Meet challenges, take different jobs to develop skills, panelists say
By Lana F. Flowers
The Morning News
an class="date">Posted: [modtime:2:EDT]
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Panelists included Carol L. Bernick, chairwoman of the board of Alberto-Culver Co.; Ann M. Drake, chief executive officer of DSC Logistics; Karen B. Greenbaum, leader of global and regional client development for Mercer Human Resources Consulting; and Tonise Paul, president and CEO of advertising agency BBDO Chicago and director of BBDO Worldwide.
Dan Stone, vice president of corporate communications for Alberto-Culver, moderated the discussion, hosted by Students in Free Enterprise and the NWACC Foundation.
Stone asked panelists if being a woman in business is a help or a hindrance.
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"I have not felt that being female has disadvantaged me," Paul said.
However, she said less than 10 percent of corporate executives are women, "and we have to keep working on that."
Paul said women and business leaders can shame companies that do not have women moving into senior ranks. Paul said a group every year studies Chicago companies to track how many women are company officers and board members.
Stone asked the women how they responded to big job challenges.
Greenbaum said she maintained a positive attitude after her company called her in at 5 p.m. one day and said she could not be president of the U.S. operations anymore, but would start a new job in global client development.
"I spent the next three hours after this meeting saying, 'What would be neat about this next job? What will I really like about it? How can I make a difference?' So I came in the next morning with a great attitude and I think I surprised everyone," Greenbaum said.
Bernick said she was scared when she took over the consumer products division of Alberto Culver, dealing with making products like hairspray and shampoo in 16 plants and trying to raise profits from a dismal 2 percent.
"The piece of advice I would give you is if you are not struggling to breathe, you are not going to grow," Bernick said.
Stone asked what advice the women would give sons and daughters or nieces and nephews beginning their careers, and if the advice would be the same for both boys and girls.
Drake said she would tell her niece the data is clear: Women are not entering business careers as much as in the past. She said aunts, mothers and grandmothers teach their daughters to change the world, something that can't be done in business.
"I would take my niece aside and say that is just not true. Being in business can allow you all kinds of opportunities," from having money to donate to worthy causes to being part of organizations to help change society, Drake said.
Greenbaum said women are under-represented in math and science fields, so young women with those skills should apply with firms actively seeking female employees.
Bernick said there are companies who promote and value women and companies who do not.
"You can figure it out, you can find it out there, it's on the Internet, it's in their publications, you can see it. You think you can change the world, but why should you have to?" Bernick said.