Tag Archive for: voice of experience

Voice of Experience: Bola Oyesanya, Managing Director at Citi Private Bank

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Bola Oyesanya

By Cathie Ericson

Don’t let your inner critic get the best of you, advises Citi’s Bola Oyesanya.

“Confidence is so important, so embrace who you are because it’s what makes you unique,” she says. She herself learned this firsthand, when earlier in her career she regarded her Nigerian accent as a potential issue, which even led her to talk herself out of some client-facing jobs. Her colleagues had assured her that her accent was an advantage as it made her memorable, but a defining moment came when a client mentioned that she liked her voice. “Don’t ever tell yourself that the things that make you different are a problem,” she says.

Finding Her Niche

Although she was trained as an attorney, Bola pivoted and began her career in Nigeria in banking, including doing a stint with the oil and gas industry group within a bank. She came to the United States in 1999 and started with Citi, where she has spent the past 20 years in a variety of roles from customer service representative to junior banker. She became a private banker in 2008 in Citi Private Bank’s Law Firm Group, where she remains today, working with law firms and individual attorneys, as well as institutions that work with the legal industry.

“Nothing gets me more excited than being my clients’ advocate; of course, it’s my job, but I love it,” she says. “As long as I have my clients’ best interest at heart, everything will fall into place,” she says, noting that you need to carry your team along to get the best for your clients. “There’s nothing better than when we are all aligned.”

Bola was promoted to managing director this year, a milestone achievement of which she’s very proud, noting that it was both exciting and humbling – exciting to see hard work recognized, but humbling because she knows that her recognition opens the door for others and serves as motivation for younger bankers.

Channeling Her Passion for Diversity into Action

In her other role, Bola is part of the Citi Private Bank diversity leadership team, whose mission is to recruit, train and retain employees, making Citi the employer of choice for new and seasoned talent. She finds the diversity philosophy at Citi organic, rather than top down, with a good mix of levels from managing directors to junior analysts who all have a voice.

She says the group prides itself on starting the year with a blank slate to come up with new goals and the paths to get there. The leadership then helps build teams around these ideas to start implementing them.

One recent initiative was Citi Coffee Chats, which allowed colleagues to get to know senior leaders beyond their work success and professional bio, with questions focused on a more personal angle, such as their family and philanthropy interests.

The group works on skills to help manage careers upwards, but also down and sideways, taking into account peers and direct reports.

Having always been personally passionate about diversity and inclusion, she finds it exciting that the topic is now a priority. “We used to have to convince people to consider diversity, and it’s refreshing that now even clients are asking what we’re doing on that front,” Bola says, adding that it’s no longer just a “nice to do.”

“It’s who we are, and it isn’t just about gender or culture, but also includes diversity of thought. The more diverse we are, the better we can meet our clients’ needs,” she says, adding that the firm’s many locations and cultures means they can leverage the power of their global reach.

Proud of Citi’s success in retaining women talent, she has realized that while it’s easy to assume that all firms are as committed, the numbers show that Citi is quite far ahead in the industry: Forty percent of the leadership of Citi Private Bank in North America are women, including the CEO, and the overall diversity numbers climb to 60% when you include LGBT, cultural and ethnic minorities.

Giving and Receiving Mentorship Has Contributed to Career Success

While diversity initiatives are important, Bola also believes in the power of combining them with mentoring programs, which will double the networking and connection potential. She advises other women to look for people who are genuinely interested in them and will offer candid feedback. “If they care about your career, they will offer advice on both sides of the coin,” she notes.

Bola herself felt particularly supported during a diversity leadership program in 2010, which was focused on developing midlevel diverse employees. “What was so powerful was that each participant was the agenda, with one-on-one coaching tailored to exactly what you needed to build a career,” she says. Among the most valuable aspects were sessions devoted to developing your brand and your executive presence — lifelong skills that helped the employee but also ultimately Citi as a whole.

Recently someone asked her what she would do if money was no barrier, and the answer came to her immediately. “I would be a motivational speaker,” she says. “I love to inspire others and do a lot of one-on-one mentoring. So many senior women and men have invested in me, and the best way to say thank you is to pay it forward.”

In fact, she frequently recommends that her peers remember what it feels like to be sidetracked and commit to helping and encouraging each other. For her part, she enjoys working with younger professionals and often reminds them to be patient and know they will eventually get to the destination. “There might be detours, but you have to see them as learning points. Then don’t waste your energy and emotion focusing there, but rather on how to get back on track.”

While her work and diversity efforts are important, there is one aspect of her life that takes precedence – her family. Bola says her most precious time is spent talking and spending time with her eight-year-old daughter and husband, particularly when they are traveling and meeting people and learning new cultures together.

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Voice of Experience: SoVonna Day-Goins, Managing Director at Credit Suisse

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SoVanna Day-Goins

By Cathie Ericson

Find your voice, and know when and how to use it, says SoVonna Day-Goins.

“Sometimes we tend to put our heads down and do the work, but it’s important to look around and notice who’s being successful and why. You have to make your specific aspirations known early and follow through, not only to survive the system, but also to thrive in what can be a very competitive environment.”

