Wharton Women blaze their own trail
Wharton Women in Business
Issue date: 11/19/07 Section: News
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Wharton Women in Business, affectionately known around the halls of Huntsman as "WWIB," held its 29th annual conference on Friday, November 2nd at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia. The conference was what one would expect from most conferences: morning registration over breakfast (& live jazz!), company tea chats, panels & workshops on numerous topics, networking, inspirational keynote speakers, photographers - you name it.
An ongoing debate within WWIB is whether to open our events to men to build awareness of issues facing women, and how to balance that awareness with WWIB's mission to promote women's success in business and life. Both sides make a strong argument, so amidst the standing question mark, I wanted to share with you some conference insights, for both the men at Wharton and those women that could not attend.
Those insights are best shared through the eyes and voices of those that attended. What follows is a compilation of first person insights (including my own) reflecting on 29TH Annual Wharton Women in Business Conference.
-Dimple Khurana (WG '08)
WWIB Co-President
Finding the Perfect Balance
When Patricia, Liz and I sat down last April to come up with the theme for this year's conference, we were very excited about the idea of achieving success in all aspects of life by "blazing your own trail." To us, that meant having your cake and eating it too. It was an appealing concept, however, deep-down I didn't really believe it was attainable. At some point I would have to make the decisions all women face regarding career vs. family and would have to give up something in the process.
But over the last 6 months I have had the opportunity to talk to numerous women who have found the perfect balance, and who do have it all. For example Traci Lerner, our morning keynote speaker, is truly an inspiration for me. Despite being the head of an extremely successful hedge fund she still manages to be super mom. In fact, Traci is probably more involved in her children's lives than most non-working mothers!
Another woman who I found to be inspiring is Patricia's [fellow conference co-chair] mother, who somehow managed to head two companies and raise two little girls all at the same time. Seeing such positive role models has made me believe for the first time that perhaps I can have it all. I know it won't be easy, but at least I now know that it is possible.
-Preeti Chadha (WG '08)
WWIB Conference Co-Chair
Maybe it is Possible to Have it All
When I arrived at the Park Hyatt on Friday morning I wasn't quite sure what to expect: was it going to be a networking frenzy, a recruiting opportunity, or a way for us aspiring women business leaders to get some inspiration from those who have been down this road before and had managed to navigate it successfully?
I skipped the coffee chats, so for me it turned out to be the latter more than anything else. The most memorable part of the day was the keynote speech by Traci Lerner, the Founding Partner and current CEO of a multibillion dollar hedge fund (Chesapeake Partners L.P.), philanthropist, and mother of four.
In today's world of virtually unlimited opportunities and highly breakable glass ceilings, we tend to want it all: a successful career, family, children, wealth, community involvement and recognition. Unfortunately, when I look around among friends, family, and former colleagues, I find that very few have managed to maintain this balancing act successfully. This quandary is corroborated by studies of career trajectories for female graduates of top MBA programs, which show that on average our education investment tends to have a negative NPV.
Traci shared her wisdom on how she does it - down to such intimate details as packing her children's lunch boxes in the morning while talking to her traders to agree on the day's strategy. Passion for her work is evident in the way she describes it as "her downtime", and while building a multibillion-dollar business, she has never missed a school play or a sports game. She sits on boards of six major non-profit organizations, and on investment committees of another five.
Can everyone here do what she does every day? Probably not, nor would we all want to. But to see and hear someone who has left me energized and hopeful that despite empirical evidence to the contrary, maybe I can have it all.
-Karina Danilyuk (WG'09)
WWIB Member-at-Large
Changing the Name of the Game
At 7:30 AM on November 2nd, I went to Park Hyatt at the Bellevue Hotel to help WWIB's gracious and generous volunteers and conference chairs with arranging gift bags, registration, and welcoming guests to the conference. It was not a surprise to me to find a rally of high caliber and accomplished panelists and keynote speakers at the conference. What was surprising was the degree of relevance I found in their message not just around issues in business, but women's success as industry changing leaders.
