“One of the things I have learned is that it’s not enough to be good at what you’re doing. You also have to network,” began Marion S. Regnier, Senior Associate in Technology consulting at PwC.

She continued, “They tell you that in school, but it’s not necessarily something I started doing when I started working. But I’ve realized that you can be very dedicated and excellent, but you still have to branch out.”

Career Path in Information Management

Regnier studied engineering as an undergraduate in France, and then earned her master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “During this time, I filed a patent, and I had several journal articles published,” she mentioned. “It was a different part of my life, and very different from what I’m doing today.”

After graduating, Regnier took a job as a consultant at Bearing Point, and moved to PwC in July 2009 after it acquired the portion of the firm she was in. She joined as an associate in PwC’s Technology Advisory business, and she was promoted to senior associate in 2010. “I’m hoping to be promoted to manager this year,” she added. “I focus mainly on information management solutions for financial services firms.”

Regnier said she is particularly proud of her level of client service. For example, she said, “Last year when I ended a project for a big brokerage firm, as we were wrapping up, I sent a farewell to the client. And they all responded that they were very satisfied and appreciated my dedication and enthusiasm.”

She continued, “I am really proud of that – I was able to exceed our clients’ expectations. For my line of service that level of client satisfaction is hard to achieve. I hope to continue it throughout my career.”

Currently, Regnier is working on pushing data protection solutions to the next level. “It’s a hot topic in the financial services industry,” she said. “I’m interested in the new data privacy challenges facing us on a global scale, particularly when it comes to mobile technology. It’s a big challenge, but I’m very excited about it.”

She continued, “Another challenge is the ability for financial services firms to draw information from all the massive amount of data out there. When it comes to applications like twitter, or other social networking – how do you draw information from that to grow your business? These topics are on the industry’s agenda. How can firms integrate information from these technologies into their data management plans at the strategic and tactical levels?”

Women in the Industry

Regnier said the number of women in IT consulting is still low. “It’s still a male dominated field. For example, there are about 20% women in my practice. And the percentage goes down as we move up the ranks. That’s challenging for women.”

She continued, “Plus there are long hours, and you have to travel a lot as a consultant. This can be discouraging as you grow your career. At the end, it’s a personal choice if you’re ready to commit the time.”

Regnier said that her biggest recommendation to young women in the industry is to get a mentor. “Start looking up right away,” she said. She also said her request to senior women is to mentor more people and serve as role models. “There are more and more women in all fields – get mentees!” she said.

As a lesbian, Regnier said, she faces an additional challenge. “Working in consulting you meet and work with new people all the time so coming out is a continuous process. I don’t think there is a one-time solution.”

LGBT individuals also have to make the decision on whom to come out to. She continued, “People have to do what they are comfortable with, but also be smart about it. Unfortunately, it’s the reality of the world – some people are still narrow-minded.”

Diversity at PwC

Regnier is the co-chair of the GLBT Circle for PwC’s New York Metro area. “One of the benefits of leading the circle is that it has greatly expanded my network – externally across the financial services industry and internally.”

She continued, “It’s given me access to all of these people I think I would not necessarily have easy access to – like partners, people in different geographies, clients and competitors, and senior professionals I wouldn’t meet at my level or be in contact with otherwise.”

The firm also offers a lot of benefits for women, Regnier said. “We’re always listed in the top ten for women by places like Working Mother – and there are a lot of different programs like flexwork, networking groups, Mentor Moms, training. I think the firm is very supportive in general.”

In Her Personal Time

Regnier, who recently got engaged, said she loves to travel and to spend vacations abroad. “I also love scuba diving. I recently went to Hawaii, and dove with sea turtles a few feet away!”

“There were sharks too, but they weren’t as exciting as the turtles,” she added with a laugh.

When asked about career advice, Simone Koo, Vice President, Institutional Equities at Morgan Stanley responded with a laugh. “I’ve only had about eight years of my career.”

She continued, “I’m probably the youngest in the COO organization – and I take quite a bit of pride in that. And of course, there are people with years of experience ahead of me to learn from and develop my career.”

“But I would point out that business management, and management overall isn’t just something to do if you are older or experienced. You have to start early – and I’ve also been lucky with the bosses I’ve had. They have made so many opportunities available to me.”

Beginning a Career

Koo graduated from Georgetown University in 2003 and joined KPMG, and then moved to Goldman Sachs, as an analyst on the firm’s mortgage trading desk. But in 2006, she received an opportunity to join Morgan Stanley in London, working in asset backed mortgages.

“But given the condition of the mortgage business at the time, I made a move into the internal equities division. Then I went to work for the Global COO in 2008.”

She continued, “My role has taken many different paths, and now I am deputy COO for European Equities.”

Currently, Koo said what she enjoys most about her job is facilitating connections between individuals on different teams. “A lot of my work has to do with making connections. I get to see that people have the same goal, but a lot of times these groups don’t know each other. Linking them together to produce more efficient outcomes is quite exciting. It’s about consolidating different opinions.”

She added, “This is a dynamic industry and we are doing a lot relating to the challenges from the new regulatory environment. This new regulatory environment is changing and reshaping how we do business and control risk.”

Advice for Professional Women

“What I wish I had known when I was first starting – and something I am still working on – is remembering that you have a voice in any situation that could be quite crucial,” she said. “I used to just sit in meetings and take notes and be silent. But I’ve learnt that my observations and my opinions can be valuable.”

“As far as challenges for women in this industry I would say there can be a lack of role models, and thinning layers [of women] as you go up the ranks. Sometimes the networks women find difficult to assimilate into,” Koo said. “There is also a misconception people have about women in leadership roles, where male traits are considered leadership qualities. It’s unconscious bias.”

