24 Dec Women Ascendant: DW’s 100 BEST companies for Leadership Development for Women of all Races, Cultures & Backgrounds

Even in 2012, you can be talented, smart, and hungry to climb the corporate ladder—and get nowhere. Perhaps your current company talks the talk—we value our women employees!—but on the ground does little to help them advance in their careers. Or maybe your company doesn’t even pay lip service to the importance of women in leadership positions.

If that is your impression, research supports it. According to a 2010 study by Mercer of more than 500 companies, women are held back from advancement for myriad reasons, including lack of an executive sponsor or mentor, failure of their company to offer adequate breadth of experience, and the absence of work-life balance policies. The same survey found that while the companies noted they had diversity goals, 70 percent of them had no real strategy for developing and promoting women into key roles.

But there’s good news. Plenty of companies out there welcome and promote women. Diversity Woman scoured and researched Corporate America and compiled a list of companies that care about their female employees and have a culture and policies that support and develop women leaders of all races and backgrounds.

As we made our assessments, some of the factors we considered were the presence of family-friendly programs such as telecommuting and flextime, the number of female executives and board members, the percentage of women getting raises and promotions, and women’s access to built-in succession plans. These, to us, are signs that point to a company’s genuine commitment to women’s progress.

Whether you’re starting your career or you’re a seasoned professional, use this list to map out the path to your next gig.

 

Debbie Ballard

Vice President, Global Shared Services

McDonald’s    Oak Brook, IL

When Debbie Ballard decided to leave McDonald’s in 2004, she made the move because she thought she wasn’t reaching her professional goals. During her time away from the Golden Arches, she realized she had it all wrong. “I had been very conservative and not willing to build the relationships that I needed or take the risks necessary for growth in my career,” says Ballard.

She decided to change her professional approach and mindset, which made a big difference when she returned to McDonald’s in 2005. McDonald’s seemed like a whole new company. Ballard says that six years ago she didn’t even have a passport. “I couldn’t have ever imagined the global nature of the role that I am in today,” she says. “Now 50 percent of my job requires global travel, and 40 percent of my organization is based outside the U.S.”

Ballard gets all the support she needs to succeed from the company’s executive development programs. One program, called Leadership at McDonald’s, helped her expand her business experience and savvy, and solidify key management skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and building an executive presence.

Another program, the Executive Program in Corporate Strategy at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, taught her how to come up with strategies and execute them while thinking about the global business environment.

For supplemental support and professional growth, Ballard counts on her personal board of mentors for guidance.

“I believe in a panel approach to mentoring, meaning that you will need a number of people to provide varying perspectives related to your career because there is not only one path to success in business,” she says. In Ballard’s case, mentors include a CFO, a CIO, a controller, a VP of strategy and alignment, and the president of McDonald’s USA. As Ballard says, “It truly takes a village.”

Stephanie Gore

Manager, Mid-Atlantic Advisory Services  Director,
Federal Advisory Practice

KPMG    New York, NY

It is hard to imagine a task more daunting than assisting the Department of Defense in getting ready to pass an audit. That is exactly the kind of challenge Stephanie Gore loves. At KPMG, this rising star also helps CFO clients with audit readiness and works on business intelligence, data mapping, and communications strategy projects.

Gore credits her ability to succeed, in part, on the way in which the Big Four auditing firm supports her and other women in their professional growth and with issues outside work. As a mother of three, Gore has found that an internal group, the Abilities in Motion Network, helps her with support and questions that routinely come up in raising an autistic child.

Professionally, Gore counts on a team of cheerleaders and advisors—male and female sponsors—for guidance. “It’s great that I get real-time feedback in the same week or even on the same day,” she says. Gore feels lucky to have a female manager who has worked at KPMG her entire career. “My manager is a strong female partner, and I get more on-the-job leadership training from her than anyone,” says Gore.

Before her promotion earlier this year, Gore says her participation in a high-reputation leadership training program for women that lasted several months prepared her for the promotion and made her a more visible and stronger candidate. “The program helped me figure out where I was as a leader and where I needed to grow,” says Gore. She took those lessons seriously and now puts them to use.

Just how does Gore lead her team? “I try to manage the way I’d like to be managed and  empower those who support me,” says Gore. During meetings with her team, employees can bring up everything from issues related to a project to those about work-life balance. “I try to be approachable and care about them as people, because no one likes to be treated like a robot,” says Gore.

