Tag Archive for: voice of experience

Voice of Experience: Susan Light, Partner, Katten

Susan LightWhen Sue Light reflects on advice given to her over the years she acknowledges that sometimes it doesn’t become pertinent until you’ve been in the workforce long enough to see its value.

That’s why she recommends newer professionals focus on approaching a job with the goal of helping solve problems and offering solutions. She also stresses the importance of taking care of yourself. “I am happy to see this is becoming a bigger trend among younger professionals. It’s not weak to take a moment every now and then to focus on your physical and mental health. It’s imperative. If you are not taking care of yourself, you won’t be able to show up and take care of others. Plain and simple.”

Finding the Perfect Intersection of Experiences

While Ms. Light had originally planned to get her PhD in psychology, she changed course as grad school loomed and ended up attending law school at Boston University. She began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in New York, where she tried to verdict more than 50 felony cases and supervised the investigations and prosecutions of violent crimes. She spent seven years in what she describes as an “important and dynamic job,” learning every aspect of practicing law and simultaneously building strong ties with her colleagues.

She also earned her Master of Law at New York University School of Law in the evenings, focusing on securities and criminal law. Ms. Light was able to combine the specialties into a position that she says was “custom-made for her” at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as a trial attorney. Over the years she ascended the ranks and became a senior vice president in the NYSE’s enforcement division.

During her time there, the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), a self-regulatory organization of the securities industry, merged with NYSE’s regulation and formed the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Ms. Light stayed on in a similar position for an additional 11 years, helping run the enforcement division as senior vice president and chief counsel.

As a leader at FINRA and the NYSE, Ms. Light managed as many as 60 attorneys and investigators and negotiated dozens of global settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, state regulators and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Additionally, she partnered with foreign regulators on investigations into cross-national Ponzi schemes, with the Internal Revenue Service on investigations of improper tax dividends, with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation on investigations of penny stock fraud and market manipulation and with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on managed futures alternative investments investigations.

While she enjoyed her regulatory experience, last year she decided she wanted to experience private practice and joined Katten as a partner in its Financial Markets and Funds group.

“It’s been a great match, the people are terrific,” Ms. Light said. “Katten has a strong financial services department, and I brought my institutional knowledge of SEC and FINRA rules and regulations to enhance that area.” Clients appreciate the value she brings, given her extensive experience and insight in addressing complex legal and regulatory issues. Joining Katten has also presented the opportunity for Ms. Light to handle cryptocurrency and cybersecurity matters, building on her FINRA experience in those areas.

At Katten, Ms. Light provides clients with a regulator’s perspective and deep insights into the rules. Her time is divided between giving advice on rule interpretations and practices, conducting internal investigations and representing broker/dealers in SEC and FINRA proceedings. “I try to help my clients better understand what the regulator is required to consider and how that may impact their matter,” said Ms. Light. “I think this approach gives them a greater level of insight and confidence when working with FINRA or the SEC.”

And that is one of the professional achievements she is most proud of—being able to connect her many roles, leveraging her experience to provide value to her clients. In addition, she finds a lot of satisfaction in the opportunities she has had through her senior executive leadership roles to mentor and guide so many people whom she has been proud to see have been promoted and succeed.

Building Important Bridges

While she appreciates the level of trust she has established with the regulatory agencies, Ms. Light likewise values the trust she has developed with colleagues. “You need someone at work who will give you a reality check and advice,” she says. Since she is relatively new at Katten, she has been proactively calling women partners to get to know them.

Ms. Light says she has been very fortunate over her career as the men who may have been dismissive of her achievements as a woman were few and far between. “I never missed out on any opportunities by being a woman; if I didn’t get a promotion, it wasn’t because I was a woman,” she notes. And similarly, she says she has been fortunate to work with many role models who helped paved the way.

Currently she appreciates the focus that Katten puts on diversity and inclusion, and has become a member of the firm’s Women’s Leadership Forum, which supports the growth of women attorneys through various initiatives, programs and events. “The firm is very attuned to internal diversity but also recognizes a diverse workforce results in more innovative solutions to the legal and business challenges faced by our clients,” she says.

Ms. Light is proud to be part of a family of lawyers; she met her husband in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and he just retired as an adjunct law professor. Her son is currently a market surveillance manager at the NYSE while attending law school at night, and her daughter works in project management and is applying to law school. The family remains close—having weekly lunches, getting together on the weekends when they can and traveling together.

Her daughter recently found a book of poems Ms. Light’s parents had given her. One that particularly resonated as she read it with hindsight was called “Don’t Ever” by Laine Parsons, which reads in part, “Don’t ever forget that you can achieve so many of the things you can imagine. It’s not as hard as it seems. Don’t ever stop loving don’t ever stop believing, don’t ever stop dreaming your dreams. “It’s great advice for any professional, and a good reminder of what we need to figure out as we go along our paths,” says Ms. Light.

