Smeal Alumni Interests: Diversity, Millennials, Women in Business

Being in the higher education industry, but working with alumni in business, creates a need to be informed about their world. Thank you to all my connections for sharing valuable information on LinkedIn that helps me stay current. Running a webinar program, it is important to hone in on alumni concerns. My connections have been key in helping to select topics. All Smeal Alumni Career Services' webinars can be found on this site. 

For up coming events, please check out the Smeal Events Calendar.

The Smeal Network shows concern about the same issues as the university.  It has been stated that companies with diverse teams perform much better.  Penn State holds a Powerful Women Paving the Way and a START Conference, both in the spring.  The conferences provide a way for diverse populations to share information and connect with leading companies.  This post focuses on:

• Diversity
• Millennials
• Women

If you are a Smeal alumni, please join Smeal’s official group and post any important articles on topics you are concerned about. Remember, the LinkedIn group should say official in the title!

Diversity - What do the best cross-cultural managers have in common?

How to Build Trust on Your Cross-Cultural Team, shared by Renee Baker (MBA) Closed-End Funds Marketing & Investor Relations, Senior Manager at Aberdeen Asset Management
“One of the most essential characteristics for a high-functioning team — perhaps the single most important characteristic — is trust. Anyone who has worked on a team knows that team members must be able to trust each other to get the job done, and be committed and dedicated to the overall welfare of the group. In any group of individuals, trust is challenging to create and sustain, but in the case of a multicultural team it can be especially difficult for a variety of different reasons.”

"The Silence was Deafening" - Why We Need to Talk about Race shared by Dustin Bartolomeo-damon (‘08 Accounting) Washington Metro Talent Acquisition Leader at PwC“When I came to work on Friday, the silence was deafening.” These words are taken from a note sent by a colleague after the first week in July--a week that saw an escalation of violence and racial tension in cities across the country.

Appreciating Difference., shared byDaniel Bena (Webinar Presenter) Senior Director of Operations Development at PepsiCoDiversity is the buzz word in business right now. There are diversity programs, gender specific programs, various representative forums to support minority groups, think tanks on how to be more diverse and inclusive. The list of positive actions on the question of diversity goes on and on but what are we trying to achieve?

NBC's Pearlena Igbokwe named president of Universal TV, shared by Darryl Daisey (‘83 Supply Chain) Principal Sourcing Manager at Exelon
NBC drama development head Pearlena Igbokwe has a new high-profile assignment: running the company’s Universal Television production studio. Igbokwe was named studio president, replacing Bela Bajaria who abruptly stepped down after nearly five years of running the Los Angeles-based unit.

African-American Creative Leaders Form Advertising Coalition for Peace shared by Heather James (‘92 Accounting) Tommy Hilfiger at PVH Corp. “Four African-American creative leaders -- Keith Cartwright, Geoff Edwards, Jayanta Jenkins and Jimmy Smith -- have come together to create a coalition aimed at promoting peace and societal change around racial inequality.”
Pepsi's Jakeman, Others Go After Saatchi's Roberts Over Gender Comments shared by Michelle Harmon-Madsen (Marketing) SVP Brand Partnerships at FreshDirect “Kevin Roberts, chairman of Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi, says adland's gender diversity debate is over. But several marketing and ad agency executives beg to differ, including high-level leaders at PepsiCo, JPMorgan Chase and DDB.”

Malvern's Vanguard Launches Education Program For The Disabled, shared by Alison Reichstein (‘14 Supply Chain) Global Supply Chain Program Manager HP
Vanguard CEO Bill McNabb, PATF CEO Susan Tachau, and Secretary of Labor and Industry Kathy Manderino all gave remarks and thanks towards the Vanguard volunteers, PATF employees, and residents of Inglis house for their time, expertise, and determination in making this website a crucial resource for those with disabilities in Pennsylvania, according to a news release from the company.

What the Best Cross-Cultural Managers Have in Common, shared by Jack Sun (‘09 Finance) Vice President Private Banking Credit Suisse
Most large organizations today are looking for leaders who can easily and effectively move between countries and cultures, taking on expat assignments, understanding disparate markets, and managing diverse teams. Where can they find such talent.

Millennials - Will millennials move to the "Burbs?"