But, she continued, this is changing. “I do campus recruiting quite a lot – even in London. And I get asked this question quite frequently. Right now, it’s probably never been better for women entering the industry. Considering diversity and inclusion programs, attraction and retention programs –
The application process and future career progression is all done on a merit basis.”

“Obviously, you need to do your job well, but at the same time, build relationships and sustain networks. Some women need help to navigate political relationships, partly because there are so many men in the industry and they find it more comfortable working through the challenges together.”

She also mentioned the issue of self promotion. “Many women mention the “cringe factor” of self promotion – all these things men seem to have no problem with.”

Koo said that one way for women to get ahead is to really take development training to heart. “Make sure you are benefiting from diversity work, that you’re going to make it work for you,” she explained.

“But you have to be persistent. That’s the most important thing.”

Women at Morgan Stanley

“Morgan Stanley has a big women’s network called the Women’s Business Alliance,” Koo said. “Everybody in the Firm can benefit from it.”

She also mentioned the benefits of starting your own group. In fact, Koo leads the Sales and Trading Vice President Women’s Forum. “It’s based in London only, and includes women in equities, fixed income, and commodities. We all met as part of a learning and development course and started meeting on a regular basis. Usually our speakers are managing director women.”

She continued, “We just started to diversify – we had our first male speaker, the head of equities.”

The group’s meetings are held in a roundtable format and discussions remain within the four walls of the room. She said, “One aspect of the landscape that is not that different from how it used to be ten years ago is that we still lose a lot of women in mid management, when they are starting to have families.”

Koo also discussed Morgan Stanley’s student outreach program. “We have realized that to target qualified women, we need to do that at a young age, and to explain that you can thrive in this environment. So we have a program where we outreach to A level high school students. And during the three weeks between high school and college, they intern with us. We track them as they progress within universities and it links in well with our recruiting efforts here.”

In Her Personal Time

When she is not at work, Koo enjoys running. Having run marathons in 2005 and 2007, she also participated in six half marathons last year.

Koo, who has two sons (aged four and two) and a little girl on the way, says she enjoys raising money for children’s charities.

Twenty-seven year old Stephanie Niven is aiming high. As sole Portfolio Manager of the Fundamental Strategy of the Global Equity Strategies Fund at specialist equity boutique Javelin Capital LLP, she has already been named both the Young Professional of the Year at the Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) 2011 Awards and as one of Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35.

The list, published annually, showcases the UK’s highest achieving young women, acknowledging female talent in a variety of industries and disciplines. Nearly half of this year’s list includes women involved in the successful start-up of new corporations, with Stephanie’s inclusion reflecting her role as part of a three person team from Goldman Sachs who established Javelin Capital in 2009.

A self-described “geek”, albeit one who also competes in triathlons, Niven’s career indicates how it’s possible to find success in the City without the typical background of an economics or finance degree. She has a double first in History from Oxford University and describes history as her “passion, rather than a vocation – but the skills that I bring from an arts degree, such as assessment and the ability to constantly be learning, are very useful in a stimulating environment such as the City.”

From Water Polo to Emerging Markets

As a student, Niven decided to apply to Goldman Sachs for a sought-after internship once she saw water polo team aiming for jobs in investment banking.

“I applied because I played water polo and I knew older guys on the team who were applying to the banks, so it gave me the idea to do the same. It also gave me the confidence to both learn about it and to apply for myself.”

Following her summer internship at GS as a member of the Global Active Equity Team, Niven then returned post-graduation and ran a basket in the multi-approach Emerging Markets equity long-short strategy, which invested in global materials.

“I was a member of the European team but it was a global industry, so I wasn’t restricted only to Europe. I travelled to Chile and Africa and became known for being very hands-on. I met a lot more people who worked in areas such as Japan and China; this built me a great web of connections.”

At the same time, Niven continued her professional education by taking the Chartered Financial Analyst exams and passing all three stages immediately – a rare and immensely tough challenge.

The Importance of Sponsorship

Echoing the words of Marion King, CEO of VocaLink and keynote speaker at the 2011 WIBF Awards, who urged women to seek out sponsors throughout their careers, Niven started working with Victor Pina, now the Managing Partner at Javelin Capital. Then a VP at Goldman Sachs, he was trying to develop a new investment process and he became her informal mentor. Describing how her career became aligned with his, Niven followed Pina to Javelin when he was approached to set up a new boutique firm in 2009.

“It was an obvious decision for me – and I’ve never looked back. I’m directly responsible for every investment decision I make; I’m only 27 and it’s pretty rare to have that level of autonomy. Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure and stress, but then I couldn’t do a job without stress and challenges.”

Lessons Learned

She continued: “Back when I started work, it was quite daunting. I was very shy and I used to do the stereotypical thing of keeping quiet and writing my notes, before gradually realising that actually, it’s OK to speak up. I’ve now learned to be more confident – don’t falter, don’t let anyone intimidate you, men or women! And be flexible – respond to change, flex your style.

“I was one of eight interns in my division, of whom four were women. Wealth management is more female friendly, more open to taking candidates from an arts background. And the hours are slightly better, with fewer early mornings. The atmosphere is less obnoxious, without the sharp talking that you see on the dealing floor.”

Big Bank vs Start Up

Niven is clear about the contrasts between her new boutique and Goldman Sachs.

“Goldmans was a fantastic place to start. I was thrown in at the deep end and expected to step up immediately, complete with a huge learning curve and a specialisation – in my case, mining materials. Whereas with Javelin, it’s so different. I get involved in everything and it would have taken me 15 years to get that amount of experience at GS. I do lots of marketing, I interact with different parts of the business infrastructure, I speak to brokers and dealing desks. I’m far more conscious of what I do and the impact it can have.”