“The secret to work-life harmony is not balance so much as navigating what’s most important at any given time,” Ms. Light says. “Sometimes that’s the case you’re working on and sometimes that’s your child’s birthday. It is possible to be fantastic at both roles.”

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Voice of Experience: Mindy Mercaldo, Head of U.S. Branch Channel, Citi

Mindy Mercaldo“You can do anything,” Mindy Mercaldo reminds women.

“There are so many possibilities to seize opportunities, rather than waiting for them to come to you,” she says, encouraging women to be open about what they want to achieve and finding advocates to help with those aspirations.

“You have to put your voice in the room,” she adds. “Sometimes women hedge, but your opinions matter and people need to hear them.”

Climbing the Ranks as a Lifelong Banker

Mercaldo began her career in retail banking as a Customer Service Representative while in college. She loved helping people with their banking needs and after graduating she entered a branch banking management program and started her career with Meridian Bank in her native Philadelphia. Throughout her career, it’s been the mix of meaningful experiences with customers and her teams that has fueled her inspiration.

In her 30-year career, she’s been through three bank mergers and four acquisitions; been a small business banking leader, retail banking director and division manager. She also spent eight years in retail bank sales and strategy. Currently based in Chicago, Mercaldo was promoted this summer to oversee Citibank’s entire US branch network. It’s an honor to assist in the retail bank’s transformation and to lead such a dynamic team, she says.

Mercaldo finds that developing her team motivates and inspires her, and reminds her of those who invested in her along the way.

A breast cancer survivor, Mercaldo took time off when she was diagnosed and was gratified to have someone who could easily step into her shoes. “When you invest in people, it helps them as individuals and also elevates the entire team,” she says, citing one of the transformational lessons she learned from the book Boys in the Boat, the true story about nine-working class rowers from Depression-era Washington state who overcame steep odds to win gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

“I really believe in the idea of surrounding yourself with great people,” she says, adding that it’s a rewarding experience on both a personal and professional level to be part of their development and success. “I am so proud when someone I’ve worked with reaches a major career goal or milestone; it makes me think about a small part I might have played in their advancement and those moments when I was able to be part of their journey.”

That has helped reinforce the importance of partnership and collaboration with others, and led her to realize that it’s not just working hard that gets you to the next job. “There are so many interdependencies in our work, because we all touch the customer in some way and have to work comprehensively,” Mercaldo says. “I learned along the way that bringing others into the conversation creates a better work environment and outcomes,” she says, noting that Citi’s culture encourages teamwork that enables economic growth and progress.

Currently she is excited about the work the bank is doing to help meet customer banking needs in the future and how the organization is responding by transforming to help make their lives better.

“Client needs are complex; despite the growth of digital capabilities, they still want trusted, personalized advice from their banker and often turn to a human to help them make critical decisions,” she says adding that the concept of marrying those two components is exciting. “The secret of change is to focus all your energy on building the new rather than fighting the old,” she says, quoting the author Dan Millman.

Mentoring as a Way Of Life

In addition to the work she does with her team, Mercaldo has been an active mentor in Citi’s Chicago Women’s Network. She also serves on the steering committee for the Asian Heritage Network, a group that helps promote a culture of diversity and inclusion within Citi. “As a leader, it’s important to be involved in these affinity networks and broaden our sense of inclusion,” she says. She has also found Citi’s Leadership Development programs to be a rewarding experience focused on creating environments for women to grow their leadership experiences. “Women mentor and care about the advancement of other women; we have a culture of supporting other women in their career goals and objectives,” she says.

When it comes to family, Mercaldo shares that her 14-year-old daughter is an expert at evaluating customer service after growing up listening to her stories. When she’s not at the ice rink with her husband cheering on their daughter, Mercaldo and her family also love to travel, cook and enjoy water sports.

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Voice of Experience: Mariana Martinez, Family Dynamics Consultant for The Private Bank, a Wells Fargo business

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Mariana MartinezSponsorship has always played an important role in Mariana Martinez’s career.

“I have been guided and helped by other professionals who might have pushed me to my limits, but that just allowed me to expand those limits,” she says. “It’s hard to imagine a professional career without sponsorship, so I look forward to paying it back during this second part of my career through being an active sponsor myself.”

She also reminds women that there are multiple ways they can be successful in their careers and encourages them to keep going and experimenting to find what works for them.

Finding The Thread In Multiple Career Paths

Dr. Martinez has always found that to be the right way to approach her next professional endeavor. With a varied career path ranging from preschool teacher to psychologist to wealth advisor, one might not immediately see a tie. But for Dr. Martinez, the thread linking these various efforts is clear—they are all tied to being adept at understanding human behavior and how we think and make decisions, whether she’s working with a student, a parent or a client.

“Through working with people in all different circumstances, I definitely discovered the commonalities in realizing what binds us together and what makes us tick.”