Earlier in her career, Day-Goins says she took to heart the idea that working hard and being prepared would lead to success, but over the years she has seen that is not enough. “Thoughtfulness, humility and authenticity are the ever-lasting qualities that transcend your professional and personal life,” she points out.

When talking to newer professionals, she offers simple advice: “Be the person that you want someone to be to you.” In fact, she credits her children with some truths she has realized over the years. “Be someone who teaches with patience. Give feedback with a constructive tone. Treat others with respect. Consistently set the bar pretty high, and instill the belief in people they can achieve anything with the right tools,” she says. “It’s very rewarding when you empower others and help them be their own best advocates.”

Finding Success in the Hard-Charging Industry

While many investment banking careers follow a similar, linear path, Day-Goins’ was bolstered by a relatively non-traditional start in sales and marketing, which she credits for her ability to be creative with her approach to clients’ needs. “Every day is a learning experience, which to me is what differentiates a career from a mere job.”

Currently leading the firm’s efforts on the investment grade bridge financing front, she considers this professional achievement the one she’s most proud of so far, given it started as a “moonlighting job.” She was able to turn this venture into a new business opportunity over the past several years and has found it rewarding to shepherd the effort to become an important complement to the firm’s M&A practice.

Viewing M&A financing from this perspective, she has observed a recent trend toward sizable and scalable acquisitions. “The deals we are seeing are stretching everyone’s imagination about the art of the possible, and the terms at which investors will still have an appetite,” she says. “This requires a lot of discipline around structuring and pricing to make sure they clear the market, but for the right transaction, the market is wide open, which is very exciting.”

Spending Time Helping to Build The Careers of Others

While she appreciates the important role she plays in contributing to the business, she relishes even more her efforts on the talent management front. People of color are underrepresented across banking, but especially at the senior level, she notes, which is why she is particularly excited to be one of the champions of several new initiatives to help identify and promote black professionals into leadership positions. These initiatives will include advocacy, sponsorship and succession planning.

Her passion for helping others succeed started early: In 2001 when she was relatively new at Credit Suisse, she founded one of the firm’s first black professional networks. She appreciates the opportunity that all affinity networks offer to support a sense of empowerment and provide an overall inclusive and safe environment to deal with diversity issues.

Day-Goins was also a part of a joint venture between Human Resources and Global Markets Business where they collected best practices used by both teams, and provided recommendations on many issues including diversity. The benefits were reciprocal, as the group was able to provide rare insight via a glimpse into how employees are thinking about the business, as they offered feedback to the senior management team.

While women in all industries face issues that can often be described as a “cap” on opportunities or a glass ceiling, she says that emerging research points to a separate issue faced by women of color — a “concrete ceiling,” which can seem even more impenetrable than shattering the glass.

She has found that the racial gap and increased unconscious bias can be more profound among black professionals, given the lack of fellow black role models, as well as the “sheer societal intolerance for making mistakes that allow us to learn.”

The only way to combat these issues is to acknowledge they exist and that the hurdles are different for different populations. “We have to be open to having the dialogue that can help us change and ultimately lead to better opportunities for all women,” she says. Indeed, she sees this as a time when women leaders from differing backgrounds need to support one another and provide a platform to discuss the issues and work together to succeed despite the barriers.

On that note, she often reminds her peers not to forget to reach back by figuring out how you can pull people along with you as you rise in your career. “Observe what is going on with others behind and alongside you, and be an advocate and champion when they are facing unique challenges – while they might be different from yours, empathize and be supportive in helping them come along.”

She herself felt that support though participation in programs targeted to high-potential women, giving her and her cohort visibility and access to the executive board.

Outside Interests Both a Challenge and a Necessity

In an industry not known for “9 to 5” hours, Day-Goins knows she must make time for other pursuits.

Recently she has immersed herself in non-profit board service involving children’s issues, which she has found to be a new passion. “Volunteer work provides the opportunity to change my pace and offers a different perspective and a renewed sense of purpose,” she says.

But the most important thing to her is her family — two daughters, ages 21 and 15, and her husband. “Home is everything,” she says.

Over the years, she has learned to take full advantage of down time to spend as much as she can with family and friends. “Whether at home, at the beach or on other travels, we relax and eat well and recharge,” she says, adding that she highly recommends that anyone who picks a demanding career take time to relax for their mental and physical well-being.

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Voice of Experience: Julianne Thomas; CoS-Compliance Americas; Barclays

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Julianne Thomas

By Cathie Ericson

A network is the key to a successful career, says Barclays’ Julianne Thomas.

Despite her rapid rise in the company, she says she wishes she’d done a better job of building her network more thoughtfully from the beginning — both internally and externally, as well as leveraging the two together.

Three Decades of Interesting Roles, One Firm

Nevertheless, Thomas was able to build her stellar career through continuously impressing those with whom she worked over the years. She is, as she puts it, “True Blue Barclays through and through,” having been with the firm 36 years. She began her rise in Chicago, where she remembers fondly her first encounter with a computer system in the business world, which she says thrilled her beyond measure. “I stuck to people like glue until I learned the system and its reporting,” she says.

Shortly after she moved to New York where she has held a variety of roles in different businesses throughout the organization, as everything from a foreign exchange clerk to a business manager and now chief of staff. Her favorite thing about change is passing the spirit of good stewardship and working to leave things better than when she came.