Barriers and Challenges

Wise beyond her years and currently the only woman in her team of six, Niven hopes to see more women getting involved in fund management, particularly at more senior levels and urges senior women who have already broken through to support and mentor their more junior colleagues as much as they can.

“I’d love to see more senior role models and get ideas for paths to follow. And being heard is a huge issue; often people don’t listen to you in the same way they might listen to a man. You do need to be confident in yourself and to be prepared to ignore people. Ignore the fact that you may be the centre of attention at a conference. Tell yourself that you’re worthy of being there. Don’t be intimidated. It’s easy to curl up in the corner – but just go ahead and get on with it!”

Development

Javelin is too small currently to have development programmes specifically aimed at women, so Niven looks for support externally, having recently joined WIBF and 100 Women in Hedge Funds.

Out of work, the former water polo player now competes in marathons and triathlons, including participating in an Ironman triathlon in Zurich this summer.

“I do a lot of training for the three sports, but the real bonus is that it’s another informal way of networking via the people who I know in sport – so I’m always building connections, but on a more equal playing field.”

British born Sarah Odell began her career in the USA thanks to her youthful prowess with a lacrosse stick. Whilst at school in Surrey, she played for the English youth lacrosse team, was spotted by a US college recruiter, and won a sports scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Tennessee where she studied Human and Organizational Development. This was followed by an MSc from Capella University in Minnesota which in turn enabled her to stay on and work in the US.

“I was very lucky! I started in the US in the telecommunications industry in learning and development, spending seven years with Sprint Nextel, primarily working to develop Learning & Development capabilities in its contact centres and delivering training to its employees all over the country.

“In 2007, I moved back to the UK with Accenture, and I now provide Learning & Development consultancy for clients in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. It’s the full cycle of consultancy, from building relationships with current and existing clients through to delivering strategic and operational services.”

Pride and Achievements

She continued, “I’m very proud of the learning initiatives that I’ve implemented for large organisations, for example – completing the merger of two large tel-cos. I led the transformation work to train the contact centre staff of the new organisation, who were dispersed around the world. Culturally, this was very challenging because we were working with large teams in India, the Philippines and the United States. But it was my launch pad into consultancy.

“I’m also proud to be a contributor to improving female participation in Accenture’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. We launched co-coaching and provided access to organisations such as the Gay Women’s Network, which I co-chaired in 2010 and which helps gay women to network across industries. I believe networks like the GWN are so important to helping gay women to connect with one another. In the US, I was only out to my team but in the UK, I’m out to everyone.

“When I started my career, I wish I had known earlier that there were initiatives to increase and retain female numbers within organisations; I didn’t realise how important it was to get to know strong women. I floundered a little, trying to find my place within my prior employers and it was only when I arrived at Accenture that I began to appreciate how useful networks such as Accenture’s women’s network, Accent on Women can be.”

Next steps for Accenture’s networks

Odell is also on the steering committee of her employer’s LGBT network: Accent on LGBT. Accenture came in at 15 in this year’s Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Odell described the company works very hard to integrate the LGBT group’s activities with those of Accent on Women, by running events such as workshops for women on authentic leadership.

Her enthusiasm is infectious, as she describes Accenture’s networks as being “… very mature; there’s lots of excitement around the LGBT network and we’re now trying to raise awareness by launching a “Straight Allies” programme. This provides sponsors within each function who serve as ambassadors and mentors for LGBT issues, cascading information on policies and serving as a bridge between the straight and the LGBT communities. The programme’s strap line is “I can’t be out but I’m in” and we hope to make it a global programme over time. We launch later this month at an event with Stonewall.”

Issues and barriers

“I’m very interested in encouraging women to enter and progress through the consulting industry. It’s important to explain that success here isn’t just about expertise but just as much about relationships.

“Consulting can have something of an “Old Boys Network” but women need to know that it can also be a safe environment in which they can be promoted.”

Asked for her advice to other women, Odell is quick to suggest that younger women at an early stage in their careers should “Dig into your networks both internally and externally; take opportunities when offered or find your own – seek them out. Men tend to be very good at creating a five or ten year plan – women need to get to be as good at this. Make a plan and find your sweet spot. Think about where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.”

Similarly, she urges senior women to serve as role models, suggesting, “Some women don’t feel they’re suitable [role models], but they are. Younger women want to learn from the success of other women, how they balance their lives. For those who may be reluctant, we need you to stand up and say out loud that you want to be a role model and that you will support younger women.”

Giving back

Although a knee injury means that Odell no longer plays lacrosse, she keeps fit by participating in triathlons and describes her biggest hobby as fund raising for organisations such as the Albert Kennedy Trust and VSO Voluntary Services Overseas, for whom she recently completed a fund raising cycle ride.

“I’m passionate about helping these charities – I’ve been very lucky and I want to give something back.”

Louise Mor, a new partner at the global law firm White & Case, is building a career in asset finance law. She has built a store of expertise in the global financing of aircraft and trains. And now, at just 34, Mor has recently been named a partner at the firm.

She advised young women in law to get involved as much as possible at the office. “Not only doing your work, but get exposed to other people. Try to get involved in wider things, like pro-bono work and marketing initiatives. It’s a great way to get people to know you – to know your face. Get your face out there all the time.”

Beginning A Career in Asset Finance Law

“I grew up in a small village in East England and graduated from the University of Leeds in 1995 with a law degree. From there, I worked for Clifford Chance for about 5 years before going to White & Case.”

“I honestly didn’t know anything about Asset Finance starting out,” she said. “But the first deal I worked on from start to finish was a really high profile deal in asset finance.” And from there, she was hooked, and moved into the Asset Finance team. “It’s very tangible,” she said. “As a trainee, it was very easy to understand what you were doing.”

She continued, “In three or four months, I’ll be joining the Paris office to expand the Asset Finance practice’s work there.”