Ida Liu

Managing Director and Head of North American Asian Clients Group

Citi    New York, NY

Ida Liu had been on a strong path in the investment banking world when she took a slight detour. She had spent six years at Merrill Lynch and had been an advisor in some key mergers and deals when she decided to consolidate her interests in business and fashion and work for designer Vivienne Tam as the head of global sales, marketing, public relations, and business development. It was a risky move that paid off when Liu landed at Citi, where she is the head of the North American Asian Clients Group.

The savvy manager has received internal recognition—Citi Private Bank’s Chairman Council Award—multiple years for being one of the top performers. In 2011, Liu received the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award.

Liu can’t say enough about the great managers she is surrounded by on a daily basis, who serve as role models. “At Citi, we have excellent leadership that can help guide me and others,” says Liu.

Outside her encounters with great leaders, Liu has solidified her leadership chops by participating in three different programs offered at Citi. One, Women Leading Citi, is an 18-month program that paired her with a sponsor whose job was to mentor her, expand her network, and advocate for new opportunities. Each participant got an in-depth assessment, up to six months of executive coaching, and access to supplemental leadership workshops. Citi reports that of the 59 women in the 2009 program—the first—29 percent have new job responsibilities, 22 percent have new roles, and 19 percent have a new level of seniority.

Liu says this and other Citi programs have broadened her business connections. “Each one of the programs gives me the ability to network with highly talented individuals from different business units around the world,” she says. “I can call them and tap into our extensive, global network.”

Monica Mandelli

Managing Director, Investment Banking

Goldman Sachs    New York, NY

Ever since Monica Mandelli landed at Goldman Sachs after graduating from Harvard Business School in 1998, she has climbed the corporate ladder to become one of the most powerful women on Wall Street. Today she’s responsible for developing Goldman’s relationships with wealthy families.

Over the years, Mandelli has taken leadership development courses at Goldman, and each time she learns something valuable. “I’ve learned skills from how to give a public speech with poise to how to better motivate people, and everything in between,” she says.

The most recent program Mandelli completed, the Managing Director Leadership Acceleration Initiative, is available to senior managing directors, who are given coaching and group projects that expand their knowledge of many different areas of the firm. “All these programs are extremely helpful, as each one leaves you with at least two or three practical follow-ups or tips to be a better professional,” says Mandelli.

Over the years, Mandelli has served as co-head of the Firmwide Women’s Network and was co-head of the Women’s Network for the Investment Banking Division. She has also taken other leadership roles in the firm’s recruiting, training, and mentoring programs.

“Like many working moms, I feel that one of the toughest decisions is to give up some time that I would be spending with my children in order to fulfill my responsibilities in the office,” Mandelli says. “That is why it is very important to me to know at all times that my career is on the right trajectory, because the opportunity cost is so high.” She takes that mandate very seriously and each year assesses whether she is challenged enough.

Having a great manager is part of that equation. “It is extremely important to have someone who knows where you want to go and is willing to help you get there,” says Mandelli.

The savvy manager has received internal recognition—Citi Private Bank’s Chairman Council Award—multiple years for being one of the top performers. In 2011, Liu received the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award.

Liu can’t say enough about the great managers she is surrounded by on a daily basis, who serve as role models. “At Citi, we have excellent leadership that can help guide me and others,” says Liu.

Outside her encounters with great leaders, Liu has solidified her leadership chops by participating in three different programs offered at Citi. One, Women Leading Citi, is an 18-month program that paired her with a sponsor whose job was to mentor her, expand her network, and advocate for new opportunities. Each participant got an in-depth assessment, up to six months of executive coaching, and access to supplemental leadership workshops. Citi reports that of the 59 women in the 2009 program—the first—29 percent have new job responsibilities, 22 percent have new roles, and 19 percent have a new level of seniority.

Liu says this and other Citi programs have broadened her business connections. “Each one of the programs gives me the ability to network with highly talented individuals from different business units around the world,” she says. “I can call them and tap into our extensive, global network.”

Maria Medrano

Data Strategy and Analytics Manager

Cisco Systems    San Jose, CA

When a former employer asked Maria Medrano to abandon her graduate degree studies and focus all her attention on her work as a manager at a construction firm, she knew she had a tough decision to make. Her parents had told her that the path to success was through schooling—Medrano was the first in her family to graduate from college—and in having a good work ethic. She ultimately decided to leave the company because it didn’t back her pursuit of a master’s degree.