She credits this adaptability as the professional achievement she is most proud of so far. “Whenever I have been offered a new, exciting opportunity, I have jumped in with both feet and let the chips fall where they may,” she says. “Although I’ve been successful, like anyone I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’ve learned as I went along and moved those lessons into the next role, while helping those behind me so they can avoid the pitfalls if possible.”

Thomas, now a director at the firm, advises young professionals to keep an open mind and avoid placing limitations on themselves or allowing others to. “Believe that you can do whatever you set your mind to; then find your niche and go for it,” she says, adding that often you don’t know what’s possible in a given industry – all the facets and niches you can find – until you start networking and talking to people and learning more about the field. “As we move through our career, we find out what’s possible and then we have to be willing to accept the challenge.”

Diversity Taking Center Stage

Recently she has noticed that the efforts around the diversity issue are receiving even more notice than ever before, as people increasingly understand that talent can come from anywhere. “Any firm or individual who wants to be successful needs to broaden their horizons in their search for talent,” she believes.

She finds it’s important for successful women to keep moving forward, and realizing that they have an impact and are making changes — whether those advances are immediately visible or not — and then remember the importance of reaching back to bring the younger women along on the journey.

Among the many initiatives that she supports internally is the UN Women’s HeForShe Campaign, of which Barclays is one of 10 Corporate Impact Champions and the only financial services firm represented. The campaign is particularly unique because it aims to drive gender equality by involving men in the conversation.

Thomas’ personal life reflects the values she brings to the workplace. Quick to note that she is very spiritually grounded, Thomas considers family her top priority, including her 27-year-old son and her parents who are in their 80s, whom she visits three or four times a year. In addition to her love of travel, she is a jazz music aficionado.

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Voice of Experience: Susan Reid, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion Morgan Stanley

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Susan Reid

By Cathie Ericson

At this point in her career, Morgan Stanley’s Susan Reid says that she understands now more than ever how important it is to build relationships – and that she wishes she had had a more concrete understanding as a new professional.

“Like many younger people I focused quite a bit on building technical skills and getting the work done, but if I had an opportunity to start over, I would focus on cultivating relationships earlier and sustaining those relationships over time,” she says.

It’s just one of the lessons she eagerly shares with younger women she mentors, as she lends encouragement to their climb in the important financial services industry, emphasizing its role as a significant contributor to global economies.

Various Roles in HR Led to Her Passion of D&I

Reid’s early career was in education; in fact she was thrilled to join her alma mater, NYU, as a full-time employee immediately after graduating to help build an office designed to help students of color successfully complete their college education. Looking back, she can pinpoint that experience as the start of her interest in diversity and inclusion. Stints as an HR professional in recruiting and D&I in various industries followed, and she joined Morgan Stanley in 2008 as an HR Coverage Officer for the Investment Management Business.

Reid joined Morgan Stanley during the financial crisis and says that her ability to help the firm through those challenging times is the professional achievement she’s most proud of today. “As an HR professional, you are called upon most during challenging times, and I am proud that I was able to contribute to helping our leaders and our employees successfully navigate that time period.”

Today, Reid remains excited about her role leading diversity and inclusion efforts. “It is not a cliché to say that our talent is our most valuable asset because they are,” she says. “The work that we do in D&I to help the firm hire, retain and advance a diverse group of individuals who can help the firm succeed while enjoying successful careers is extremely meaningful.”

Right now, Reid finds the shifts in demographics that workplaces are experiencing to be of particular interest, based on the implications they have for clients and colleagues of the future. Employees of the future will have different expectations about work and workplaces, and to grow the firm they constantly have to think ahead about who their clients will be and how to best engage with them. “We are in very dynamic times, and we all have the challenge of keeping pace and getting ahead,” Reid says.

Helping Women Carve Out Success

Reid is a believer in financial services as an important industry for women. “We offer challenging roles and contribute to economic growth, while also providing individuals with the wherewithal to give back to various communities,” she says.

But, she notes, it is also an industry that requires an intense commitment of time, energy and attention, and the many additional demands that women often deal with can create particular challenges.  However, she hopes that as society continues to shift towards greater equity in family dynamics, women will find it easier to have a sustained career in the industry, while continuing to meet their outside obligations.

On that note, Reid mentions her pride in Morgan Stanley’s Return to Work Program, which was launched several years ago to support talented professionals who take career breaks but want to return to work.  The program offers women and men the opportunity to spend 12 weeks in the equivalent of an internship and to convert to full-time hires if it makes sense for both parties at the end of that experience. “We have had great success hiring participants into various parts of the firm,” she notes.

Reid underscores that it is incredibly important for young women to join the industry and advance to leadership roles. “We simply cannot be on the sidelines of this important field,” she urges.

And she reminds her peers that those currently within the industry have a responsibility to help support and advance younger women – to reach out to women of color, LGTBQ women and other women in the “minority” and to intentionally drive their success. 

Reid has a number of passions outside of work, including her family, reading and running – a pursuit she admits she has been doing far less of recently but wants to return to.  She serves on the board of a private tuition-free school in her adopted hometown, Harlem, N.Y. (she is originally from Jamaica), where she and fellow Morgan Stanley colleagues spend time mentoring the seventh and eighth grade girls.

