues, and she has progressed in her career path.”

“I wasn’t trying to change her mind, but I felt that she was making a mistake in waving the woman flag. I was able to address her issues, and she has progressed in her career path.”

A Successful Technique To Start New Employees on the Path to Success

Pestrella believes much of his managerial success comes from a successful technique he uses with new employees. He’ll schedule an introductory meeting, and to ensure that he is in the right mind set, he turns off his computer and devices for a few minutes before they come in. “I want to make sure I am meeting them with an open mind,” he says.

They then embark on a meeting where there’s no note taking, just an opportunity for the new employee to share his or her background. “Over the years, it’s been an unbelievable journey of getting to truly know the people who work with me, and a real asset to establish that trust right off the bat,” he says. “I learn things about people I would never have imagined and almost without fail, I know I would have put them in a different box when I compare what I would have thought about them had we not had the meeting and conversation.”

Though he identifies himself as a private person, he makes a point to coach his employees and says there are several women over the years with whom he has felt comfortable sharing his philosophy. “When I see people who have great potential and the drive to be a public servant, it’s natural to want to share with them what has been successful to me.”

By Cathie Ericson

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Voice of Experience: Sally Boyle, Partner and International Head of the Human Capital Management Division, Goldman Sachs

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Sally Boyle“The tougher the job, the faster you learn,” says Sally Boyle, who began her career as an employment lawyer before seguing into human resources and now leading that division in Europe and Asia in her current role at Goldman Sachs.

Unlike many women who chart a clear path as working moms, Boyle considered taking a break from her law career before her maternity leave and broached the subject with her female boss. “She instead encouraged me to take a master’s course during that time,” Boyle recalled. Her boss was writing a book on employment law, and suggested that if Boyle chose her topics carefully, she could parlay what she was learning in school into helping her write the book.

“I was a little taken aback when she arrived at the hospital with flowers and an enormous parcel of law books, but it was good advice,” Boyle said. While she found it challenging to study with a baby, overall she felt it was the perfect opportunity to keep herself connected with academic law and her boss.

Within 14 months she had her second son and continued to work towards her master’s degree, and then three years later, she decided it was time to go back to work. Her boss was committed to helping the next generation of women live more flexible lifestyles, and Boyle opted for a part-time schedule, since her barrister husband traveled frequently.

Several years later, deciding to ease back into full-time work, she took an interim job at a smaller firm outside the city. But after three years, she was yearning to be back in London, so activated her network and joined Goldman Sachs in 1999.

The firm was about to go public and having an employment lawyer in the London office was a new venture for them too. “It was the best job in the city. I was giving advice in a territory that spanned different cultures and covered 40 cities.”

Then in 2008, Boyle was tapped to take on responsibility for Goldman Sachs’s Human Capital Management Division in Europe. “I was a little surprised, having been a lawyer all my life, to be offered this opportunity to run a regional HR division. But even though I said I didn’t know that much about it, they expressed confidence I was well suited to the role.”

Her predecessor had moved to Asia to become head of human resources there so with no transition Boyle took the position, coincidentally on the very day that Lehman Brothers met its demise. She became partner in 2010 and now oversees the human resources businesses in Europe, India and Asia.

Taking on Challenges

For Boyle, the professional achievement she is most proud of is pivoting from law to human resources. “I was able to use skills I’d acquired as a lawyer, but also needed to intuitively figure out how to lead since there was no road map.” She said that her role in human resources is much broader than what she had been doing in law – allowing her to oversee everything from gyms to childcare centers, and helping employees with every phase of their careers, from the first time they show an interest in the firm to when they leave, including training and development.

She’s particularly interested in the overlay of the millennial generation and their expectations. “The way that we’re thinking about our biggest asset, our people, has to change, and it’s fascinating to work on new ways to retain and motivate our best people.”

Reviewing her career path, she knows she was able to advance into new areas because she had confidence in other people’s assessment of her. “I wasn’t constantly wondering whether I had the skills to take on a new role; rather I said yes because the people who asked me said I could.”

She has seen the rewards of having the confidence to take the leap into new things and rather than staying complacent. She says that she was fortunate to have strong mentors and sponsors who were constantly helping her see what a smart next step would be.

A Path to the Top

Right now, Boyle is enjoying an aspect of her role helping Goldman Sachs work with women in thoughtful ways to enhance their experience. “I got this mindset from my first boss,” she says. “Rather than having an attitude of, ‘I’ve had it tough and you will too,’ she helped smooth the way.”

To that end, Boyle has worked on programs in Europe at Goldman Sachs designed to engage women on maternity leave and give them a good experience coming back to work. The program connects the manager and woman from the start to talk about expectations while she is gone and when she returns to make sure that she is well integrated during the transition time.

Additionally, Boyle advises women entering the industry to build a strong network not only within the organization but more broadly. Boyle knows this from experience: had she neglected her network, she wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to work at Goldman Sachs.

“I have confidence that women can do it all — they can be good mothers and good partners and successful workers, but you have to realize that it will be quality not quantity that will get you there.” She says that goes both ways – for family time and for work as well. “Managers need to give employees flexibility and trust them to manage their work.”

Away from the Job

An avid former tennis player, Boyle has recently turned her attention to cycling. In addition, she began golfing several years ago in an effort to join her family in one of their favorite pastimes. “It used to be my family was on the course, and I was at the spa,” she says. “But it’s an addictive game, once you start.”

By Cathie Ericson

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