NewsonWomen: Women in Business, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News

National Recommendations Made to Encourage Girls to Study Science and Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

National organizations, hoping to increase participation and performance of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), held a meeting in Washington to discuss the impact of the "Educate to Innovate" program. The meeting set out recommendations for encouraging girls' participation in math and science. Recommendations included training for STEM teachers on “hands-on” methods and new interaction strategies that have been shown to motivate students, especially girls, to study STEM subjects; training for school counselors to highlight the societal benefits of the STEM professions as well as the high paying jobs in STEM; and supporting TV programs and media that spark interest in STEM subjects and counter stereotypes about who works in STEM. Read more of the recommendations made in Irnanda Altema's post about the meeting in the Office of Science and Technology blog. The organizations collaborating include the National Girls Collaborative Project, and the Multinational Development of Women in Technology.

Susan Neal Made Senior Vice President, E-Business at Men's Warehouse

Men's Wearhouse (NYSE: MW) appointed Susan G. Neal Senior Vice President, E-Business and Digital Strategies. Susan had been Vice President, E-Commerce and Business Development at The Gymboree Corporation. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Ginny Mackin Made Senior Vice President at Duke Energy

Duke Energy appointed Ginny Mackin Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer. Ginny had been an Executive Vice President and Director at Wells Fargo, where she led the bank's eastern community bank communications after its merger with Wachovia in 2009. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Sharon Rowlands Named to Constant Contact Board of Directors

Constant Contact, Inc.(Nasdaq: CTCT), headquartered in Massachusetts, appointed Sharon T. Rowlands to its Board of Directors. Sharon is Chief Executive Officer of Penton Media Inc. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Lynne Frank Made Executive Vice President at Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures appointed Lynne Frank Executive Vice President, International Marketing. Lynne had been Managing Director and Senior Vice President, ESPN Europe, Middle East & Africa, a Division of the Walt Disney Company. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Kathy Paladino to Lead North American Sales for Monster.com

Monster.com, the job matching engine and flagship brand of Monster Worlwide Inc. (NYSE: MWW), appointed Kathy Paladino to lead its North American Sales. Kathy had been President of Motorola, Inc.’s Enterprise Mobility division. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Marina Garcia Marmolejo and Maribeth Raffinan Nominated by Obama

President Obama nominated Marina Garcia Marmolejo (pictured) to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Marina, who holds a JD from St. Mary’s University School of Law, is a Partner in the firm of Reid Davis. See White House press release.

President Obama nominated Maria Elizabeth (Maribeth) Raffinan to serve as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Maria is a supervising attorney in the Trial Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. See White House press release.

Citi's Linda Descano Talks about Managing Your Finances and Your Career

Linda Descano is President of Citi's Women & Co, the group at Citi that gives women access to education and resources, and also provides a network of women interested in finding the right mix for their financial future. Prior to joining the Women & Co team, Linda was a Director and Portfolio Manager with the Citi Private Portfolio Group. Linda has this to say about finance and careers:

 

Citi's Women & Co is an innovative approach to helping women with their finances.  How did you become President of the group?

I was a portfolio manager at one of Citi’s predecessor companies, Salomon, when I met Lisa Caputo, who was creating a financial educational program for women at Citi.  I was thrilled to see Citi take this step, and, as both Lisa and I shared a belief that women were being underserved in our industry, I offered to help.  Initially, I served as an internal advisor and a featured speaker.  Then in 2003, I joined as Chief Operating Officer and 4 years later was promoted to president of Women & Co. and I’m proud to say, we’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary this year!

Were you always interested in finance? Even in college?

Most of my academic coursework was in geology and communications. My passion for women and money developed when I went through my divorce. Over the course of my first marriage, I really didn’t pay attention to the household finances. When we were going through our divorce, I realized just how much we had amassed in debt on a joint credit card, which I eventually became responsible for paying off as the “breadwinner” in the family. Then throughout my business travels, I heard from women across all walks of life, about how divorce, their husband’s death or job loss, left them financially devastated and without the confidence to make smart financial decisions about their future.  Reflecting on my own financial wake-up call, I realized how important it is for women to stay educated and involved in the household finances – and to have a Plan B for when love, life or the markets tosses you a curve ball. So I began looking for opportunities to help women become financially savvy. I’m also proud to say that before saying “I do” the second time around, my now-husband and I had a very frank conversation about money and set up clear “rules of the road” about how to handle “our” money, “his” money, and “my” money.

 

How do you explain the importance of learning to be financially secure to women in other industreis who do not have a background in finance?

Knowing what financial moves to make, when to make them, and understanding all that can affect the health of our finances can be consuming. One way to help sort through all the details is to create a financial plan. Knowing what you're aiming for today, 5 years, or 15 years from now, will help determine what steps to take to help you reach those goals. Resources like womenandco.com can help you get started. Also a financial professional can offer insight and help your plan stay in sync with your changing life. Women need to stay educated and involved in their finances - especially when most of us will wind up solely responsible for our finances at some point in our lives, either due to divorce, outliving our partner, or because we stay single. 

 

You talk with women about money every day. What are some tips at different decades in their lives to invest in their financial future?