“This experience has reminded me of the challenges that girls, and in particular, girls of color and girls from poor communities, face navigating the world and how important it is to get involved and to stay involved with our local communities and with young people,” Reid says. “We have a responsibility to help shape the future, and this experience shows that we can all start right in our own backyards.”

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Voice of Experience: Carly Scales, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs, Technology Division

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Carly ScalesBy Cathie Ericson

“Throughout your career, finding your true north and being comfortable in your own skin is really important,” says Goldman Sachs’ Carly Scales.

“Having authenticity and being able to bring your full self to the office is an important component to ensure you can do your best work and contribute to your team at the highest level,” she recommends.

One common stumbling block for women? Trying to be all things to all people, all the time. “You have to focus on what’s important to you at any given moment. For me, that’s a constant challenge given my demanding job and multiple pressures on my time and energy, but just being self-aware can make a big difference,” she says.

Her Career As A Testament to Mobility

Scales joined the firm in the Operations Division and spent nearly 13 years in different departments, moving organically to take on new challenges as she progressed in her career. She briefly left Goldman Sachs to work at another firm, but returned after a few years. “I really missed Goldman Sachs’ culture and the focus on our people, whether that be through mentorship and sponsorship, training programs or providing growth opportunities,” Scales says.

Since returning to Goldman Sachs in 2015, she has had the opportunity to work on several key initiatives, including GS Bank USA, which has allowed her to increase her knowledge of different pockets of the firm. In the last three years, she has held roles in the Operations Division, Consumer & Commercial Banking Division, Finance Division, and recently moved into the Technology Division.

“I think my mobility speaks to the opportunities you receive at Goldman Sachs if you raise your hand and accept new challenges. Just say ‘Yes’ and see where it leads,” she recommends, adding that often agreeing to this type of change can be a leap of faith. “People would tap me on the shoulder because I had a ‘can-do’ reputation, and I advise professionals to be willing to take similar risks. There are many avenues for individuals to receive the support they need to be successful when taking on a new role.”

A Focus on Mentoring

While being named managing director was an extremely proud and important moment in Scales’ professional career – a validation that the culmination of her contributions to date had been recognized – she nevertheless feels that mentoring and coaching others has brought her the most satisfaction.

“I think that’s how you build a lasting legacy: I’m very proud when people who work for me or those whom I mentor and coach continue to excel and thrive,” Scales says, acknowledging that while this requires a significant spend of time and energy, it’s completely worth it. “At the end of the day, people may forget the specifics of what you’ve done from year to year (there’s always more work!), but the person who felt supported and guided will always remember your role.”

In fact, she is adamant that her peers will benefit from paying it forward and lifting other women up as often as possible. But, she notes that you don’t always have to look “down” to lift others up.

“Look to the left and right and help out those who are junior to you, but then consider your peers as well. There are powerful partnerships and support structures that can be forged there, and it can happen at any level – whether you are an analyst or a managing director.”

In addition to working alongside her own team, Scales is co-head of the firmwide Women’s Network, where she’s had the opportunity to interact with women across Goldman Sachs to provide engaging programming and networking opportunities to colleagues across the firm.

Advocating for Yourself Reaps Rewards

At Goldman Sachs, Scales has seen that flawless execution and teamwork is fundamental to success. However, she cautions that at a certain point in your career, it becomes important to reflect and analyze your path and determine your long-term goals. Scales recommends that it is critical – at times – to take control of your career path.

Scales learned this from firsthand experience, and notes that when she left the firm in 2010, she hadn’t had a candid conversation with anyone about her goals, nor had she leveraged her internal network, which made her “feel a bit lost.” Reflecting upon this period, Scales wishes she had realized the importance of having such conversations. Now, when she mentors other women, she takes care to impress upon them that it is imperative they learn to advocate for themselves.

“Women in particular sometimes struggle with this, but if we look at our lives outside of work, we are advocating for others all the time – whether it’s our children, spouses, friends, parents, etc. – and we need to realize those skills should translate to the workplace, too.”

In addition, she says that women must never accept that certain characteristics can be perceived in a negative way when displayed by a woman.

While she doesn’t believe it’s done intentionally, she has found, for example, that the concept of “being assertive” tends to have a negative connotation and women are often labeled as being “aggressive.”

“Both men and women need to continue to break that myth and call it out when they hear others use similar terms,” she says.

Living a Life on Many Levels

Scales prioritizes being a mom and a wife, and finds that having her son five years ago made her better at her job, as it provided perspective during those “bad” days, but also helped her become more efficient and focused at work.

These days, you’ll find Scales spending her time outside of work doing activities that five-year old boys love, from basketball to soccer to tae kwon do. However, when she does get a free minute to herself, she enjoys cooking and entertaining – finding that dinner with family and friends is always good for her soul – as well as doing Pilates or enjoying a good book.

Her secret to fitting it all in? Realizing that you have to let go of the idea that you can do everything all at once, and you can do it perfectly. “An impossible standard will leave you drained and likely feeling like a bit of a failure,” she says.

Instead, she knows that there are tradeoffs and you have to make choices consciously. “Today I missed a workout and had cereal for dinner, but work was very productive, and my kid is happy so I’ll call it a good day,” she says. “No one is perfect 100 percent of the time, so try to remember to be kind to yourself while you’re conquering the world.”