Mor said she is particularly interested in monitoring changes to the practice of law that have arisen in the past few years. For example, she said, “There has recently been a case in England which has changed the way we are approaching asset finance closings, and it is interesting to get a handle on that,” she said. “It keeps it challenging when things aren’t static.”

Advice for Young Women in Law

“There’s a real perception in City firms that you need to be there all day every day,” Mor said. “You don’t always have to be there at 3 am, but people think that you do. I haven’t found the ‘face time’ culture at White & Case, and that’s good for everyone, particularly women.”

She continued, “There’s also a natural reluctance in women to push forward and be seen as the loudest one in the room. But it’s something all women need to be aware of. Speaking up is a good thing – even if it doesn’t necessarily come naturally.”

“I think a good work/life balance is possible, but quite often you have to carve it out for yourself. If you wanted to work 24-7 you could – there’s certainly enough work out there! But you have to take time out or you’re going to burn out – and that’s no good for you or the firm,” she said. Mor advised women to keep a long-term view when considering work/life balance. “It’s easier to get through the crazy times if you know that in four to five weeks your workload will be lower,” she explained. “You have to use the natural peaks and troughs of the workflow.”

She continued, “Be alert to opportunities. When I was asked to go on secondment to a client, I wasn’t sure about it at first. But it turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened. I was with the client during a key period in their business – they were being sold – and it enabled me to see a new side to the practice of law, which was really helpful.”

And, she said, it was helpful for the firm. “The secondment also strengthened our relationship with the client.”

“Even though you might not have planned to go in a certain direction, unexpected opportunities can spin out in ways you didn’t anticipate. The product is that you can develop your career much faster,” she added. “And helping the client through a turbulent time and building strong relationships with the team there was a success I’m really proud of.”

Mor says her best advice is not only to ask questions, but to “find someone you feel comfortable asking questions of. Seek out a mentor, whether formal or informal, who you can bounce ideas off. It’s reassuring to have someone to turn to if you’re not sure how to approach something. As a trainee I thought the partners knew everything, but after a while I realized you never stop learning in this job!”

“Lead with your heart and don’t be afraid of who you are,” said Sara Grillo, Principal at Diamond Oak Capital Advisors and Adjunct Professor at Marymount Manhattan College.

She continued, “If you’re a leader, a role model, a mentor, you have to live it. You have to breathe it.”

Grillo takes her duty as a leader seriously, working to mentor or teach as many women as possible that they can succeed if they believe in themselves. Why? Grillo says she is on a crusade to increase the number of female CFA Charter holders to 50% – currently only 19%.

While she serves as a mentor within the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA), Harvard, and the NYU Stern School of Business, Grillo explained, “Mentors are more in need for women who aren’t in programs – like the woman who gets picked on by her boss or who doesn’t quite fit in with the other girls at school.” From the subway to the schoolroom, Grillo does her best to inspire women to reach higher.

Building A Career in Investment Management on Her Own

“When I was about 18 years old, I was a penniless freshman at Harvard, and I saw a ticker tape in Post Office Square in Boston. I stood there staring; I was fascinated by it. I was an English major, but I had a passion for finance. I took an internship at Fidelity Investments.”

She continued, “Right after college I got a job in marketing at JPMorgan. I was glad just to have a job, but I wanted to be a portfolio manager, so I decided to take the CFA-1 one day.”

“I told a friend and he responded something to the effect of, ‘you’re just a marketing girl.’”

“Well, I’m the type of person, who if you tell me I can’t do something, I go and do it and I fight even harder.” She continued, “The test was almost impossible. I had no background in finance – I passed, but barely.”

Even still, Grillo said, her coworkers didn’t have much faith in her, saying there must have been some mistake in the scoring. “One even told me to call them up and verify the grade in front of everyone or to stop talking about it. They didn’t believe me!”

“I was determined. And I got a better job,” she added.

Triumphs and Challenges

Grillo says her next triumph came when the CEO of Rochdale Investment Management, where she had been working as an analyst, called her into his office. “He said, ‘I want to start up a $50 million fund of funds… can you help me with this?’ I said, ‘Sure. Happy to do it.’ And I went to my desk and Googled ‘fund of funds.’”

“I taught myself, and wrote an essay on it… which won an international competition.” Grillo’s article “Evolution of Risk in the Hedge Fund Industry [PDF]” was published in London’s Investor Services Journal.

She continued, “I was so flattered. It was the first time I really felt like a real analyst.” She joked, “I felt like the Christina Aguilera of finance.”

Next, Grillo took a job at Lehman, and, shortly thereafter, got downsized. She said, “It was good – at Lehman I was Excel spreadsheet monkey #500– I felt that afterward I was free to be myself. I was on to better things,” – which included partnering to start her own company, Diamond Oak Capital Advisors.

Challenges in the Investments Industry

“It’s hard to start a business,” Grillo said. “People are not investing in hedge funds – it’s a difficult environment.”

But she is charging ahead. “After the financial meltdown, people are busy lamenting. They don’t see the opportunity. Whenever there is a wrinkle in the status quo, there is an opportunity for an imaginative person to break in and make a lot of money.”

She continued, “Everyone is in a holding pattern – it’s time to step up. The average return for fund of funds was about -28% in 2008. I think I can do better. There are financial products and structures that we are designing to be superior to those that caused the downturn.”

Mentoring and Networking

But Grillo says her passion for her career is secondary to her passion for helping women learn, grow, and maximize their potential.

Having received her MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business in 2007, Grillo is also working as an Adjunct Professor of Finance. She said, “Starting my company is not as exciting as being an adjunct professor. You hold someone’s life in your hands – you make a difference. It’s difficult to build that trust but when you show people your heart, the walls come down. With all I have done so far, I have merely just begun to show the world my heart. And I am going to change people.”