This ability to focus on human behavior also points to the professional achievement she is most proud of—leading others to achieve their goals. At various times it has been students, other teachers or a family, and the goals might have been helping a marriage stay together after an affair or finding common ground among previously estranged siblings who were able to come together to help aging parents.

She sees her work with Wells Fargo’s Private Bank as a culmination of all her other experiences as she serves families and helps them navigate their relationships so they can achieve the goal of preserving not only their wealth but also their family unity.

Dr. Martinez finds her work to be particularly fascinating when she is on the cutting edge of incorporating non-traditional financial elements. “I get to help clients think through the options of their decisions beyond finances to consider the impact of these decisions on the family.”

Appreciating the Benefits as a Career Path for Women

Martinez has found that being a Family Dynamics consultant is deeply satisfying not only as a professional, but also as a woman. “I appreciate the firm’s focus on achievement, and the importance of our contribution.”

In addition she says that the profession allows her to incorporate other roles she has as a woman in a balanced way. “I don’t have to deny that I have a family or other responsibilities because the environment I’m currently in favors the ability to mix them successfully.”

In fact, she says that her role is particularly conducive to experiencing support. “I can speak about what’s going on in my life without being perceived as unprofessional and don’t have a fear of being judged. I believe that we are more successful when we can integrate multiple aspects of our lives holistically and not feel we have to hide certain parts to be respected as a professional.”

Martinez puts effort into maintaining connections with her family of origin back in Mexico, and while it requires an infusion of time and resources, it is a clear goal to go back as much as she can. In addition she adds that she works to be mindful about taking time for herself to read, pray and relax. “I find that I am rewarded when I am purposeful with my time.”

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Voice of Experience: Shana E. Ramirez, Partner, Katten

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Shana Ramirez“What makes you a good attorney is learning from your mistakes—almost that trial by fire aspect that lets you constantly grow,” says Katten’s Shana Ramirez.

Ramirez began her career in the finance area of law in New York after graduating from University of Michigan Law School. She moved to Los Angeles and worked with two firms before joining Katten as a partner in the commercial finance practice in 2018. Her experience covers a variety of financings and arrangements, including acquisition finance, leveraged finance, subordinated debt facilities, asset-based credit facilities, subscription facilities, investment grade credit facilities, transactions involving real estate and first lien/second lien transactions. Since joining Katten, she has established strong client relationships as she continues to build her practice, which she names among her most important achievements.

In addition to her work in the leveraged loan space, currently Ramirez’s work includes developing bespoke financial arrangements for private investment funds, which she has found to be challenging and interesting; as she says, it’s rewarding to work on something new in a world where most of the strategies have been done before. Specifically, she has seen exciting new trends and innovative solutions for creating leverage for private investment funds. “It will be interesting to see how private investment funds continue to find unique ways to leverage their portfolios,” she says.

Finding Balance as She Enters a New Chapter

As Ramirez points out, women often try to be the best at all their varied roles—mom, wife, caregiver or employee—and it can be hard to balance all that at any one time, given the competing demands. As she is due with her first child in early September, she has seen a lot of women go through this new life stage and knows how challenging it can be. “It takes effort to balance our desire to want to excel in all areas, including our personal lives.”

She encourages younger women to stay the course—even when it can be harder to see the path forward—especially if working in male-dominated industries. While it can be demanding and you might often feel pushed to your limits, she has found the pay-off is worth it if you stick with it rather than veering onto another path.

And she reminds women who have succeeded as attorneys to always be supportive of one another, the same way that they are the best advocates they can be for clients. She particularly appreciates when other young moms offer advice, and she is able to build a community around that commonality.

That’s why Ramirez encourages younger attorneys to foster relationships with other female attorneys and keep them strong. “You never know when your paths will cross again,” she says. “I would not be where I am without the relationships I have built,” she says, encouraging fellow attorneys to stay in touch even after they’ve left a particular firm or are no longer working together.

A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion Extends Outside Her Work Day

Ramirez is an active participant in Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum, a women-focused group that hosts events designed to support female attorneys in their career development. “It’s a relatively smaller group, so it’s easy to get to know people better in this type of setting; as a new partner I felt very welcome,” she says, adding that they have been extremely supportive regarding her pregnancy and upcoming maternity leave.

As a diverse attorney, Ramirez has a strong history of pro bono service in Southern California, ranging from assisting domestic violence victims with U visa applications to helping families with adoption petitions. She has always felt a philanthropic tie and prioritizes giving back as a board member for Public Counsel, the largest pro bono firm in the country. Based in Los Angeles, the firm tackles issues of homelessness, adoption, consumer fraud, immigration matters and more working with its pro bono partners including Katten. “It’s important for me as a minority female partner to look out for others and the issues that are important to them.”