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Voice of Experience: Noel Abdur-Rahim, Assurance Senior Manager, PwC US

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Noel Abdur-RahimBy Cathie Ericson

PwC’s Noel Abdur-Rahim knows it’s vital to bring up other professionals alongside you.

“You can’t look around at the other professionals at your level and then above you and say ‘Only one or a few of us can make it,’ thereby setting up a spirit of competition. We are stronger when we leverage all our best qualities and work together, realizing that we can all walk through the door rather than competing with our colleagues.”

That attitude has helped Rahim form important relationships that has led to her ongoing success at PwC.

Rahim began her career in the Assurance practice in PwC’s Detroit office in 2005, after interning there the year before. In 2012, as a manager, she made the personal decision to move to Atlanta, a transfer based on her impressive track record and the strong relationships she had built over the years.

Today, with the many changes being introduced regarding regulations in tax reform, she sees a lot of opportunity for the profession, particularly for those who are strong performers and leaders, who thrive during times of disruptive change.

While Rahim has achieved a high level of success throughout her tenure with PwC, she counts the fact that she was able to graduate college as well as obtain a master’s degree as a first-generation college student as her greatest achievement to date. “These accomplishments made me very proud on behalf of my family and those coming behind me,” she says.

Take Chances and Don’t Count Yourself Out

Along the way Rahim has realized that no one ever expressly tells you that a successful career requires strategy and being thoughtful about where you want to go, while remaining agile.

She wishes she had known earlier that you don’t have to be 100% qualified for the next role in order to raise your hand and express your interest. She notes that women have a tendency to worry they can’t do something because they are missing one of 20 qualities, but that small deficit can often easily be overcome.

“You shouldn’t count yourself out because you are afraid you won’t make it,” she says. “Believe in yourself and ask for those opportunities when you’re 90% of the way because you will learn the remaining 10% when you’re there.”

As a senior associate, she joined PwC’s Senior Select program designed for diverse professionals, where she says the sessions gave her insight into strategies for success. One session that particularly resonated explored how work is a game – not in a negative way, she points out, but if you’re not participating and strategizing about where you want to be, how to get there and talking to others about the right path, you may already have lost.

“We tend to think that if we put our head down and do our job, we’ll be rewarded, but sometimes you will and sometimes you won’t,” she says. “You have to play a part in owning your career and where you will go.” Once she started incorporating that philosophy into her work life, she began noticing subtle positive changes in her opportunities.

Channeling Her Passion Into Leading Diversity Efforts

Rahim currently leads the Assurance diversity efforts in PwC’s Atlanta office – although it’s not a formal role, she was instrumental in spearheading several initiatives that have proven to be successful. First, she went to the leaders in the market to explain her passion for diversity and explained her ideas and suggestions to drive change in the market. Her efforts were welcomed by the partners, and they granted her the ability to lead and drive her ideas forward.

“They have been very flexible with this, which has created a unique culture here in Atlanta that has made an impact on retention and recruitment,” she says.

One particularly successful program piloted out of Atlanta was an initiative to expand diversity efforts in the Birmingham, Ala., office, which is part of the greater Atlanta region. As part of this diversity effort, Rahim proposed developing a mentoring program where diverse managers in Atlanta are paired with counterparts in Birmingham.

She felt it would be more successful if the initial meetings were in person, so the mentors and mentees could meet for a day to build their relationships. “Firm leaders were very supportive and on board, and I think this first in-person interaction made the difference in allowing the program to flourish,” she notes.

Rahim believes that it can be easy to have a misguided perception of what success looks like, especially as a woman or as a black professional, because the public accounting industry has a history of being white male-dominated. It’s important to add role models so that others can see themselves succeeding, even if they don’t look like the vast majority of the leaders.

On that note, she sees how crucial it is to have proactive support from leaders, mentors and sponsors who pull you up and offer encouragement, even if you don’t automatically see yourself in an expanded role.

Embracing Life/Work Balance

With two children, ages 4 and 5, Rahim prioritizes spending as much time with them as she can, while still being able to provide for them. For that reason, she knows it’s important to leave every day between 4:30 and 5, even if many would see that as an impossibility. “I make it work so I can be home with them daily when they get home from school.”

Rahim recently returned from a four-week sabbatical that included a trip to Europe, her first visit overseas alone. “It was the chance to conquer a big fear of mine, as I traveled from Paris to Brussels to Amsterdam, sightseeing and enjoying the cuisine. Most importantly, I came back proud of myself for doing something that previously would have been out of my comfort zone.”

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Voice of Experience: Rebecca Marques, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Rebecca MarquesBy Cathie Ericson

When you’re first launching your career, you often feel like an imposter and can’t envision yourself in the senior position where you will eventually end up, points out Rebecca Marques, newly-elected partner in the Capital Markets practice at Shearman & Sterling.

Even though it’s fun to look back and think, “If I knew then what I know now,” that 20/20 vision wouldn’t really change anything, she says. “So much of what you learn is rooted in the process of growing up,” she says. “You show up at a law firm as your first proper job and you’re just ‘young,’ but there’s no way to skip over that confidence-building part, which only comes with experience.”