She continued, “I feel very strongly about reaching out to other women. I can see so much of myself in people who are made to feel they’re not smart or good enough, or they can’t do math.”

She continued, “I refuse to sit there and let women doubt themselves. Your education is the only thing no one can ever take away from you. Education should be pursued above all else because it is the best investment that a woman can make with her money.”

Grillo says her best advice is to find a mentor. “I would be so much further ahead if I had had someone to guide me when I was younger.” She continued, “I majored in English literature in college because I was scared to take hard subjects and there was nobody there to tell me to stay true to what I was truly capable of.”

She continued, “I think this is why I want to be everybody’s mentor – I can’t stand to let another woman go through what I had to go through.”

“It’s important to be humble – but the more experience you get, you should be able to make the most of your confidence.”

“You need to be able to learn from someone who has the career and work life balance you aspire to,” said Lisa Bebchick, a 33-year old partner in the litigation department at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, explaining why she makes time in her busy schedule to mentor junior associates at her firm. Bebchick, who works in Fried Frank’s New York office, focuses her practice on all aspects of civil and criminal litigation, and has expertise in white collar criminal defense and internal investigations, among other areas. In addition to her billable work, Bebchick also manages to find time for pro bono work, as well as serving on numerous charity boards, taking on leadership initiatives at her firm and recruiting and mentoring the next generation of associates. That’s why Lisa Bebchick is one of the Glass Hammer’s 35 women under 35 to watch, because she is making a difference in the legal world.

The Glass Hammer recently caught up with Bebchick over lunch near her office in the Financial District to learn more about her career choices and her path to partnership at Fried Frank. Here, we share with the Glass Hammer readers some of her advice to aspiring attorneys on how to develop your professional careers, balance work and life, and have fun doing it all.

When asked how she got her start in the law, Bebchick said that she knew relatively early on in life that she wanted to be a lawyer. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, Bebchick majored in political science and was fascinated with political communication. She worked on John Kerry’s re-election campaign for the U.S. Senate and in his press office the following year, working for his press secretary. However, she realized that she didn’t want to go into politics herself. She decided to become an attorney because the career seemed like a logical choice for someone with strong writing skills who enjoyed the art of effective communication. “Good communication and strong writing skills are at the heart of being a good litigator,” Bebchick explained. She also was committed to giving back to her community, and saw the legal profession as a great opportunity to do that. After college, she went to law school at Boston University, where she was a member of the Law Review, and graduated magna cum laude in 2001. She began her career as Fried Frank as a summer associate and worked as an associate for eight years before becoming a partner at the firm in the fall of 2009.

Professional Accomplishments

In her nine plus years at Fried Frank, Bebchick has racked up some impressive accomplishments. When asked about the accomplishment she is most proud of, Bebchick points to a case that involved a three month long federal criminal trial in which her client, accused of a white collar crime, faced a ten to twelve year sentence. Although her client was convicted, she successfully advocated for a sentence that did not include any jail time. When the government vigorously appealed the sentence to the Second Circuit and the case was remanded for resentencing, she was able to obtain the same ‘no jail time’ sentence. “I like white collar cases because of the human aspect,” said Bebchick. “When a person’s liberty and livelihood are on the line, it can be very challenging, but also very personally rewarding.”

Bebchick is also a leader in her community and is actively involved in many pursuits outside of the law. She is a member of the Next Generation Philanthropy Board of the Anti-Defamation League, a charitable organization whose mission is to fight all forms of bigotry and intolerance and protect civil rights. She is also a member of the Board of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, an organization that matches community groups and non-profits with pro bono attorneys from law firms and corporate legal departments across New York City. A lifelong tennis player, Bebchick also serves on the benefit committee of the New York Junior Tennis League and has been a vice chair of its annual event sponsored by the Arthur Ashe Foundation to provide free tennis lessons to underprivileged children in New York City. “It is important for young lawyers to be involved in not just bar associations and legal-related charities but also other community organizations,” Bebchick said, “because it allows you to give back more broadly and has the added benefit of providing a refreshing break from your daily work and helping you meet people outside of your profession who could someday become potential clients.”

As a rising star in the white collar criminal defense world and one of Fried Frank’s youngest partners, you would think that Bebchick would have very little time left over for mentoring. However, she explained that she has had some incredible mentors at Fried Frank, and so she makes extra effort to make the time to give back. When seeking out a mentor at work, Bebchick advises female associates not to seek out “gender-specific mentors,” but instead to consider what they can learn from men and women whom they admire. However, that being said, Bebchick stressed the importance of the mentoring relationship she has had with a female senior partner at the firm, as she explained that in the early years of her career, she was amazed by her mentor’s ability to consistently provide outstanding service to her clients while still making time to cook dinner for her family. As a result of this relationship, she has sought out a similar work/life balance (although she is still learning to cook!)

Advice for Lawyers: Find Great Mentors and Take Time for Yourself

Of course, the life of a lawyer at a big law firm can be stressful. She said that the best piece of advice she ever received from her mentor came at a particularly stressful point in her career. “You need to take time for yourself,” Bebchick’s mentor told her. Bebchick said that receiving this advice from a person at the pinnacle of her career really resonated with her, and she came to believe that you cannot do your best work for your clients if you are burning the candle at both ends. So as hard as she works, she tries to take time out to do things that energize her and bring her joy outside of work, like spending time with family, going to Broadway shows, running, and playing tennis. Keeping up with these interests and hobbies helps her stay grounded so she can do her best work for her clients.