Financial fitness is like physical fitness – it comes down to hard work, discipline, and an ongoing commitment.  Whatever your age, here are some ways to invest in your financial future:

-In your 20s, focus on living on a budget and make saving automatic. 

-In your 30s, set up an emergency fund to cover at least 6 months of living expenses and seek out a financial professional to put a comprehensive plan in motion.

-In your 40s, help protect yourself and your family financially through appropriate insurance and estate planning vehicles (e.g., will, power of attorney, living will, health care proxy) and maximize retirement contributions, with your earnings at its peak.

-In your 50s, have a long-term care strategy in place and catch up on retirement savings, as you become eligible to make “catch-up” or extra, contributions to your retirement plan.

-In your 60s, know your Social Security benefit options, manage your expenses, have a plan for how you are going to draw down your savings, and update your estate plans.

As a leader in the financial industry, what advice do you have for women trying to get ahead in their careers?

-Own your career and make your own opportunities for development.

-Get to know your customers/clients and never stop listening to them or asking for feedback.

-Build strong relationships with people of influence within your business unit and across your company – create your own cheerleading squad.

-Constantly network and build your knowledge.

-Find a mentor, be a mentor. 

 

 

 

Tara Nathan Made Chief Executive Officer of MasterCard Mobile Payments Gateway

MasterCard Worldwide appointed Tara Nathan Chief Executive Officer of their joint venture with Smart Hub, Inc. Tara will be responsible for the global innovation and commercial development of the MasterCard Mobile Payments Gateway, an open mobile payment processing platform. Tara had been Head of Citigroup’s Citicards cross-sell business. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

J. P. Morgan Treasury Services Hires Andrea Leonel and Kao Fang Ming

J.P. Morgan Treasury Services appointed Andrea Leonel Regional Trade Sales and Advisory Head, Latin America. Andrea will be responsible for Trade Sales and Advisory for the LatAm markets. Andrea had been Head of Trade Finance and interim Head of Cash Management Corporates with particular exposure to Brazil and South America at Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao. J.P. Morgan also hired Kao Fang Ming as Trade Head for China. Ming had been China Head for Global Trade Sales, Trade, and Supply Chain at HSBC in China. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Julie Anderson Made Senior Vice President at Tribune Interactive

Tribune Interactive promoted Julie Anderson to Senior Vice President, Content and Integration. Julie had been Vice President Content and Integration. Read about her new responsibilities in the prnewswire press release.

Wall Street Reform Bill to Increase Diversity?

Carrie Budoff Brown (pictured) on Politico.com writes that "a little known section of the Wall Street reform law grants the federal government broad new powers" relative to diversity. Read how people see the new law affecting the hiring of women and minorities in Carrie's article on politico.com.

comScore Studies "Women on The Web"

comScore Inc. just released their study called "Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet". The study reviewed how women and men spend their time on the internet and found that women spend more time on social networking sites than men. U.S. Women also shop more than their male counterparts, but still only 12.5% of female internet users made an online purchase in February 2010, a lot of room for future growth. It's not surprising to me that women are a force on the internet. This study should wake up everybody else! Read more about the study in the prnewswire press release.

Leeza Gibbons to Climb Mount Washington July 31 to Raise Funds and Awareness for Alzheimer's Disease

Leeza Gibbons will be climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire with other volunteers on July 31, 2010, to raise money and awareness for Leeza's Place and Alzheimer's Disease. Read more about it in Tim Saunder's article on looktothestars.org.

Dawn Dupre Made President of COO Investment Services Group at Citizens Financial

Citizens Financial Group Inc. appointed Dawn Dupre as President of its full-service brokerage and investment advisor unit, CCO Investment Services Corp. Dawn had been a territory sales director at PNC in Philadelphia, in charge of sales management, investment distribution and compliance. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Felicia Chiu Made Director of Public Equities and Fixed Income at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation appointed Felicia Chiu Director of Public Equities and Fixed Income for its $5 billion investments portfolio. Felicia had previously been with Farallon Capital Management. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Sarah Nash Joins Blackbaud Board of Directors

Blackbaud, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLKB) a provider of software and related services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations headquartered in South Carolina, appointed Sarah Nash to its Board of Directors. Sarah spent nearly 30 years in investment banking at JP Morgan, retiring as a Vice Chairman in 2005. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Lanie List and Carolyn D'Angelo Promoted at Iconix Brands

Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICON) promoted Lanie List to Chief Merchandising Officer. Lanie has been at Iconix since 2004. The company also promoted Carolyn D'Angelo to Senior Vice President, Brand Management, Home Division. Carolyn joined Iconix in 2007. Read more about it in the prnewswire press release.

Julie Caudill Made VP of Finance at Adeona Pharmaceuticals

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: AEN) appointed Julie A. Caudill Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller. Julie had been Corporate Controller at Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Women in South Carolina work to Increase Representation

Charleston Business.com is reporting on what women are doing in South Carolina to increase their representation in government. The South Carolina Gubernatorial Appointments Project (SC GAP) is working to give the next South Carolina governor names of qualified women who can fill senior level positions within the next administration. Read more about it on charlestonbusiness.com. Jenny Horne (pictured), serving her first term in the South Carolina House of Representatives, is on the Board of the bi-partisan Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics. SC GAP is a project of the Institute.