For Marques, part of that questioning was rooted in the common archetype you see of a “cookie cutter” mold of a successful executive that many young professionals, especially women, often seek to emulate.

“There’s the chance you might be more successful right off the bat if you conform to that, but it’s not necessarily best for everyone,” she says. In fact, being authentic to herself and her own style is what has contributed to Marques’ success through the specialty she settled on and the career trajectory it set her on.

Finding the Niche That Suited Her Personality

An English and Brazilian national, Marques attended college and law school in the United States and joined Shearman and Sterling’s New York office immediately after law school. She chose capital markets for her summer rotation and decided it was the place for her, entirely based on the personalities of the people working there. “There were some characters in capital markets, and I figured that meant I would be welcome there,” and indeed it ended up being the perfect fit.

Marques appreciates the client-facing and entrepreneurial aspects of her specialty, because it allows her to really get to know a business. She notes that she probably wouldn’t have lasted if she spent her days in front of a screen, churning out papers. “Although the job is legally based, there’s a large element of getting to understand the business, which is unique to capital markets,” she says.

After three years in the New York office, she transferred to London to work in a location where she had ties and wanted to grow roots. When she arrived in London, she was the only female in her group, but she has been able to see that change entirely since she’s been there.

While she’s delighted to have been elected to partnership starting just this January, for her it’s not just about the title, but more the recognition it offers that you’re succeeding in your chosen career. “Even if you know your achievements are being recognized, it’s exciting to have everyone standing behind you officially,” she says.

Transferring Her Skills to Making a Difference

And what brings her even more joy than being named partner is the variety of pro bono work she’s recently undertaken that has been applicable to her particular skills and expertise. This year the social enterprise assignment she headed, which entailed deploying micro grids to deliver power in remote areas of Africa, earned her the title of Lawyer of the Year for her pro bono work at the prestigious 2017 Thomson Reuters TrustLaw Awards.

“I felt like I was at the Oscars,” she says, as it was the last award given of the night, and everyone involved in the nomination process had been pre-interviewed for a video prepared in advance. “I had no idea I had won and then realized they had interviewed the client who had nominated me.”

While Marques sees her job as one of the most rewarding and fulfilling parts of her life, she says it’s important to find other diversions to fill the gaps, as it’s impossible to expect a job to meet all your needs. “In addition to the pro bono work, which I love, I believe that hobbies and other interests are important to help round out your work and life balance.”

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Voice of Experience: Allison Nathan | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Allison NathanBy Cathie Ericson

Over the years, Goldman Sachs’ Allison Nathan has learned that although you have to be dedicated and proficient in most areas, you don’t have to excel in everything. “You have to focus on your strengths and interests and think creatively about finding opportunities to leverage them,” she says.

Reflecting upon her experience joining the research division, Nathan notes that she was one of the only people on her team that did not have a PhD in economics. However, she soon realized she had other strengths that would differentiate her and allow her to contribute to the group. Connecting the dots across research views proved to be one of them.

“It’s no coincidence that people tend to enjoy doing what they do well,” Nathan says. That knowledge led her to create an entirely new research product that has become a standalone brand.

Parlaying Her Knowledge into a New Product

Nathan joined Goldman Sachs as a first-year analyst in 1998, after earning an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BA from Duke University.

Goldman Sachs had long been an aspirational firm for her, so she jumped at an opportunity to join. Since she had always had an interest in geopolitics as well as economics, she joined the commodities research team, which she found to be a great fit for those interests.

After working her way up in commodities research over 14 years, including being named a managing director, she launched a research product called “Top of Mind,” a publication that leverages both internal content from Goldman Sachs research analysts and external content from influential experts. In each issue, she and her team develop content that focuses on a specific market-moving theme, ranging from Fed balance sheet policy to trade wars to bitcoin.

“It was very rewarding to start out on a traditional path and then have the ability to create a unique opportunity that really leveraged my strengths,” she says. “I felt strongly this type of product was something we were missing, and while it was initially difficult convincing some audiences that there would be traction, the series has been consistently well-received for over five years now.”

Indeed, its success has allowed Nathan to expand Top of Mind into a thought leadership “brand,” and she is currently working on a fifth conference that is part of the publication’s evolution. Top of Mind forums are held periodically to bring the publication’s ethos of discussion and debate to life within a conference setting that features roundtable discussions with individuals from Goldman Sachs’ research division. The team also now produces a podcast series. “Offering content in different mediums has been an exciting aspect of the brand’s development,” she says.

Helping Others Build Successful Careers

Nathan has been a beneficiary of the women’s networks she has leveraged throughout her time at the firm. Recently, she has been active in Goldman Sachs’ Women’s Career Strategies Initiative (WCSI), which targets high-performing women associates to provide educational and networking opportunities. Through this program, Nathan has had the privilege of mentoring three women who have all recently been promoted.

She notes that mentoring is a powerful tool, and you should leverage your experience to mentor people who work directly for you as much as those with whom you have an arms-length relationship.

Sometimes it can be easier to work with those who aren’t direct reports, as you can be honest and know it won’t affect a day-to-day relationship, but it’s also important to invest in the women on your team, says Nathan. She also finds that while senior women tend to mentor other women, she encourages them to remember it’s also important to mentor men. “You have as much experience and knowledge and as much to offer junior people as the man sitting next to you,” she says.

