What a year 2009 has been! The markets hit a deep low in March and then incredulously the Dow Jones index has bounced back to over 10,000 points to end the year on a better note for investing confidence here in the U.S., and the U.K. is fighting hard to see similar gains on the [...]

Read the full article »

This time of year is one of reflection, of wrapping last-minute gifts, spending time with family and friends, and making resolutions for the year to come. As we complete our second year, we at The Glass Hammer are grateful to everyone who has played a part in our growth and success. Our readers and sponsors [...]

Read the full article »

By Pamela Weinsaft (New York City) From a childhood in Colombia, to a life in the States, Janet Lustgarten’s personal motto might as well be “no guts, no glory.” Lustgarten’s father was a men’s suit manufacturer in Colombia when new political pressures brought change to business and the way factories were run. “It was a [...]

Read the full article »

Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart™. Okay, that question did not come from the Glass Hammer demographic, as it came from a male audience member in a recent panel that focused on Big Career Mistakes. But now that I have your attention, I wanted to highlight a few points to ponder inspired by the above [...]

Read the full article »

By Andrea Newell (Grand Rapids, Michigan) Behind every corporate logo is a culture filled with personalities, politics, and procedures. How do you navigate this new landscape, excel at your job, and advance your career? Find a mentor. A report released by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology found that “mentoring has been associated [...]

Read the full article »

By Andrea Newell (Grand Rapids, Michigan) The latest Inforum Center for Leadership report shows that the number of women reaching the boardroom in the Top 100 public companies in Michigan hasn’t improved in recent years and, at 9.6%, is far below the national average of 15.1% (in 2008). 46 companies (46%) have no women directors [...]

Read the full article »

Contributed by Martin Mitchell of the Corporate Training Group. The U.S. Federal Reserve upgraded its assessment of the economy and left discount rates unchanged. ExxonMobil is to buy XTO Energy, a U.S. natural gas company in a $31bn all stock deal. Terra Firma launched a multibillion-pound lawsuit against Citigroup. These are but a few highlights [...]

Read the full article »

By Elizabeth Harrin (London) Wondering what to put on your holiday gift list? Well, there’s always more space on the bookshelf for a great career-boosting book. Here’s our round-up of the best business books for women at work. Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance by Marcus Buckingham. This [...]

Read the full article »

By Pamela Weinsaft (New York City) Renee Pendleton had a steady babysitting job in college. That wouldn’t necessarily distinguish her from many others her age. But how many babysitters parlay advice from their employer into a successful career path? “I had wanted to be a controller in a small company but, he convinced me to [...]

Read the full article »

By Elizabeth Harrin (London) Lovells was the first top ten UK law firm to vote in a female managing partner, Lesley McDonagh, in 1995. Ruth Grant has just completed a three-year term as regional managing partner for London and recently assumed the role of global people development partner. The company has a strong history of [...]

Read the full article »