Articles shared by Curtis Adams
(‘12 Accounting) Senior Tax Accountant at Aronson LLC--Your new neighbor in the 'burbs? A millennial. Yes, really
It was only a matter of time. Literally. As millennials grow older, get married, have children, they are seeking out bigger houses and better schools. That means the suburbs. They are also getting tired of paying higher urban rents and watching those rents rise.
--3 Tax Tips for Millennials - How to Overcome the Fear“A recent online study by NerdWallet and Harris Poll found that of more than 1,600 U.S. adults, 80% of taxpayers ages 18-34 who filed taxes last year and planned to file this year say they’re fearful about some aspect of preparing their taxes. That’s the highest of any age group. These fears include making a mistake (22%), not getting the biggest possible refund (17%) or paying too much in taxes (13%).”

The Millennial Work-Or-Life Myth: Four Goal-Setting Steps To Achieve Both Happiness And Success, shared by Lucia Bacque (‘14 Management) Institutional Giving Manager at The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc.
“Researchers are divided on the relationship between high achievement and health. A highly-publicized study from the University of Notre Dame followed 717 high achievers over several decades and found that, on average, they were only slightly happier and died earlier than their less motivated peers. Research also links ambition to bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.”

Why Millennials Don’t Seek Out Advisors – And What You Can Do About It shared by William Berberich (‘00 Marketing) Regional Director at SEI
“Millennials don’t go looking for an advisor. When we need help, we do seek it out – but rather than going to an advisor, we rely on our own network of resources. Most of the time we’re struggling with a specific issue or question regarding a life event, such as home-buying, marital finances, student loans, etc.”

Millennials are obsessed with side hustles because they’re all we’ve got shared by Corey Charles (’15 Marketing) Verizon Enterprise Solutions Analyst
Millennials didn’t invent the second job, they just branded it. The side hustle offers something worth much more than money: A hedge against feeling stuck and dull and cheated by life.

When Will Millennials Move to the 'Burbs?, shared by Larry Colorito (‘88 Finance) Senior Managing Director at Valbridge Property Advisors Millennials are known for their love of all things urban. But, that might be a function of age, not inherent demographic values. According to a recent survey by ULI, six out of 10 millennials expect to live in a detached single-family home within five years.

How a Millennial Stunned the Worst Boss Ever by Telling Him to Take His Job and Shove It shared by Kelly-Jean Erwin (‘01 Marketing) Senior Product Marketing Manager at AT&T
An employee who worked for a company for 6 years was denied a request to come in 2 hours later so she could attend her graduation ceremony. She quit on the spot even though the manager described her as their best employee.

Want To Train Millennials To Lead? 6 Things You Should Know About The Millennial Mindset, shared by Diana Fitting (‘82 Management) Consultant at A Fitting Solution According to Jenna Atkinson, she says that any organization who is interested in training millennials to be leaders should understand several core principles about millennials in order to invest in the future. Atkinson encourages organizations to deliver relevant, fun, and action-oriented training to make the learning much easier.

Millennials don't hate advertising: It's all about the value exchange shared by Jody L. Jacobs (‘08 MBA) President (Principal) at Avid B4B
“Digital advertising is increasingly judged on the ‘value exchange’. But what does the phrase ‘value exchange’ actually mean?  In it’s simplest form this: both the brand and the consumer need to get something out of the advertising message exchange or interaction.”

A Reminder to Women: Stop Saying You're SORRY! shared by Jennifer Mazza Cagliuso (‘87 Management Science) Advisory Board Member, College of Information Sciences & Technology at Penn State University Too many women undermine themselves with the way they communicate, and this keeps you from being the best influential leader you can be. Tune in to this episode to hear Beth Caldwell’s three confident communication tips that you can use immediately.

Why Are Millennials So Unhappy? Because They Can't Stop Thinking About This shared by Rosalie Minovich (‘15 Accounting) Audit Assistant at Deloitte & Touche LLPThe jury's out. Being in your late 20s can kinda suck. Even though Millennials actively tout their picture-perfect lives on social media, things aren't always so rosy on the other side of the screen.

These are the Georgia companies millennials want to work for shared by Nick Ransone (‘15 Marketing) Virtual Sales Specialist at Georgia-Pacific Professional The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) has released the results of a new survey outlining the top 200 companies millennials want to work for, and 10 Georgia companies made the cut.

Why Do Millennials Job Hop? It's Not for the Reasons You Think shared by Melissa Schipke (‘09 Marketing) CEO and Founder of Tassl
“Millennials think strategically about their career moves. They want to grow, and despite what you may think, they do know that they need to put in the work. The issue, if you want to call it that, is how clearly they focus on that path. They see the opportunities for advancement and want to work toward them. But if they don’t see the opportunity, they are not afraid to move on.”

Research: Millennials Think About Work Too Much shared by Lia Tjotjos (‘13 Management) HR Business Partner at Amazon
“What’s causing Millennials so much angst? We decided to harness the power of big data to answer this question. What we found is that Millennials are obsessed with their jobs, socialize with friends less often than many older folks assume, and don’t seem to set much store in developing a spiritual life.”

