Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 - (Page 18)

To p 10 0 Un d e r 5 0 D i v e r s e E x e c u t i v e s CONNIE LINDSEY Moving marked a milestone for Connie Lindsey. She accepted the opportunity to relocate to Chicago from Milwaukee in 1983 to work in the treasury area of the yet-to-be-named Ameritech Corp. She held various positions in finance and accounting, including treasurer of Ameritech Foundation, which laid the groundwork for her career. Today, Lindsey is executive vice president of corporate and institutional services at Northern Trust Co. in Chicago. She heads the Public Entities and Institutions segment in the Corporate and Institutional Services business unit. Prior to this appointment, she was director of enterprise relationship management within Worldwide Operations and Technology. Early in her career, Lindsey was deeply disappointed but not surprised by the lengths to which some would go to practice exclusion vs. inclusion based on race and gender in all aspects of the corporate experience. But she moved on. “The important truth about lessons is to learn from them and move on,” she says. “In my professional life, the biggest lesson is the importance of understanding the motivations and motives of others without compromising my values and convictions.” She gets through tough days with prayer, the Bible in her office, and what she calls “a phenomenal network of trusted advisors to whom I can turn for advice and wise counsel.” More recently, she’s thinking differently about what really matters “Two and a half years ago, my husband was diagnosed with an incurable but treatable blood cancer,” she explains. “When I compare my bad day at work to the courage and strength to face what he does each day, it puts everything in perspective.” Lindsey is grateful for her many mentors, and realizes she was helped by her own tenacity, willingness to take on challenging assignments and make tough business decisions, and ability to maintain a sense of equilibrium, while holding her values and convictions. She calls herself a “servant leader” who’s interested in developing strong business and personal relationships that are authentic and mutually beneficial. She also strives to live in the present moment. “Life doesn’t allow do-overs,” she says. “I have been blessed with enough success to keep me happy and enough sorrow to keep me humble.” She would, however, tell her younger self, “Live fearlessly and to discover your purpose without compromising your power or passion.” What’s key, she says, “is to know your strengths and development needs, to be brutally honest with yourself. Create your own definition of success and make certain your values match your work. Live out loud!” ANRE WILLIAMS Anre Williams. President of American Express’ Global Commercial Card Group, was the first in his family to go to college -- (Stanford University and the Wharton School of Business). “I didn’t know I would get to be president of a division. I definitely have fulfilled dreams,” he says. He has overall responsibility for the division that markets the American Express card, Corporate Purchasing Solutions and other payment products to large and mid-sized corporations, and leads a team of 2,500 employees around the globe. Williams shares one of the lessons he learned the hard way: “People will work harder and follow you if they feel a connection to you, if they feel you respect them. I thought just because you were at a certain level, people would line up and follow you. But you have to work hard to earn respect.” He also knows that in the upper ranks, the rules are a bit different. “There’s no loyalty,” he notes. “You can’t sign up for a leadership position and assume you’ll be there for 20 years. You have to produce. The company’s needs change over time, and sometimes, so do yours.” His advice for newly minted MBAs: “Make a conscious effort to connect with 18 w w w. d ive r s it y mb a ma g a z in e. c o m http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Find Your Power Voice Business Briefs Off the Shelf The Fourth Annual Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Corporate Executives Negotiation: The Art of Persuasion or Zero Sum Game? Career Planning for Tomorrow's Hispanic Workforce Who's Who In Diversity Entrepreneur Profile: Anita Santiago: Doing It Her Way Businesses that Keep On Giving Rising Sun Going Global: Will An International Assignment Benefit Your Career Work-Life Balance and the C-Suite: An Oxymoron? A Call to Save Travel: Off the Beaten Path - Chile Drawing the Line – Latin Art Exhibit The New Taste of Latin Cuisine American Sabor: Exhibit Highlights Latino Influence in Pop Music Crafting Specialized Business Degrees Latest MBA Salary Suggests MBA Is A Safe Haven Gadgets & Gizmos Gone Phishing – How Scammers Mine Private Data From Web Surfers Advertiser's Index The Meaning of Sanctuary

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

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