While she finds that most women tend to anticipate a struggle with work/life balance, her main message is that you can have it all. “I have two kids and a husband who also works full-time. The key is that if you are good at what you do, you’ll find there are opportunities for people to give you the autonomy you need to achieve that balance.”

Much of her time outside the office is spent with her children, ages 7 and 9, but as they become older and more self-sufficient, she now has additional time to focus on other interests. To that end, she has joined the board of DreamYard, a Bronx-based non-profit that works with children to build pathways to opportunity through the arts. She says of this new experience: “I am excited to increase my involvement in DreamYard and help provide more opportunities for these talented students and their families in the Bronx community.”

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Voice of Experience: Kristi Mitchem, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Wells Fargo Asset Management

Kristi's Mitchem Wells FargoWells Fargo’s Kristi Mitchem believes that women need to visibly support one another. Where a man might readily high five another man for something unremarkable, research shows that women can be more reserved in their praise. Women are naturally aligned with other women and as such, Mitchem stresses the importance of consciously and vocally “friending” one another in corporate settings. “I tell women not to come out of a meeting without commending another woman. You want her to know that it’s important that she shared her opinion,” Mitchem says. “You also want the men in the room to recognize that she has value to add. “

Erasing gender inequality is an issue that Mitchem is passionate about—particularly in Corporate America, where she’s spent her career. “If you’re a young woman coming into finance today, you don’t see a lot of successful women in elevated positions. We need to have women visible in high-level positions so young women can see what’s possible.”

As it relates to advice she gives others, Mitchem cites strong communication skills as an imperative for success. “I consistently see women who could improve their skills in the area of presence and would benefit from seeking guidance on how to talk persuasively and powerfully,” she says. “One of the most wonderful things I have realized is that it is a learned behavior that you can enhance over time.”

Weaving Her Way Around a Successful Career

Mitchem was a Fulbright Fellow in Costa Rica, and her study there ignited her interest in Latin America and her desire to flex her language muscles. One of her first positions was with CS First Boston in the firm’s Latin America Finance Group, where she split her time between New York and Mexico City, working primarily on finance assignments. After completing the analyst program, she went on to earn an M.B.A. from Stanford University and completed a summer program with Goldman Sachs, where she accepted a full-time position in the emerging markets fixed income group as a sales trader in New York City.

As her career took off, love intervened. Mitchem became engaged to someone she’d met at Stanford who was starting his own company, and given the geographic realities, she took a position on the west coast, moving from sales trading in emerging markets to equity derivatives.

It was an auspicious time given the rise of tech hedge funds coinciding with the greater predominance of index fund management, and being part of that rapidly growing business allowed Mitchem to make a name for herself. At Goldman, she was selected for a program within the firm that identified high-profile candidates and gave them specific support needed to move forward in their careers. Mitchem credits this program with helping her achieve the designation of managing director.

As Mitchem was ready to take her next career leap, family again interceded. Pregnant with her third child, she decided she needed to move away from working market hours and perennially waking up at 3:30 a.m., which can take a toll. So while she wasn’t looking to leave Goldman, per se, she knew she needed a schedule that was more sustainable.

She joined one of her chief clients, Barclays Global Investors (BGI), helping them turn around their transition management business.

“I brought in great talent, and we were cooking with gas within a year,” Mitchem says. “One of the things that defines me is that I have a lot of energy and like to move on when something is complete, and the talent is there to support it. My next thought is always ‘What’s next?’”

Her CEO asked her to take on something completely different, leading an initiative around the defined contribution (DC) market in the United States where she says she had the amazing opportunity to build a team from scratch and capitalize on this growing segment of the marketplace.

When BlackRock bought BGI, she decided it was time to move on so she joined State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) to help them grow their DC business. She was subsequently asked to take on various new roles and ended up managing all of the Americas institutional business.

While at SSGA, Mitchem achieved one of the professional accomplishments that she is most proud of, which is an intersection between a personal passion and professional opportunity. That came in the form of an ETF launched in 2016 that invested in companies in the Russell 1000 committed to making progress in terms of gender representation at the most senior levels of management. “We were putting capital behind the companies that were making a difference on gender equality, which is a true win-win — investing in something that will have a positive expected return and also aids in the achievement of gender parity,” Mitchem noted.

In June 2016, she began her new position as CEO of Wells Fargo Asset Management which she calls a “fascinating assignment and an incredible opportunity to deliver value to clients through a large organization with so much reach.”

One of the most interesting and challenging trends she is addressing is the money moving out of active management, as well as the changing regulatory environment. “Now more than any time in my career I feel I’m at the point where I can play a key role in helping an organization pivot, as we build expertise in multi-asset strategies and quantitative investment management to add to our already strong platform in fundamental active management.”

To that end, she has spent much of the last year building out quantitative capabilities at Wells Fargo Asset Management, including the acquisition of Analytic Investors, a leader in factor-based investments based in Los Angeles. Although active management is in the firm’s DNA, she contends that it can co-exist symbiotically with multi-asset and other quantitative strategies under the same roof.