My take away from the conference is that women are at an inflection point where gender discussions in business are no longer about acceptance of women but female leadership and their championship in a majority of industries. As reflected in speakers' addresses, women have moved from following the trail of those in black suits to changing the name and rules of the game entirely by blazing their own trails. WWIB's 29th annual conference exhibited a refreshing, intellectually stimulating, and satisfying experience for me personally and my alumnae friends and other attendees alike.
The speech by Traci Lerner, founder of Chesapeake Partners, resonated with me not as a "woman" but as a "person in business" as she thoughtfully put it. Despite challenges she once faced for a position she so deserved to be promoted to at a previous job, Traci "blazed her own trail" and became one of the highest powered women in the world of hedge funds. She has grown her fund from $3M to $3B since its inception in 1991. I am inspired by her tenacity, foresight, and leadership.
Our afternoon speaker Michelle Peluso, President and CEO of Travelocity, astonished me in ways I had not anticipated. She embodies all the attributes that make a leader highly influential without portraying a typical loud or aggressive presence that one would expect from a person in her position. She was soft-spoken, humble, and not dressed in your typical black suit.
Over the course of her career she has accomplished what many of her peers wish to achieve over the course of their lives. Her recipe for success for men and women alike is to be fearless and take chances, communicate consistently and proactively, and lead people gracefully. Michelle's presence was warm and welcoming while her speech was a crash course in leadership and management.
November 2nd, 2007 marked a new milestone for Wharton women. I am honored to be among such an accomplished, strong, and humble group of women. Together, we will continue to break through new frontiers.
-Shiva Mirhosseini (WG '08)
WWIB Co-President
Expecting the Unexpected
When I was first selected to be a chair for the WWIB conference I was very excited to be responsible for such a prestigious and recognizable event. I set high expectations for the conference and for myself.
What I did not expect was the impact that the conference has had on my personal development. I couldn't have taken a better practical hands-on management course. As a chair, I had the benefit of working directly with (and learning from!) many companies, organizations, and dozens of Wharton women. I learned how to communicate better and how to lead peers who are all leaders themselves.
Our primary goal for this year's conference was to create a platform for women to share their stories of success. This conference gave all of us a great opportunity to get together, share experiences, and learn how to become role models for future generations of women going forward. I hope our attendees were able to take advantage of that unique opportunity and we all will grow from the conference to be better women in business, and better leaders.
I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to the whole Conference team who helped us make the 2007 WWIB conference a success. It would not have been possible without all of you!
-Patricia Werhahn (WG'08)
WWIB Conference Co-Chair
Can I Get a Man in the House?
When I walked into the ballroom of the Park Hyatt the first thing I thought was, "Man, there are a lot of women here." I don't know why I was expecting anything different. I hadn't been involved in planning the conference, but this was the Wharton Women in Business Conference after all. For the record, there were a few men in the room (mostly representing firms that were there to recruit), but when I scanned the expanse of the ballroom, what I saw was a sea of Xchromosomes.
Don't get me wrong. I like women. Some of my best friends are women and the speakers at the conference were amazing. But as I sat there sipping my tea and listening to founder of Chesapeake Partners talk about the challenges she'd faced in a male-dominated business world, I couldn't help thinking, "I wish a few of the men in my class were here to hear this, too."
Creating opportunities for women to come together and share ideas is great. WWIB does an excellent job with this. But personally I think we'll accomplish more if we can bring men into the conversation. If men at Wharton can gain a better understanding of the issues women face they'll be better equipped to recruit and retain 50% of the talent pool (now that's a competitive advantage!). And women will gain more informed allies in business world. It's a win for both genders. So what do you say, guys? See you at the conference in 2008?
-Megan Baesman (WG '09)
WWIB Member-at-Large
Asking a different Question
Wharton Women in Business is especially close to my heart, so it's no surprise that the WWIB conference this year meant a lot to me. I anticipated being heavily invested in its outcome but I wasn't able to predict the eye opening moments.