Boy, was Medrano right. Shortly after receiving her master’s in organizational development from Sonoma State University, she landed a job at Cisco as a financial liaison. In her five years at Cisco, Medrano has taken advantage of what the network equipment giant has to offer, including a leadership program that taught her lessons about managing people. She even went back to school, this time for an MBA, with the blessing of both her manager and Cisco. “Even though I already had a graduate degree, Cisco supported me in going to school for a second graduate degree,” she says. “They clearly support higher education.”

In addition to excelling in training programs and doing excellent work, Medrano garnered a promotion when she proved she could take initiative and successfully launch an employee resource group called Connected Women of Sacramento. The launch allowed Medrano to organize, lead, and network in an unconventional way. The experience emphasized an important lesson about Cisco’s culture. “You are truly given the opportunity to succeed,” she says. “You don’t have to have a grandiose title to be given a chance.”

In 2011, Cisco dedicated $113 million to employee training and development, with 82 percent of employees taking at least one course. Another popular, family-friendly option is telecommuting: 95 percent of staffers work from home on a regular basis. “The company expects you to have a work-life balance, and that kind of culture goes a long way,” says Medrano.

Mariela Ure

SVP Hispanic Segment Strategy

Wells Fargo    San Francisco, CA

Mariela Ure is comforted that Wells Fargo took nearly a year to fill the position she currently holds. To Ure, the long wait for a response meant that Wells Fargo thought it was important to carefully vet the candidates vying for the opportunity to run its Hispanic segment.

Ure has been busy bridging the banking giant’s goals and the needs of its Hispanic clientele. Her job is to make sure that she and the team deliver solid business and marketing plans that attract Hispanics and retain current customers.

Ure and other women at Wells Fargo have a multitude of leadership development training options available to them, such as career development, rotation programs, and mentoring and training. One, called Diverse Leaders, is specifically for Hispanics.

As a leader, Ure says she takes a hands-on, individual approach. “I am constantly thinking of work that doesn’t come easy to my team,” she says. “When people are challenged, they are more engaged and pay more attention.”

As an employee, Ure feels empowered when she sees many high-ranking women in the halls of Wells Fargo. The bank’s board, for example, reveals a diverse makeup: 13 percent Asian, 6 percent African-American, 6 percent Latino, and 31 percent women. “The fact that women get recognized and that there are successful women at Wells Fargo helps me see that I have the same opportunity,” says Ure.

For its efforts to create a diverse workplace that attracts top talent, Wells Fargo has been voted among the top 50 Companies for Diversity by Diversity Inc. and was named the 12th Best Company for Latinas by Latina Style magazine in 2011. This year it ranked 45th on the list of Fortune magazine’s Most Admired Companies. DW

Jenny Mero is a frequent contributor to DW.

 