Bebchick admits that she found it challenging to maintain a good work/life balance in her twenties, when she focused single-mindedly on building her career and her reputation. “As a single person without a family, I found it challenging to make sure that I took time for myself,” she said. However, she got married in November 2009, to another lawyer who coincidentally went to the same law school as she did, but not at the same time. Now, in addition to all of her professional responsibilities, she makes it a priority to spend time with her husband, as well as with her adorable niece and nephew and her family in Boston.

With the wisdom that comes from experience, Bebchick explained that “you have to pick a few things that are non-starters for you,” and make it clear to the people you work with that you are not willing to give these things up. Whether it’s a child’s soccer game, a yoga class or a book club, you have to pick something that helps you keep your sanity and keeps you grounded, and then make time to do it. While she acknowledges that a busy young career woman probably can’t do all of those things, as much as she would like to, she emphasizes the value of picking the ones that are most important to you and sticking with them. That being said, she notes that young associates also have to make sacrifices and be willing to forgo some things that are less important to them in order to put in the time and energy to advance their careers. However, “figuring out which things are non-negotiable for you” is a good starting point.

When asked for her advice on how to make it to the top, Bebchick had a few key recommendations to share. “You have to rely on other people,” she said. She explained that it is important to develop strong managerial skills and be able to delegate work and supervise people efficiently, in order to be as productive as possible. She also recommends utilizing technology to make your life easier –keeping up to date on all the latest developments in your field by reading blogs and receiving email newsletters to stay on the cutting edge of your practice. As a partner in a law firm, developing relationships with clients is an important part of her job. That’s why she suggests making it a habit each day to reach out to at least one current or potential business connection, by phone, email or in person, in order to maintain and grow your network. “Getting to know your co-workers and business contacts on a personal, social level makes work more rewarding,” Bebchick explained. Finally, she also encourages young professionals to speak up in meetings and not to be afraid to voice their opinions. “Too often,” she said, “young professionals are very task oriented, instead of viewing themselves as members of a team. It is important to add value no matter what you are doing.”

By following this advice, Bebchick has certainly achieved professional and personal success at a young age. Hopefully, her advice will help Glass Hammer readers to get on the fast track to success as well. Her parting advice? “You are the master of your own career, and so while you might occasionally have to work on something you don’t like or that is not exciting to you, take one for the team. Then seek out the work that does interest you and go for it!”

Carol Paterson Smith has one key piece of advice for women in business – and it’s a good one.

And, as a hugely successful and influential woman in the City of London, her words of wisdom carry some weight. Paterson Smith is head of hedge fund clients for Rothschild Blackpoint and, in her early 30s, is one of the City’s most connected and stylish players.

Early days

“When I graduated, I knew I wanted to do something intellectually stimulating and I also knew I wanted to move into sales. I’ve always been very commercially focused – I was an Avon lady in my mid teens. When I was 18 I managed a sales team in Edinburgh. My mum runs a business and is very successful; she’s a great role model who has always encouraged me.”

Graduating from the University of Aberdeen with an MA in European Studies and speaking three languages, Paterson Smith was drawn to London’s demanding environment, which she describes as being:

“… exciting, dynamic and cutting edge. You have to know what’s happening all the time and always be up to speed on news and developments. Information is key, it drives price. That kind of world attracts dynamic people, with a great sense of humour. Most of my clients and colleagues are very bright, witty people and perhaps not the stuffy stereotypes perceived by others. And it’s a very meritocratic place – if you work really hard and you’re bright, it’s difficult not to do well. It never occurred to me that I’d do anything other than work hard and be successful – it’s how I grew up and was raised. I saw the power in being a strong independent woman and I wanted that for myself.”

And the City was the place where all of these aspects came together and were possible – for Paterson Smith, a perfect storm in career terms.

She joined Scudder (a US mutual fund manager) aged 21 and travelled globally, very often with the chief investment strategist, who she credits for teaching her so much about this brave new world – “He was a fantastic role model and a huge intellectual; he recommended books to me and I just absorbed it all.”

When Scudder was taken over by Deutsche Bank in 2002, she transferred to GAM, a big hedge fund company, and moved into hedge fund sales, which she describes as feeling like her true home as soon as she got there.

Hedging a bet

“Hedge funds are so interesting – they’re the canaries in the coal mine; they aim to uncover what’s happening ahead of time, as recently seen with the Greek debt situation. Their only agenda is to make money – and to always be ahead of the curve. It’s very hard work to keep on top of the game in terms of information and knowledge – it’s extremely time consuming to do the reading and always be up to speed with the stories and the issues and the trends. I learned this very quickly at GAM” – where she became FSA regulated via the City exams.

Paterson Smith’s career escalated when she then moved to brokerage house Pali International and built their business from scratch; they’d never before done hedge funds and wanted to go into the cap-intro sector. She initiated all aspects of the business, which she describes as: “an amazing experience and I got involved with so much. But then they then decided not to pursue that industry and so they shut it down – a huge shame, just as money was starting to come in. So six years ago I arrived at Rothschild Blackpoint, where I’m now head of hedge fund clients.”

Client relationships

Her role entails working with the fund managers, understanding what’s happening with the fund (both how it’s performing and how they manage it), and communicating this to existing clients, as well as seeking out new ones.
Reverting back to her original passion for sales, Paterson Smith also handles sourcing Rothschild’s clients – from amongst pension funds (and their consultants), sovereign wealth funds, trust companies, insurance companies, private banks and family offices.

As for so many in the City, her days are long, action packed and demanding. She is usually at work by 8am, having run or roller-bladed to the office.

“I get home any time between 7pm and midnight. I’m often out in the evening with my clients, but that doesn’t feel like work because my clients are so smart and plugged in. Because I’ve been doing this for ten years, I’ve got a great network of fascinating people around me and I like to share that. As a way of supporting women in the City, I take my two female interns out and about with me so that they too can network and learn. I lacked role models when I started and I want to try and stop that.”

