2010 Topics Covered

General Session - Where are the Jobs and What are the Economics?
We are at an inflection point on Wall Street, with so much uncertainty about the shape of the future landscape. Where there is flux, however, there is also opportunity if you know where to look for it. In this session, three renowned experts will address such critical questions as: What might the new landscape of Wall Street look like? What impact will the unfolding regulatory reform have on job opportunities, compensation structures, and products? What skill sets are and will be most in demand in the New York City area? What are the ten commandments of negotiating employment contracts? How is the industry consolidation and evolution impacting opportunities for women to advance? And, most importantly, what might all of this mean for you?

Reinventing Yourself: Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be in Your Career
Imagine if you were Rip Van Winkle and just waking up from a three-year sleep. You'd be waking up to a bit of a shock. You would quickly notice a whole new landscape in the financial services world. Industry consolidation, firms disappearing, job dislocation, entire product areas going away. For most of us, the industry crisis has changed how we think about our careers and our finances. And how could it not? Jane will highlight the important intersection of your career and financial decisions. Using electronic instant response devices, we will conduct a live poll of the audience on the key drivers of your professional success, what motivates you in your career, and your view of future opportunities for women on Wall Street given the changed landscape. Your responses and Jane's comments will help guide your choice of the three panel discussions that follow her talk.

Leveraging Your Skills to Succeed on the “New” Wall Street
Wall Street is a different world from just two years ago. With industry consolidation, the dislocation of organizations and people, new firms springing up, and ongoing regulatory uncertainty, the companies we worked for two years ago are not the same as now. How can you adapt yourself and your career to succeed in such a dynamic environment? This session will be an opportunity to learn from talented Wall Street women about embracing change. How do they continue to reinvent themselves? What approaches and tools have they used to navigate and capitalize on the changes in the industry? Join us for a candid discussion about proactively managing your career, creating opportunities within your company or elsewhere in the industry, leveraging the power of relationships and ensuring you have a seat at the table.

So You Want to Start Your Own Business
Are you contemplating entrepreneurship as a new career option? Launching one’s own business can be exciting yet daunting. How can you decide if this path is right for you and, if so, what can you do to improve your chances of success? What are the characteristics that distinguish talented employees from successful entrepreneurs? How would you know if you have what it takes? The panelists will provide critical insights into what spurred them to reinvent themselves from employee to entrepreneur, the biggest surprises and rewards discovered along the way, how they created their personal brands, and resources available specifically for would-be entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses.

Beyond Wall Street: How to Transition to the Nonprofit Sector
Is there life after Wall Street? Many experienced women have moved from the Street to key roles in the nonprofit community, enjoying the rewards of “giving back” while doing good. But it didn’t just happen. Our panelists each forged their own paths and learned a lot along the way. In this interactive and lively session, learn what motivated our panelists to shift from Wall Street into the nonprofit world, how they decided on their areas of interest, and how they leveraged their Wall Street expertise to succeed in a new environment. If this path is one you may want to take, learn from our panelists what you can do now to explore the fit for you and to lay the foundation for a smooth transition. What resources might you tap to narrow your focus and advance your goals? Benefit from the compelling experiences of our panelists, who will share what they’ve learned along the way, the tradeoffs they’ve made, and how they bridged the cultural divide of the corporate and nonprofit worlds.