VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER AFFAIRS
HSBC–NORTH AMERICA (NO. 13 ON THE TOP 50)
I had the opportunity several years ago to pull together
some creative ideas for a new financial-literacy-education
program. Those of us who believed in the core idea may
have felt a bit lonely as we started down the path to develop it. The idea for such an innovative financial-literacy program was unique, not just within our company but within
the industry. It took time and commitment to gain
momentum for the program, but we felt strongly that there
was a need to provide a resource for people to learn more
about personal finance and give them tools to make financial decisions for their families. Today, I feel proud that
HSBC’s Center for Consumer Advocacy and our
yourmoneycounts.com web site benefit the thousands of
people each year who use their resources.
To my younger self—never be afraid to stand alone.
Share your gifts—volunteer in your community, mentor
others, listen actively. Define your personal “brand”—know
how you want to be perceived by others. Maintain your
personal integrity.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, AFFILIATE SALES
HBO (NO. 5 ON THE TOP 50)
There are times during a career when you get a little nervous
and have no choice but to question whether you’ve been a good
leader and boss. My moment came when I was approaching the
maternity leave of my third child. At the time of the birth of
my other two children, I wasn’t in such a senior position, so I
didn’t have to worry about how my sales team would perform
while I was away. When I left for leave I remember saying to
myself, “I hope they do well while I’m gone.”
I returned after four months with great pride for the team
assembled. This great group of people not only did fine but
they were instrumental in leading the sales force to a record-breaking quarter in subscriber growth. I consider the
group—their work ethic and success—to be one of my greatest accomplishments in my 18 years at HBO.
You will never succeed personally or professionally if you
try to be someone other than yourself. Trust your instincts
and act on them with confidence. Maintain your high expectations and hold people accountable for delivering on them.