Where and who are your contemporaries?

“Initially, I thought there weren’t any problems in the City’s working environment and it was only after four years or so that I started to notice the lack of other senior women. The issues for women in this arena are unique – where and who are your contemporaries, how can you share and learn from them and discuss your own set of problems?

“And is it a demand or a supply issue? I haven’t had a problem as a woman – I’m focused and hard working and maybe I’d have given up if I wasn’t. There are more senior women in the City now, or so it feels. I never accepted that my gender might hold me back; it’s irrelevant for me and Rothschild have been fantastic – they’ve acknowledged my efforts and promoted me on the basis of my talent and hard work. I strongly believe that, in sales – if you sell, there’s no ambiguity.”

And that brings us to Carol Paterson Smith’s advice for other women in business, whatever their industry sector and wherever they may be located.

“My best career advice for women is that they must always strive to own their P&L (Profit & Loss) account. It’s very easy numerically to say “that’s what I’ve achieved” and your employer can’t then dispute your value. It’s so empowering to own your own P&L and it gives you freedom and respect. If you can generate P&L, someone will always hire you, so you can move on if you need or want to. And, don’t ever take the attitude that gender issues are not going to affect you – ignorance is naive.”

Savvy women, smart networking

In addition to leading a full life as a senior woman in the City, Paterson Smith is also the founder and CEO of website Alpha Female, which she describes as her antidote to the way in which the media views, treats and reflects women in a negative light, often setting them against each other. Having had the idea bubbling away for years, the site finally launched in spring 2010 as a place for alpha females who, as she describes it: “enjoy being women, don’t want to ape men, do enjoy their femininity, are very bright, hugely fun, know their stuff and are hard working.”

Her goal with the site, which is free to browse after sign up, was to create a destination for women which is “beautiful, chic, inspiring and celebrates the rewards of working hard. It details great places to shop and visit and promotes suppliers who understand that alpha women work the hours that they do and need their services. It’s important to tell the market that we are here and that we need looking after, because nothing is structured to help successful women, either at a media or a lifestyle level. For younger women, it’s a one stop shop for finding role models and building your network, whilst for more established women, it’s about connecting them to their peers.”

As with her career, Paterson Smith’s ambitions are huge – and it would, with her track record, be foolish to bet against her achieving them.

Join http://www.alphafemaleclub.com

Russian-born, Israeli-bred Natalie Kaminski has moxie. The chief executive and founder of FinCode Solutions came by herself to the United States at the tender age of eighteen, with only a high school diploma under her belt and a desire to build a career; in what, though, she wasn’t sure.

As a kid, Kaminski had her sights set on a variety of professions. “My preferences went from wanting to be a lawyer (because it was cool) to wanting to be a model to wanting to be a psychiatrist. I had no interest in either technology or finance. To be honest, I don’t know how I ended up in those. I didn’t even have a computer. I heard about the internet but didn’t even use it.”

Yet, she said, “when [the internship at a technology school in Minneapolis] came along, I just took it.”

After a few months the technology school hosted a job fair to introduce the interns to local businesses. “I came very prepared and handed out my resume to everyone. But, when two weeks later, I still hadn’t heard from anyone, I just picked up the phone and starting calling all of the people I’d met.” One of those conversations was with Steve Timmerman, the founder and CTO of SWAT Solutions. Kaminski recounted, “I said to him, ‘hire me for free, give me experience that I can put on my résumé so I can go on to find a paying job.’ And he said, ‘Just because you are being so bold, I’m going to hire you AND pay you.’”

Acquiring New Skills and Experience

She quickly developed the skills and language to navigate the tech sector. “It was the beginning of 1998. Y2K issues made it rather simple for anyone who claimed to know technology. I was able to get by by reading a few technology books and learning a few key words as I went.” She added, “I was surprised because it turned out to be a lot simpler than I thought it would be. Before I knew tech, it always fascinated me how people could write programs and things. I assumed that to do that you had to be a genius. But it turns out that it is an acquired skill that is not very difficult to learn.”

Kaminski then worked as a quality assurance manager with another Minneapolis firm. But, after falling in love with the city of Boston while visiting family there, she picked up and moved to the East Coast, where she landed a job as the head of Quality Assurance department with NorthPoint Domain.

In the wake of 9-11, her professional life, like that of many others, turned upside down. Many of NorthPoint’s investors had been tenants of the World Trade Center; the resulting losses from that day meant that NorthPoint had to lay off a large portion of its staff, including Kaminski.

At first, she was not worried. But, when she was still unemployed six months later, she “felt so worthless.” Several months later, just the employment benefits were running out, she found a job with a company called the Risk Management Foundation of Harvard Medical. “It was a great job. I played various roles—from QA specialist to business analyst to project manger—in the four years I spent working for them.”

Four years later Kaminski decided a change of scene was in order. “I felt it would be a shame to be so close and not try to live in New York. And,” she said, “It turned out that it was a smart move because this is where I met my husband.”

Once in New York, she joined Data Rite Systems, a small firm which builds software applications for hedge funds, asset managers, and fund of funds. “That’s how I got exposed to the whole financial world and where I got my industry knowledge, my contacts…everything I needed.” Over her four years there, the company grew exponentially, and she again flew up the corporate ladder, arriving at the top in the COO position.

“The best things in life come out of laziness.”

In spite of her success, Kaminski said, “at some point, the stress levels became unbearable and started to take toll on my relationship with my then 2-year-old daughter and my husband. It made me question whether it was worth it; I went from loving it to hating it in a very short time.”

Kaminski decided to move on, and in March 2009, she founded FinCode Solutions, a boutique software and web application development firm. The company focuses on financial services firms who want to automate their workflow, enhance collaboration, and increase data accuracy, but who cannot afford the off-the-shelf products, or have a unique strategy that does not fit pre-packaged solutions.

