William Blair’s Women’s Alliance hosted the Chicago Financial Women’s Alliance (CFWA) to kick off its 2022 career series featuring insights on defining success and embracing challenges from leaders in the financial industry.
The CFWA is a network of professionals in the financial services industry with a mission to grow a strong pipeline of future female leaders in Chicago. The alliance is sponsored and supported by the executives and employee resource groups of BMO, DWS, BNY Mellon, Morningstar, and William Blair.
William Blair’s Cecilia Brunetti, team lead of employee engagement and development, moderated the virtual panel discussion held January 26. Panelists were Tina DeGustino, director of consumer strategy, personal and business banking group at BMO Harris; Jennika Gold Thomas, global head of data for Morningstar; and Kristina Theiss, chief operating officer, client coverage at DWS.
Panelists said success in their careers was the result of reflection, taking deliberate steps to map out career goals, then executing them. They also discovered that their definitions of success changed as they moved through their careers and personal lives.
“For me, early in my career it was all about promotion,” said Theiss. “As I progressed, if I’m honest, it was about money.”
Then a little later it was about balancing work and home, she added.
Thomas said she had defined success as being a subject matter expert but as her career evolved, she learned success was more than just being smart.
“You can be an expert but it’s also about trust,” Thomas said, “who trusts you to lead a project, who trusts you to lead a business. So I would lean into that. Decision-making, your reputation, trust, and integrity are very important.”
Building Strengths, Stepping Up
DeGustino, who has been leading teams for 20 years, said building trust and connections is paramount in helping others progress in their careers. She encourages her team and others to take on new challenges and “don’t doubt yourself.”
That includes building upon your strengths, learning more about what you are good at, and not being afraid to step up. DeGustino and the other panelists highly recommended finding strengths using tools like CliftonStrengths. It is an online assessment tool that includes 177 questions to identify strengths.
Be Your Own Advocate
Being comfortable with who you are, developing a one-minute elevator pitch to convey your skills, experiences, and what you could bring to a new role are all key to promoting yourself, said Thomas.
“Be very comfortable advocating for yourself,” she added. “You are your own brand. You are your own spokesperson.”
Theiss agreed. She also recommended building time in your calendar to assess your role, strengths, and goals.
“Then we’re ready to say yes or no to whatever opportunities may come up,” said Theiss, noting that could mean looking for opportunities inside as well as outside your organization. “Sometimes that pause and reset can help you get reinvigorated where you are.”