Carol Kisswany, ’14, is a self-described mid-careerist in health care administration where she says there are a lot of changes happening. So when she heard about the Wolverine Industry Leaders: NYC Women in Business panel, she jumped at the opportunity to attend and learn from some her fellow U-M alums.
“It was really helpful to come here tonight and hear from women in leadership,” she said.
The event, sponsored by the Alumni Association and hosted at the Carolina Herrera headquarters in New York City on June 23, featured a networking session and a panel of alumni speakers who discussed their career journeys, juggling work and home life while climbing the corporate ladder, and the changing culture of workplaces.
The panel included Emilie Rubinfeld, ’96, president of Carolina Herrera; Kara Sundlun, ’97, news anchor and host of Great Day Connecticut; Tracy Wolfson, ’97, a sportscaster for CBS Sports; Gabriela Teran, ’96, managing director for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management; and Alexis Stiles, ’91, MBA’94, MHSA’94, a global health care practice leader and board member for Spencer Stuart.
Stiles told the crowd that the skills needed to be successful in the workplace today are changing.
“Core skills around flexibility and the ability to adapt are becoming far more important,” she said. “To be able to focus on a lot of things at one time, and be able to stay true and clear on what your true north is.”
Stiles also said it was important to seek out sponsors or mentors.
When asked about making high pressure decisions, Teran said it’s important to lean on those around you and get other opinions.
“What I have found is when making decisions, don’t be alone,” Teran said. “The leaders that I admire the most are the leaders who are inclusive leaders … leaders who will take some insights or get other perspectives because you’re going to make a much better decision for whatever is in front of you, big or small.”
But for those earlier in their careers, Teran told the audience the advice she gives often is to be present in the office as much as possible.
“Be in the office five days a week, even if you don’t have to be in the office. It’s going to give you an edge,” she said.
Wolfson told stories from her career in broadcasting, discussed juggling being a mom who is often away from home during major holidays, and the power of community following a very public stumble during a U.S. Open tennis event.
Kisswany said the biggest takeaway she got from the evening was around being authentic in the workplace.
“The most important thing is to be yourself and it’s really important to embrace that,” she said. “And to understand that things are going to come your way that include lots of changes, which is how I feel in my current situation.”
Kaitlin Urka, ’09, who works as a live event producer for ESPN, also attended the event. She credits a campus visit by Wolfson when she was a student as one of the main reasons she’s working in sports today.
“I thought I was going to go to law school and do law … but Tracy talked me through her career journey and path, and I thought, ‘I might need to explore this a little more.’”
Urka said she was excited to attend when she heard about the event.
“I work in a male dominated industry, so when I saw there was a panel full of not only all women, but amazing Michigan alumni, I knew I had to make time on my calendar for it,” she said.
Jeremy Carroll is the interim director of content and creative strategy for the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan.