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Voice of Experience: Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, Head of International Personal Bank (IPB) U.S., Citibank

Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann

“Be more of you.”

That’s the one piece of advice that Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann would share above all others that she’s come across during her career. So many people try to fit into a box of what they think they need to be, she adds, but if you are true to yourself, trust your intuition, and work hard – all of the pieces will fall into place. Being yourself will give you the confidence to discover worthwhile career opportunities that will lead you to the role you were destined for, she says. “I wish I’d taken this advice myself seven to 10 years earlier. That confidence will carry you through to find the best place to be – and it’s probably in a role that you didn’t even know you could handle.”

An International Flair

Macieira-Kaufmann spent the early part of her career abroad, working in France, Finland, Hong Kong and England. As a management consultant in London she spent most of her time traveling on multinational accounts due to her language skills and international experience. After three years in London, she returned home to her native San Francisco and began working in credit card product management at First Deposit, which became Providian Financial.

From there, Macieira-Kaufmann moved to Wells Fargo to run marketing for the insurance division. Her roles expanded over time and she ended up running all of Wells Fargo’s small business segment, overseeing two million customers. This success led to an offer from Citi to become president of Citibank’s retail banking unit in California, where she combined the northern and southern region into one.

Today, 11 years into her tenure at Citi, Macieira-Kaufmann is once again in a role with international elements as the head of Citibank’s IPB U.S. group. In this role she manages the wealth needs of international clients who are based abroad and want to bank in the U.S. An enjoyable position, she is building a high-performance team and focused on nurturing talent that will succeed by working cohesively.

The common thread throughout her career has been her ability to transform divisions and companies and bring them to scale. Currently she is pursuing that same vision by helping make life easier for clients with Citibank’s growing digital capabilities; for example helping large corporations that are moving executives around the world, yet want to pay employees in dollars. “We are making it simpler and safer for our clients to bank as they desire.”

A Diverse Pipeline

Macieira-Kaufmann feels fortunate that throughout her career she has been a part of teams that are focused on people development. “It’s vital to have that supportive person who helps clear your path, and maybe even pushes you to a role you’re not sure you’re ready for,” she says, adding that women will often hesitate to jump in if they aren’t confident that they already know a role inside and out.

“You have to have a bias for action, and go for it,” she says. “Surround yourself with yaysayers, not naysayers, because they will help you go for it.” While she knows that it can be hard for executives to find the time to support and mentor women, she says it’s important to find the time.

She is particularly proud of Citi’s Women’s Diversity Initiative, within Citi’s U.S. Retail Bank and Mortgage group, which supports greater gender diversity in order to improve Citi’s teams and communities, while exploring new ways to empower women at all levels. “We want to provide more visibility into the pipeline and help women build their networks,” Macieira-Kaufmann says.

Citi’s Women’s Diversity Initiative aims to provide women within Citi more opportunities to advance their careers, while arming them with useful tools to help them achieve their goals. She adds that women may not be aware that there is an opportunity if they aren’t looking for a specific role. “We must get information out so that candidates feel like they have been tapped on the shoulder,” Macieira-Kaufmann muses. “We have to open up transparency in the recruiting pipeline to make sure that people aren’t being screened out inadvertently.”

Macieira-Kaufmann herself has been the beneficiary of a number of women’s groups, both inside and outside of the workplace. She has particularly found value in being part of the Financial Women of San Francisco, as well as a cross-industry group called the International Women’s Forum, where she’s been able to interact across industries with everyone from female pilots to authors.

A devotee of the arts, Macieira-Kaufmann plays the piano and participates in a dance class when she’s home. She also serves on the Board of Governors for the San Francisco Symphony. Although she travels extensively for business, she also enjoys personal travel and spending time with her family, including a son who is 22 and a daughter, age 20.

“I have many outlets, and that’s what allows me to be my personal best,” she says. “Every day may not be perfectly balanced, but all in all, I have a whole life.”

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Voice of Experience: Neddy Perez, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Talent Management COE, McCormick & Company

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Neddy PerezWhile mentors are important, Neddy Perez also encourages women to seek sponsors.

“Mentors are great sounding boards and coaches on developmental areas; however when it comes to organizational advancement, the majority of research points to the need for women to have a sponsor. In particular, having a male sponsor accelerates the advancement of women, especially because they still hold the majority of executive level positions in corporations,” she says.

There are other factors that women need to take into consideration in managing their careers. “It is important to also think about any special assignments or projects you take on and ask, ‘where is this project leading me?’ Look for projects that are stretch assignments and that give you exposure to rising leaders or leaders who are well respected for their management capabilities.”

Pivoting to Find Her Passion

Perez started her journey as a public relations and communications professional. One of her early positions was working for UPS; at the time they were undergoing a work stoppage in Mexico and the vice president of HR decided to send her “because I spoke Spanish and people trusted me,” she says. In preparation, he covered some HR basics so she could report back properly, which was her introduction to the field.