I was most moved by our morning keynote speaker, Traci Lerner. Let's put aside her superhuman status (those at the conference know what I mean) for a moment. Her recipe for success was so simple and obvious, yet I continue to be shocked by the number of us that don't get it right (myself included): pursue your passions and prioritize what's most important to you, and the rest will follow.
[Ms. Lerner] is an example of the balance and fulfillment we all seek (with the exception of sleep perhaps) and feels it isn't a struggle when you're doing what you love. So when we continue to ask how to get more "life" out of our days perhaps we need to rethink the problem at its core. When you love what you do it's not about making sacrifices but rather wanting to find a way to fit it all in.
Our afternoon keynote speaker, Michelle Peluso, encouraged us to ask "How To?" instead of "Why Not?" It was really poignant after hearing a few panelists share their perspective on the importance of women playing golf in the business world. Michelle challenged that belief and reiterated that we as women need to forge our own paths.
So I want to use this forum to pose the following question to the women at Wharton: How do we develop our own voice, support one another, and forge ahead as women? And how do we come together with the camaraderie, consistency and lasting relationships that men easily and inherently develop? One of WWIB's goals this year is not only to help answer that question, but to execute steps towards the larger solution, and would love your participation and ideas to make that happen.
-Dimple Khurana (WG'08)
WWIB Co-President
Following Your Heart
There is one word that I heard again and again at that day: passion. From Patricia Werhahn who opened the conference with a very inspiring speech to Traci Lerner and Michelle Peluso, Conference Keynote speakers, to the panel participants - they all reminded us that being passionate is key to being successful. Many of us have to make important career decisions - decisions that will not look so important five years from now, I am sure. Michelle Peluso urged us to choose a job we are passionate about, not to compromise on what matters most to us. I cannot agree more.
I would like to thank the organizers who gave us this opportunity to reflect on the impact we want to have, on our aspirations and motivations. I always feel very fortunate when I have the occasion to listen to successful leaders who give us their genuine perspective on life.
-Barbara Burtin (WG '08)
WWIB Member-at-Large
A Male Perspective
The Wharton Women in Business conference was quite a refreshing and eye-opening business school conference. As one of only a few men in the room, I had the unique opportunity to gain a collective perspective into the continued challenges women face in corporate America. WWIB helped raise awareness to these challenges and the conference helped provide tangible solutions to help women "blaze their own trail" in their careers. It's one of the best conferences I've been to over the years.
I was equally impressed by the energy and support displayed by the keynote speakers, panel discussions, student organizers, and corporate sponsors at the conference. WWIB did a phenomenal job organizing the conference, and Accenture is very thankful for involving us in such a meaningful way. We look forward to continuing our support next year.
-Pamit Surana
Manager, Accenture
WWIB Conference Diamond Sponsor
Playing Our Own Game
To succeed in business as a woman do you have to play like a man (i.e., play golf, be aggressive, etc), and do you have to give up being a good mother and wife? I found the keynote speakers at the women's conference to be amazing and inspiring role models whose lives are proof that the answer is no.
We don't have to play like men and we should fight to do what we love and raise a family if we're really passionate about both. The morning speaker, Traci Lerner, is a mother of four who has grown her hedge fund Chesapeake Partners from $3M to $3B since 1991. She doesn't say it's easy but she's able to "have it all" with a good partner in her husband, a passion for what she does, and a very pragmatic "do what's important instead of doing everything" attitude.
The afternoon speaker, Michelle Peluso, is very well mannered and ladylike to the point where I would never have thought that she would be a CEO. Michelle showed me that you can stretch yourself, but not beyond the limit what is authentically you. You can be successful in business by using your authentic strengths to standing up for what you think and believe.
-Kathryn Chen (WG '09)
WWIB Member-at-Large
Women still represent only about 37% of the Wharton student community. An even smaller percentage of women are seen in high ranking business positions. WWIB gives a voice and support to that minority group, and strives to provide a network for women to achieve their career and life goals.
To learn more, visit us at www.whartonwomen.org and stay tuned to get involved in next year's conference.
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