SWIB 15th Annual Conference

A record number of registrants, 370 women (and about 5 men), walked into Kimmel on the morning of Friday, February 2, 2007 and knew instantly that this year's Stern Women in Business (SWIB) conference was unique. The purple and white décor from prior years was notably missing and replaced with vibrant orange and pink. The bright red "Grey's Anatomy" mug at each place setting and goody bag on each chair set off a wave of one "Seriously?" after another. The room was packed, the shades were down and everyone knew that this would be a day of inspiration and celebration.

The theme of the conference, "Finding Authenticity: The Next Challenge for Women in Business," means having the confidence to dismiss the idea that women must leave our true personality at home. It means connecting with colleagues on a personal level and establishing lasting relationships. Authentic leaders are not afraid to express their opinions and values and in honor of the 35th anniversary of SWIB and the 15th anniversary of the conference, SWIB wanted to take this idea one step further. In proposing authenticity as the next challenge, the women of SWIB implicitly recognized the achievements of the generations before them. With their accomplishments, women today not only have the luxury of expecting equality in the workplace, but also the ability to be their feminine, unique selves.

The morning keynote speaker, Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group, presented a new perspective on what it means to be authentic. After Dean Thomas Cooley's introduction (in which he declared SWIB "the most powerful organization on campus"), Sweeney spoke about her passion for television. She emphasized that throughout her career, it was always the passion that drove her. It was truly amazing to hear how she went from being a page at ABC to running the network. She also spoke about the importance of being authentic at work and consistently illustrated her points with clips from popular ABC shows. Ms. Sweeney didn't show just any ABC television clips; she chose programs such as "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy," shows that are successful for the same reason that people are successful - they are original and authentic.

Kim Corfman, vice dean of MBA programs, introduced the afternoon keynote speaker, Eileen Murray, managing director and head of global technology and operations at Morgan Stanley. With her dry sense of humor, wit and charm, Murray captured everyone's attention as she spoke candidly about her upbringing in New York City, her twenty years on Wall Street and her current position at a top firm. When Murray began working on the Street, she never encountered the issues that women often face when pursuing a career in a male-dominated industry. It was only later in her career, as the only woman on the Morgan Stanley management committee that she first faced the idea that her gender was an issue. She then left to join Credit Suisse First Boston under John Mack, who she described as a champion of women in the workplace. Now back at Morgan Stanley, Murray emphasized how important it is to be authentic, but also warned that this should not interfere with being adaptive. While we must remain true to our passions and core values, it is important to have the capability to adapt our behaviors. Each company and each person has a different working style and to be successful it is important to respect these differences and adapt accordingly. Murray continued her discussion of differences by noting that diversity creates opportunities and leads people to better solutions.

This year's distinguished alumna award was presented to Audrey McNiff, Managing Director, Equities Division, Goldman Sachs. McNiff attended the part-time program at Stern while working in foreign exchange trading and has been working on the Street for over 27 years. In accepting her award, McNiff emphasized the important role that mentorship and support had in building her career. She encouraged the attendees to be engaged in their work and to not be afraid to take chances.

Panel discussions on various topics including working internationally, entrepreneurship, and mentorship, were held throughout the day with panelists from companies such as BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Standard & Poor's. In the afternoon there were three workshops. Topics included financial planning, relationship building, and leadership development.

This year's SWIB conference was sponsored by American Express, Bank of America, Bear Stearns, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, Moody's Investment Services, Morgan Stanley, Standard & Poor's and Unilever.

The SWIB conference was a huge success. It will be a suspenseful year waiting to see how SWIB will outdo itself in 2008!