Once she arrived she realized there had been a breakdown in policies, with the company banning religious artifacts in the environment, and the workers upset as it was an important religious holiday. She was able to satisfactorily broker a solution that allowed for religious accommodations, her boss started including her in more HR-related work and within a year she went back to school to pursue a master’s degree in international business and HR.

She was recruited by Shell Oil in Texas, where she initially supported its existing diversity function, and then ended up becoming manager of D&I for two of their businesses. She became known for her prowess in negotiating and improving difficult D&I issues, and subsequently worked with many large companies, such as Ingersoll Rand, KPMG and Sodexho. She has also done consultancy work with corporations that needed to reset their D&I strategies as a result of mergers and acquisitions or class action lawsuits and has coached companies starting new programs. She has also worked with many new Chief Diversity Officers entering the space for the first time who needed support on establishing a strategy or department.

Ultimately Perez left consulting to set up the diversity talent acquisition initiatives at TIAA, and today serves at McCormick & Company as global head of D&I. With facilities in 50 locations in 26 countries, they have a vision to double the organization, which she finds to be an exciting challenge at the forefront of finding the right diverse talent to support significant growth and creating a corporate culture that builds off existing core values but also can adapt to the changing trends of the marketplace.

Standing for STEM

In addition to a passion for D&I, Perez is focused on trying to advance STEM talent in the workplace. She first became involved while at Shell where they donated computers to communities around the world through an initiative that was ultimately recognized by the United Nations. She is also a founding member and thought leader for STEMConnector.org which has blossomed to become a stand-alone organization that connects corporations, nonprofits and colleges and universities with STEM talent.

“Getting more women into STEM and leadership is all about building pipelines for the future. We have so many jobs becoming available, but not enough of the right kind of talent to fulfill them,” she says.

And building pipelines is crucial. “One of the reasons women don’t advance more quickly is because they are not in operational roles where there is an opportunity to show a more direct impact on the business and generating revenue,” she says, adding that she might have pursued a degree in finance and accounting had she known the importance of being able to make a financial impact.

“Women are still socialized to put their heads down and work hard with the hope that someone will recognize your success. The reality is you have to become your own best advocate. As long as you feel comfortable with 70% of requirements of a job then go for it,” Perez says. “No one is ever 100% ready for their next job; we just have to get comfortable with asking for what we want and going for it.”

Perez has worked in five countries and is passionate about traveling so she has visited more 30 cities in the U.S. and around the globe. She loves photography and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of diversity leaders and women globally. In her time off, she is actively involved in serving on a number of boards for nonprofit organizations.

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Heather von Zuben, Managing Director, Consumer and Investment Management Division, Goldman Sachs

Heather von Zuben

Armed with a degree from Columbia Law School, Heather von Zuben began her law career advising on mergers and acquisitions and investment management.

However, after an initial period in law, she quickly realized that she was truly interested in being closer to clients and commercial activity.

A Career Change Leads to New Opportunities

“I found the intellectual rigor of legal work very engaging, but I wanted to be closer to my clients’ commercial objectives and help them achieve their goals, so I embarked on a career change,” says von Zuben, global head of Client Portfolio Solutions within the Alternative Investment and Manager Selection Group (AIMS). “I ultimately pursued a role at Goldman Sachs because the people I met at the firm were so dynamic and had such impressive arcs to their careers. I was excited to be a part of that and learn from them.”

Von Zuben initially joined Goldman Sachs in the Alternative Capital Markets (ACM) Group, which is responsible for product development, pipeline generation and engaging with Private Wealth Management clients on alternative investments and private placements. She was named the head of the ACM Americas business in 2014. “ACM is a fast-paced environment, and during the decade that I was a part of the team, we adapted and grew the business through significant change in client demand and market dynamics,” says von Zuben. “It was a great place to start as it gave me insight across a broad array of alternative investments as well as exposure to many different parts of the firm.”

Last year, von Zuben was named to her current position leading AIMS Client Portfolio Solutions, a self-described “stretch role” that allows her to engage with and support institutional and private wealth clients across both alternative and traditional asset classes. “As an open-architecture, multi-asset class platform, we’re able to partner with a wide range of clients collaboratively to identify their opportunities and challenges and leverage our broad range of solutions to help them achieve their unique goals,” she explains.

One of von Zuben’s current focuses is Launch With GS – Goldman Sachs’ commitment to invest $500 million in women-led companies and investment managers. In her new seat in AIMS, von Zuben introduces clients to the Launch With GS initiative and resources available across the firm as they think about integrating diversity and inclusion into their investment programs. “We think investing in diverse teams is a compelling investment proposition because diversity of thought and background leads to better decision making, and can drive outperformance and growth for our clients,” says von Zuben. “When we’re discussing Launch With GS with clients, we also have an opportunity to engage on the firm’s broader diversity and inclusion efforts as well as our clients’ diversity and inclusion objectives.”