29 Facts That Might Make You See Millennials Differently shared by Michael D. Underhill (Economics) Chief Investment Officer at Capital Innovations, LLC Millennials continue to puzzle the general population. Many Boomers are still trying to pinpoint how millennials approach life. They are trying to understand how to impress millennial colleagues, how to sell to them, or how to retain them as employees. Boomers want to know what it was like to grow up with today’s technology, and how that impacts one’s outlook.

Women in Business: What female do you most admire in the business world?

Jessica Livingston’s Pretty Complete List on How Not to Fail shared by Brian Ardinger (‘94 MBA) Managing Director - NMotionHere’s Jessica’s keynote from our third annual Female Founders Conference, which brought together more than 800 women building women-led startups.Jessica has seen over 1000 companies go through YC and shares her learnings about what it takes to succeed as a founder. She emphasizes the importance of avoiding distraction and making something people want.

If I knew then..Jodi Rolland, Colorado Market President, Bank of America shared by Emberly Austin (‘11 EMBA) SVP, Corporate Communications at Bank of America: “There’s no such thing as a once-in-a-lifetime role. Real talent is not validated by that singular opportunity; it’s validated over a career. That job will come again.”

The Real Roadmap to the Top for Black Women Executives shared by Renée Baker (MBA) Closed-End Funds Marketing & Investor Relations, Senior Manager at Aberdeen Asset Management: "According to a recent study conducted by The Executive Leadership Council, the preeminent membership organization for the development of global black leaders, there is a way for black women executives to increase their numbers in business leadership positions if conscientious and intentional steps are taken to recognize and reward their talents and contributions to business success."

Why Women Are Smarter Than Men shared by Daniel Bena Lifelong Learning Webinar Presenter and Senior Director of Operations Development: "Trying to compare intelligence and gender doesn’t typically yield much in the way of productive discussion, but sometimes research comes along that’s worth opening this particular can of worms. Decades of research show unequivocally that men and women are equal in general intelligence (IQ), but that isn’t the case when it comes to emotional intelligence(EQ). There are subtle, and not so subtle, differences in men’s and women’s expression and understanding of emotions that must be explored and understood."

#LeanInTogether: Mentorship Matters shared by Yaqi Ding (‘16 Finance) Analyst Intern at GreysteelFacebook COO and Lean In founder Sheryl Sandberg explains why mentorship matters for women–and why it’s never too early to be a mentor. Learn more at leanin.org/together

#LeanInTogether: Together Women Can… shared by Jenny Gerrard (‘10 Supply Chain and Info Systems) Recruitment Partner - IBM Global Business ServicesEmma Watson, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Serena Williams, Megyn Kelly, and others thank the women who have helped them and encourage women everywhere to #LeanInTogether. Brought to you by LeanIn.Org and AOL’s MAKERS, this video celebrates the power of women supporting each other – and the amazing things that happen when they do.

9 Things Successful Women Never Do shared by Abigail Johnson (‘14 Marketing) Marketing and Business Development Coordinator at Bergman Engineering, LLC A former female FBI agent writes about how to be successful in a male dominated environment.

Accepting Yourself as You Are as an Introverted Female Leader shared by Diana Jolly (‘14 Enterprise Risk Management) Project Coordinator, Data Operations at Dun and BradstreetFor the high achieving introverted woman working in a world dominated by extroverts, if you are not self aware and true to yourself, it can be easy to think that there is something wrong with you.  You may not be loud.  You may not bolshie.  And you're most certainly not likely to be the life and soul of the party at events and gatherings.  But you know what, that is ok.

Sheryl Sandberg on the Myth of the Catty Woman shared by Lauren P. Long (‘06 Finance) Director, Wealth Advisory at Threshold Group Women helping one another, professionally and personally. Yet the popular idea is that women are not supportive of other women. At school, we call them “mean girls” and later, we call them “catty” or “queen bees.” (What’s the derogatory male equivalent? It doesn’t exist.) The biggest enemy of women, we’re warned, is a powerful woman.

Coming out as a woman in venture capital: opinion shared by Uma Pattarkine (‘14 Finance and Masters of Accounting) Business Analyst at ExxonMobil: "Kate Mitchell, partner and co-founder of Scale Ventures and co-chair of the National Venture Capital Association’s Diversity Task Force, jump started the conversation about why she has taken a leadership role aimed at reducing the gender gap in the technology world. “I decided it was time for me to come out as a woman,” she says. The men roared with laughter, the women nodded in agreement."