 Company            Headquarters    Type of Company

Abbott		Abbott Park, IL	Pharmaceutical
Accenture		Dublin, Ireland	IT consulting
Aetna		Hartford, CT	Health insurance
Allstate Insurance		Northbrook, IL	Insurance: property and casualty
American Electric Power		Columbus, OH	Energy
American Express		New York, NY	Commercial banks
AOL		New York, NY	Internet media
Arnold & Porter		Washington, DC	Law firm
AstraZeneca		Wilmington, DE,  and London, England	Pharmaceutical
AT&T		Dallas, TX	Telecommunications
Automatic Data Processing		Roseland, NJ	Business process outsourcing
AXA Equitable		New York, NY	Financial services
Bain & Co.		Boston, MA	Management consulting
Bank of America		Charlotte, NC	Banking
Bayer		Pittsburgh, PA	Pharmaceutical
BDO		Chicago, IL	Professional services
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceutical USA		Ridgefield, CT	Pharmaceutical
Booz Allen Hamilton		McLean, VA	Management consulting
Boston Consulting Group		Boston, MA	Management consulting
Bristol-Myers Squibb		New York, NY	Pharmaceutical
CA Technologies		Islandia, NY	Enterprise software
Campbell Soup*		Camden, NJ	Food processing
Capital One		McLean, VA	Financial services
Cardinal Health		Dublin, OH	Pharmaceutical
Carlson		Minnetonka, MN	Hospitality
Chubb		Warren, NJ	Insurance: property and casualty
Cisco		San Jose, CA	Network and other communications equipment
Citi		New York, NY	Commercial banks
Colgate- Palmolive		New York, NY	Personal care
Covington & Burling		Washington, DC	Law firm
Credit Suisse		Zurich, Switzerland, and New York, NY	Financial services
Dell		Round Rock, TX	Computer hardware
Deloitte		New York, NY, and London, England	Professional services
Deutsche Bank		New York, NY and Frankfurt, Germany	Banking, financial services
Diageo North America		Norwalk, CT	Beverages
Discovery Communications		Silver Spring, MD	Mass media
Dow Corning		Midland, MI	Manufacturing
DuPont		Wilmington, DE	Chemicals
Eli Lilly and Company		Indianapolis, IN	Pharmaceutical
Ernst & Young		London, UK, and New York, NY	Professional services
FedEx		Memphis, TN	Courier
FINRA		Washington, DC	Financial regulator
First Horizon National		Memphis, TN	Financial services
Fleishman-Hillard		St. Louis, MO	Public relations
Freddie Mac		McLean, VA	Financial services
Genentech		South San Francisco, CA	Biotechnology
General Electric		Fairfield, CT	Conglomerate
General Mills		Minneapolis, MN	Food Processing
	Goldman Sachs	New York, NY	Commercial banks
	Google	Menlo Park, CA	Internet
	Hewlett Packard*	Palo Alto, CA	Computer hardware
	HSBC North America	New York, NY	Financial services
	IBM*	Armonk, NY	IT consulting
	Intel	Santa Clara, CA	Semiconductors
	Johnson & Johnson	New Brunswick, NJ	Pharmaceutical
	JP Morgan Chase	New York, NY	Banking, financial services
	Katten Muchin Rosenman	Chicago, IL	Law firm
	Kelloggís	Battle Creek, MI	Food processing
	KPMG	New York, NY	Audit and tax advisory
	Kraft Foods	Northfield, IL	Food processing
	LEGO Systems	Enfield, CT, and Billund, Denmark	Toys
	Lockheed Martin	Bethesda, MD	Aerospace, defense
	Macyís	Cincinnati, OH	Retailing
	Marriott International	Bethesda, MD	Hospitality
	Mass Mutual Financial Group	Springfield, MA	Financial services
	Mastercard	Purchase, NY	Financial services
	McDonaldís	Oak Brook, IL	Food services
	McKinsey	New York, NY	Management consulting
	Merck	Whitehouse Station, NJ	Pharmaceutical
	MetLife	New York, NY	Financial services
	Microsoft	Redmond, WA	Computer software
	Morgan Stanley	New York, NY	Financial services
	New York Life Insurance Company	New York, NY	Insurance: life and annuity
	Newell Rubbermaid	Sandy Springs, GA	Consumer goods
	Northern Trust	Chicago, IL	Financial services
	Office Depot	Boca Raton, FL	Specialty retail
	Pearson	Upper Saddle River, NJ	Media, education
	PepsiCo*	Purchase, NY	Food, beverages
	Pfizer	New York, NY	Pharmaceutical
	Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP	New York, NY	Law firm
	Procter & Gamble	Cincinnati, OH	Consumer goods
	Prudential Financial	Newark, NJ	Financial services
	PWC	New York, NY	Professional services
	Scripps Health	San Diego, CA	Healthcare, non-profit
	Sodexo USA	Gaithersburg, Maryland	Diversified outsourcing services
	State Farm	Bloomington, IL	Financial services
	Texas Instruments	Dallas, TX	Semiconductors
	The McGraw-Hill Companies	New York, NY	Publishing
	The New York Times	New York, NY	Newspapers
	The PNC Financial Services Group	Pittsburgh, PA	Financial services
	The Principal Financial Group	Des Moines, IA	Finance and insurance
	TIAA Cref	New York, NY	Financial services
	Valassis Communications	Livonia, MI	Media and marketing services
	Verizon	New York, NY	Telecommunications
	Viacom Media Networks	New York, NY	Entertainment
	Walmart	Bentonville, AR	General merchandiser
	WellPoint	Indianapolis, IN	Managed health care
	Wells Fargo	San Francisco, CA	Banking
	Wyndham Worldwide	Parsippany, NJ	Hospitality
	Xerox *	Norwalk, CT	Computer peripherals