Seeking Feedback From Others to Grow

“I’ve benefited greatly from the guidance of many mentors and sponsors over the course of my career, and I put a lot of energy into paying that forward by mentoring and engaging with the people on my team and throughout the firm,” says von Zuben. “I love connecting with the amazing people who work here: getting to know them, what motivates them, and helping them think through how to achieve their goals.”

Von Zuben recommends junior professionals develop deep relationships with others, both within their own organization and on the client side, to solicit feedback, achieve their full potential and grow as leaders. “At the beginning of my career, I was focused on executing at the top of my game more than identifying ways I could help my team be more impactful. I needed to evolve my role from that of an executor to a leader,” says von Zuben. “As I sought feedback from colleagues, I realized the importance of making that transition and adopted leadership styles and qualities from senior individuals who I admired in order to help shape, develop and define my own brand of leadership.”

Today, von Zuben continues to mentor and develop programming for colleagues across Goldman Sachs in her role as co-head of the Firmwide Women’s Network, as well as serving on the managing director advisory board of the Firmwide Hispanic/Latino Network. Her advice to others seeking to grow in their careers includes:

  • Be Confident in What You Bring to the Table: “You have to believe in yourself before you draft others onto your team – don’t waste time doubting yourself; focus on all of the lessons you’ve learned and all of the challenges you’ve overcome to this point to give you the confidence to own your space, contribute to the conversation and drive the business forward.”
  • Focus on Your Mindset: “In a constantly evolving business, change, setbacks and uncertainty are inevitable. You can’t control what comes your way, but you can control how you choose to react to it. A positive, can-do attitude can help you stay motivated, move forward and identify new potential solutions in the face of challenges.”
  • Embrace Opportunities to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: “Make sure the work you’re doing continues to scale in terms of its impact. Take on new projects and responsibilities when they’re offered to you – even if they might be out of your comfort zone – to continue to learn and grow. ”
    Overcome the Need for Perfection: “Give yourself permission to make mistakes and to fail – if you’re waiting to be ‘perfect’ then you’re probably moving too slowly. Don’t dwell on things that don’t go your way – put your energy into finding a solution, learn the lesson for the future and move forward.”
  • Manage Your Brand: “Be deliberate and self-aware of your brand by seeking feedback from colleagues and executing on it in order to ensure that your perspective aligns with how others see your contributions.”
A Focus on Family

When she’s not in the office, you might find von Zuben cheering on her two daughters on a soccer or lacrosse field in or around New York City. “I spend every minute that I can outside of the office with my family,” she says. “We spend a lot of time exploring all that the city has to offer, from restaurants and museums to picnics or ice-skating in Central Park.” Both von Zuben and her husband are the children of immigrants, and they place a premium on traveling together as a family: “It’s important for us to take our daughters to see different parts of the world and experience different cultures to broaden their perspectives, plus we’ve had some amazing adventures together.”

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Voice of Experience: Constance A. Fratianni, Special Counsel, Katten

Constance FratianniAs a practicing lawyer since 1985, Connie Fratianni has seen a wide variety of cycles and changes.

But one thing that has not changed is the need for women to do more to mentor the women who are coming up. “We can’t forget where we came from; there are still too many women who are of the view that ‘no one helped me so I’m not going to help them,’ but that is the wrong attitude for all of us.”

As a member of Katten’s Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), Fratianni herself tries to inspire young women attorneys. She believes that part of what has made her career so fulfilling is the bond she has developed with others in her firm, whether they worked together on the same deal or if they practiced in an area of law other than commercial finance. “That’s one of the great things about WLF; the opportunity to socialize with women outside of your own practice area. I encourage young women to take part in it.”

Juggling Responsibilities and Achieving Success

After graduating from University of Michigan School of Law, Fratianni had planned to work at a law firm in its real estate group for a couple years and then figured she would move on to a real estate company. But life didn’t quite go according to plan. She joined a law firm and found that she was doing interesting work with people whom she enjoyed. She was given the opportunity to use her broad legal knowledge to handle various transactions from bankruptcy and restructurings, to investment grade credit agreements to film financings among other interesting pursuits.

Along the way Fratianni had four children and subsequently became one of the first part-time partners at a previous firm, which is an achievement she is particularly proud of.

“I learned that it was about managing expectations; you can control the hours to a degree, but the only way you will develop your practice is by being there to serve. In that way, practicing law prepared me for motherhood, and motherhood helped me practice law better,” Fratianni says.

“The combination was both professionally and personally fulfilling. One of the things I find most gratifying was a former colleague who came up to me at an event and mentioned what an impact I had on her career many years ago. There’s nothing like seeing people I’ve mentored succeed.” Fratianni pivoted to various roles, including the global compliance attorney of a law firm, before deciding to join Katten in 2018 in its New York office.