“Looking back it is the best decision I ever made for several reasons. I was able to suddenly find other things in life besides making money and working. I was finally the owner of my own time. And I found the spiritual side of myself.”

Kaminski says she’s found a greater sense of peace as well. “I am a great believer in the idea that what’s yours will be yours. If something doesn’t work out, you should not try to force it. I know that if it is meant to be, if I need it, I will get it. Even now, if I go and pitch to clients, I really don’t have anxiety.” She concluded, “If for some reason I don’t get it, I don’t need it because the client will be pain in the neck or some other reason.”

For all her moxie and ambition, Kaminski has an unusually relaxed perspective on life. “What I believe in is that the best things in life come out of laziness. People are looking for ways to make their life easier. It is very difficult to find the perfect niche that will make you happy and inspired and rich. So just find something comfortable and give it a shot to see if it will make you happy. Everyone has to find what makes them comfortable. What makes you comfortable will make you happy.”

“You have to set goals—even if they are little goals—to achieve something. Every day set a goal,” said Laura Bissell, Managing Director of Okapi Partners. She spent her childhood watching her mother, a well-known interior designer in Boston, do just that, growing her fledgling business into a booming one. “My mother started it out of her home and built it into a thriving company. It took her a lot of hard work and blood, sweat and tears but she knew what she wanted and worked for what she wanted. That is where a lot of my ambition comes from.”

Bissell started her career with Globix, an internet service provider, in the “heyday of the technology sector.” There she underwent four months of intensive training in many different technologies, a background she would have the opportunity to use later in her career.

When it was time to move on, she “fell into” the little-known industry in which she would ultimately make her name: the proxy solicitation industry. “I wanted to be in the financial realm because I’ve always been mathematically-minded. I was networking through people I knew from both Colgate University and [her high school] Andover and found Georgeson Shareholder, a well-known name in the proxy solicitation business. I started there from the bottom up,first working as a project manger in the mutual funds area doing the day-to-day grunt work of proxy solicitation business, like talking to the vendors and really just doing the math.”

Building a Reputation

From there, she rose quickly through the company ranks. A self-professed “perfectionist as far as numbers go,” she became an account executive working with clients formulating strategy campaigns for their projects. “I loved that piece…I have a propensity for the mathematic and economic components of the job, [but] I also really enjoy customer service and client relations.”

Management took notice as well, promoting her to VP within 5 years. “It is a fairly small industry and team. Fairly quickly, I built a reputation among clients as someone who would take their priorities very seriously and make sure they would have what they needed before anything else.

She also helped to build the tech platform at Georgeson. “A lot of reports that I wanted when building client strategy weren’t available, so I worked closely with the tech team to build the applications that would give me what I wanted.”

Bissell then decided to try her hand at client relations with Sungard Data Management Systems, where she worked with some of the top banks and brokers on the investment management side. But she missed the strategy involved in proxy solicitations. So, when Bruce Goldfarb, current CEO of Okapi Partners and former head of M&A and General Counsel at Georgeson, called her early in the summer of 2008, to tell her that his new proxy solicitation company, Okapi, wanted her to head up its growing mutual fund practice, she jumped at the chance to join them.

Bissell has now been with Okapi for about 1 ½ years. In that time, she has leveraged her tech background and vast network in the investment management space to grow the practice. Leveraging her tech savvy, Laura has focused on using new communication methods in innovative ways to help overcome individual shareholder apathy. “While many of the people who’ve been in the proxy solicitation industry for a long time are using the old ways to reach out,” said Bissell, “we at Okapi have also begun looking at how to use the new technologies to change the proxy industry and to get the attention of shareholders.” That includes using social networking and marketing utilities like YouTube and Twitter to reach younger shareholders. As she did with Georgeson, she’s also helped Okapi make its platform more robust, working with IT to create a better client interface and better systems for recording and monitoring.

Working in a Niche Industry

Yet, despite all the activity, it is an industry of which few are really aware. “My mother still doesn’t exactly know what I do,” laughed Bissell. “[Before finding the job with Georgeson,] I had no idea that this industry existed.” She added, “The industry is small – everybody knows everybody, which is good and bad. But I like that it is a niche industry. We are kind of like lobbyists. I really like that people don’t completely know what we do.”

She also particularly enjoys the “thrill of the win” in the proxy fight. “As a project based business, you see results—whether you won or lost— in a pretty quick time frame,” said Bissell.

Bissell said that although there are only a few women in the industry, she doesn’t see any barriers to the advancement of women. “I’ve been able to break through by hard work and being really being detail oriented. And those two qualities are always rewarded.”

She added, “I’m not great at tooting my own horn, but it is essential to do: if you want something, you have to make it happen. When you first start out, you expect people to just recognize the work you put in and your achievement. But you have to make sure people around you know what you are doing and make things happen for yourself. That is something I think you learn over many years.”

Advice for Young Women

She advised young women to “pay attention to and keep in touch with your peers from school. That is one of the biggest things people in school don’t pay attention to although it is what is going to build your professional network later in life.” That includes making contacts in the volunteer realm. Bissell’s “second job” for the last six years has been volunteering with New York Junior League. She currently heads up the League’s New York yearly Golden Tree Event, a holiday shopping event which last year raised nearly $250,000 for the Junior League’s community projects.

Still, she said, “Okapi has been the place where all of my strengths have been put to use. I’m able to grow every single day and think outside of the box.” Bissell continued, “Coming on here as a Managing Director and heading up a department to start something new and getting our name out in the industry during this rough economic time has been my greatest professional achievement. And now that the economic world has settled down a little bit, it will be great to see the business grow based on all the work we’ve put in over the past year.”