As Mitchem looks back on her career, she says that one thing she wishes she’d known more about is the science on women in the workforce. “I remember getting a review as an associate at Goldman and after a positive performance recap, my boss said that I needed to be more ‘likeable.’ At the time I obsessed about it, but I know now that there are numerous scientific studies showing that as women become more successful, they are typically rated as less ‘likeable,’” she notes. Mitchem feels that if she had had that information, she would have pushed back or perhaps put the feedback more in context. The trick, she says, is to separate the feedback that is unique to you that you can use to improve your performance, compared to what’s related to more broad-based gender issues.

The Right Support Network Makes All the Difference

When Mitchem considers her success, she is quick to give credit to her husband and her caregiver. “It may sound strange, but you have to find the right partner for your life who will support your aspirations. If it’s to be a stay-at-home mom, great; if it’s to work, great. But if you are leaning toward one way or another, the person you choose may be different,” she points out. “My husband has always been tremendously supportive of my career, and I believe it’s important to model a working spouse for our children.”

Secondly she credits her children’s caregiver, whom she calls a “pillar.” “We have had the same caregiver for our children since our first daughter was born and she is truly a co-parent with us, enabling us to have successful careers and a well-adjusted family.”

Mitchem also finds time for camaraderie with other women; having reignited her love of tennis over the past couple of years after playing as a kid. “It allows me to dual task – getting exercise in a way I love while socializing with fantastic women.”

With three girls, ages 16, 13 and 11, she is acutely aware of her position as a role model, and has always integrated her children in her work, even bringing them on business trips when they were younger. “We love to travel as a family, and one of the interesting things about my career is that I’ve had the opportunity to live and work in different countries, which has given me a true appreciation of other cultures. I believe that, as a parent, it’s important to impart a curiosity about the world to your children.”

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Voice of Experience: Lina Woods, Director, Global Digital Go-To-Market Leader, PwC

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Lina WoodsBy Cathie Ericson

When you’re just starting out, you’re not an expert in anything and that’s ok, says PwC’s Lina Woods. “There were times of stress when I should have realized it was ok to learn along with everyone else, and I see now that I could have harnessed that perceived vulnerability and realized you should just dive in and do your best.”

Using Her Expertise To Educate Up

Woods’ career began in the agency world, where she worked for respected public relations firms, including Fleishman Hillard and Brunswick Group. When the opportunity arose to join PwC, she knew that the in-house experience would be the perfect complement to help her understand the full construct of communications programs pubic relations. Her agency skill set has been a major benefit in her role in public relations and social media for PwC’s advisory consulting arm, as she has learned that client management is similar whether the clients are internal or external.

Given how large and diverse PwC is, Woods has found that her department is invaluable to creating a cohesive narrative within a multi-channel strategy. “My passion right now is digital tech and using the firm’s current digital transformation to tell our story,” she says. No longer is there one “silver bullet” or single approach to strategic communications, as the disciplines and available tools intersect. Whereas earned media used to be the main way that companies could tell their stories, now blogging and social media are powerful ways to cut through the clutter with strong visuals and messages, she notes, adding that it is an exciting time for communications professionals to truly add value.

As the communications function, marketing and PR continue to evolve, part of her role is educating leadership on what she does and why she does it. They might cling to tried-and-true PR tactics like press releases, but she is able to work with them to show how to reach audiences in a way that engages them, even though sometimes that means moving away from techniques and tactics that people are used to. “We are driving the line of service in a different way as we modernize it to better reach today’s consumers,” she says.

Part of Woods’ role has been to help to rebuild the PR team as they work to stay ahead of trends and push people outside of their comfort zones by developing an integrated approach to telling the PwC story. Her leadership has helped create a team that is confident in sharing their expertise and counseling the senior leaders of PwC’s largest line of service.

A Multicultural Background Helps Create Success

A native of Colombia, Woods says that growing up in a multicultural environment has helped boost her career because she has learned that people may understand the same message differently. “Effective communication has never been something I’ve taken for granted, and that is one of the reasons why I love working in this industry,” she says.

In fact, she learned the importance of communication early on when her family fled Colombia when she was 12, leaving everything and coming to the United States for their safety. Woods says she “became her mother’s voice, making use of the English I had picked up in my bilingual grade school to help navigate our new community,” including enrolling herself in school, and negotiating with landlords. That early experience helped shape her ability to speak up in situations where others might feel uncomfortable, a skill that has proved useful throughout her career.

Working in agencies, for example, you are surrounded by diverse viewpoints but you have to show that you deserve to be at the table, even in situations where you might doubt yourself. “Sometimes that’s easier for men but it’s really important for women to be confident and find their voice,” she says. “Trust your gut; you’re there for a reason and you should add value and not be afraid to be loud and proud.”

She also urges women to support one another and advocate for each other, becoming a community where as a leader you allow your team to be themselves and help them to thrive and grow in their roles. Woods says that within her PR advisory team she looks up to her leader, Caroline Nolan, who always makes sure everyone has the information they need and empowers her team members to improve every day.

An avid traveler, Woods particularly loves seeing new places and having unexpected experiences. Last October she visited India and hopes to go to Australia and Vietnam for her next adventures. She loves challenges and learning something new; whether it’s a new culture or just putting together a puzzle.

A strong supporter of Save the Children, Woods notes that growing up with a mom who dedicated her life to help children as a psychologist has helped inspire her to do her part to educate women in the world.

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