Forging Your Own Path

Fratianni notes that success can be defined in many ways, and everyone needs to determine what that means for him or herself. “If you define success as making partner after eight years, well then, by that definition, I am a failure. In part because of my four maternity leaves, it took me longer to make partner but I eventually made it. I have four amazing kids and work I am proud of and have fun doing. To me, that is the definition of success.”

Even so, she adds that law school teaches the fundamentals but real world experience is invaluable. “It’s a harder road than it looks, and there’s always so much to learn,” she says.

Success comes from remaining true to yourself and not being afraid to speak up if your instincts tell you something is right or wrong, she says.

A Philanthropic Heart

In addition to her professional success, Fratianni finds fulfillment with philanthropic endeavors. In fact, one of her proudest achievements was working on a pro bono project to incorporate Operation Dreamseed as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization with a mission to provide school supplies to children in Afghanistan. Operation Dreamseed, founded by an Army captain, also rebuilt a school there in partnership with another philanthropic organization.

That heart for others extends to her children — two sons and two daughters who are in various life stages. Her oldest son is in his second year of a medical residency; a daughter is a special effects editor; her youngest son is a management consultant; and her youngest daughter is pursuing a nursing degree.

Deeply involved in her children’s education and activities, Fratianni helped organize hands on activities at her firm’s “take your child to work day.” She also created the role of “Working Parent Liaison” in her local PTA. In that role, she encouraged more parent friendly events at the school that were convenient for all parents working outside the home. As a Girl Scout leader, she was instrumental in starting “Operation Cookie” in her local Girl Scout council, which annually ships tens of thousands of boxes of Girl Scout cookies to service men and women overseas. “I was lucky to have healthy, self-starting kids and a supportive staff and family,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and realize that both personal and professional fulfillment is possible.”

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Kristen Walters, Global Chief Operating Officer of Risk & Quantitative Analysis, BlackRock

Kristen WaltersWhen Kristen Walters, Managing Director at BlackRock, started her career, mentors in finance told her that she needed to learn accounting because it was the “language of business” at the time.

Studying accounting gave her an entry into finance with a technical skill that opened the door to a long career. “Today’s technical language is computer science and coding,” says Ms. Walters, advising young women to make sure their technical backgrounds include math and programming skills.

“What was true when I started my career remains applicable now. Women should consider technical fields where there is growth and a long runway.” While she believes it is imperative to study a discipline with broad applicability, Ms. Walters acknowledges that successful careers often include an element of luck, coupled with a strong work ethic and intellectual curiosity. She has also benefited from male and female mentors who have helped guide her career and give her opportunities to learn and grow.

Building a Solid Career in the Field of Risk

These principles have served Ms. Walters well. After graduating with a degree in accounting and economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, she started her career as a financial analyst in Supervision and Regulation at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

At the time, there was a significant banking crisis in the Northeast, and she was able to spend time “in the foxhole” and learn valuable risk management skills that are difficult to learn in normal market conditions. She spent more than five years at the Fed learning about interest rate, credit and liquidity risk in lending and securities portfolios, while earning her MBA in finance at Babson College. In 1993, she joined KPMG’s financial services consulting practice, where she focused on risk management engagements working for a PhD Economist who was Paul Volker’s right-hand man when he was the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.

She eagerly embraced the opportunity to learn derivatives and spent the next several years working with cross-functional teams on risk assessments for large international banks with trading operations in the United States. She notes that in the mid-90s, risk management was not an established sector and she was lucky to find an opportunity to combine her quantitative skills with her ability to communicate and understand financial markets. “I worked closely with financial modelers who typically had advanced degrees in applied math. KPMG’s quants would explain complex models to me, and I would communicate how the models worked with traders, risk managers and boards of directors,” she says. “They needed someone to help translate complex valuation and risk concepts to clients, and even though I am not a mathematician, I am analytical with a grounding in stats and calculus, so I was able to learn how models worked with guidance from colleagues with technical expertise.”

Ms. Walters has been a risk manager ever since, including a challenging period helping to manage firm-wide market risk at Goldman Sachs during the financial crisis. “It was a ‘trial by fire’ time, where everyone had to stay composed under a tremendous amount of pressure,” she says, adding that she led the first Fed stress testing exercise for the market risk team.

Ms. Walters has worked at BlackRock for 10 years focusing on risk management and analytics. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the firm’s global risk management function, where her team leverages BlackRock’s Aladdin trading and risk management system. And, she is currently working with software developers and risk managers to enhance risk management capabilities in Aladdin. She has helped provide risk managers with tools to code in Python to build libraries to access data in Aladdin directly, a trend she has observed occurring across the industry. “It is very exciting because data and technology systems used to be prohibitively expensive with a big learning curve. The advent of big data and open source technology, along with increased computing power, has made data and technology cheaper and more accessible.”

Using Resources to Navigate the Business

Ms. Walters noted that over the years her development focus changed—in her 20s and 30s it was easier to advance with the right technical and communication skills, combined with tenacity. But the work environment becomes more complicated once you reach the age of 40 and above, because your influencing skills need to improve markedly when you start to take on leadership positions.

“There is an element of needing to adapt to the team; I am outspoken and candid and that worked earlier in my career, but when you become more senior, particularly in a male-dominated space, you have to remember that what you say is not always as important as how you say it.” And, the bar is higher for women relative to technical skills, competency and communication and influencing skills.

Navigating male-dominated environments has presented challenges, but she appreciates groups like the Women’s Leadership Forum at BlackRock which provided leadership training and peer networks to add to her toolkit. She says that in the mid-90s, conscious bias against women was relatively common, although she rarely personally experienced it. She thinks this is because she was good at selecting companies and managers who were supportive and open-minded. Today, gender bias issues can be difficult to raise because most men are genuinely and consciously trying to develop diverse teams. And, they are often unaware of “unconscious” biases they are exhibiting.

Ms. Walters noted that many of her male colleagues are actively trying to foster diverse and inclusive teams. She has also found that establishing a strong network of women is critical to success in the finance sector. While not every company provides that type of support, she encourages younger women to establish their own networks. “Many women hesitate to ask, but they might be surprised how willing both men and women are to help,” she says, noting that when she has reached out to senior people, 90 percent of the time they have been happy to spend time and help—and she now does the same.

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Voice of Experience: Kathy Jordan, Chief Compliance Officer, US Consumer Banking, Citi

Kathy Jordan headshot
“When I look back on my career, I didn’t follow a linear path in one field because I was always open to opportunity when it knocked,” says Citi’s Kathy Jordan.

“If you’re willing to take a risk and give it a go, great things can happen.” That advice has followed her along the winding path from her first job as a Citibank teller, which helped pay for college, to her most recent promotion overseeing compliance for all of Citi’s U.S. consumer banking businesses.

The key is to take on growth opportunities as they arise, even if it’s not precisely within your field, Jordan says. “Opportunities are there,” she says. “Just remember that even when it doesn’t feel like it will be an easy or familiar road, it can still be a path to opportunity. Just set your sights on the goal, and give it all you have, without worrying that it might not be attainable.”

“Don’t limit yourself to one field if the chance arises to do something else that might be just as fulfilling,” she says, noting that this is increasingly true as you move into more senior level positions.

Windows of Opportunity

Jordan went to college with initial plans of becoming a doctor, but she soon shifted her focus to finance and became a banker, before attending law school and eventually working her way back into financial services and becoming a compliance officer.

She left her law firm to join the in-house counsel team with a former client, a boutique bank, where she focused mainly on mortgage issues. This led to an offer to take an in-house legal position at Citibank that gave her a chance to work more broadly across the entire consumer banking business. It was at Citi, in the early 2000s, that she made her biggest jump as changing regulations led banks to create dedicated compliance teams, separating roles that had previously been overseen by the in-house legal teams. “I wasn’t sure just what I was getting myself into, it wasn’t a clear path, but I saw an opportunity to make my mark in something new so I went for it,” she said.

In general, she suggests that you keep an eye out for new opportunities as industries shift. “You have to determine what is in demand and think more broadly about your career,” she says. “There’s no perfect answer to what jobs you should take along the way. The job you take at one moment might not be your dream job, but it may help you get there.”

Finding Advocates To Grow Your Career

“There are always people out there who can help you when you’re struggling—whether it’s with a specific problem or a career change,” says Jordan. She realizes the importance of finding those champions, and says she rarely makes a move without consulting with people who have her best interests at heart while bringing different perspectives. “Even when you’re starting out, it’s critical to find a circle of advisors who have more experience, whom you can call upon for input.”

It’s also incumbent upon women to share their successes, she says, adding that women don’t always speak as freely about their accomplishments as men. “I have had to work on owning my success,” Jordan says. “Modesty is important, but candor is better.”

She shares that recommendation with other women both at Citi and outside of the bank.

The retail bank has a robust program designed to reach minorities and people of color to motivate them toward larger roles.

Jordan looks back on the role her family played in her career with appreciation, and says she currently spends a lot of time with her parents. “I want to make sure they’re happy, as they sacrificed a lot for me,” she says. “Although neither of my parents had the opportunity to go to college, it was extremely important to them that I had the chance – and they structured everything to make my higher education a priority.”

Musically inclined, Jordan loves the opera and plays the organ in her spare time. “For many years I played in church congregations,” she says. “It is very soothing and helps melt away the stress of the day.”

This summer, Jordan was also named a member of the Banking Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. This affiliation gives her an opportunity to step back and refresh her legal contacts, while becoming involved in discussions with senior lawyers across New York about cutting edge issues in banking law.

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