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Transformational Women Highlights Sandy Gordon, VP In-Flight Field Ops, Delta Airlines

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What does leadership in crisis situations look like? Learn from Sandy Gordon, VP In-Flight Field Operations for Delta Airlines. Hear her behind-the-scenes story of how the Delta team became the first airline to get planes back up in the air after the 9/11 attacks.

In her interview Sandy also talks about the most important leadership principles she has learned from 9/11 and other experiences through her 20-year career at Delta Airlines: 1) You need to put yourself in others’ shoes, 2)  Authentic and genuine personal communication is important – How to deliver difficult messages and have a voice at the decision-making table, 3) Ability to lead in uncertainty is critical – you will not have all the information and have to still make decisions 4) Always continue learning, 5)   Enjoy every day, be passionate about what position you’re in NOW.

Sandy currently serves as vice-president of In-Flight Field Operations for Delta Air Lines (named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list). In this position, she is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction related to managing the day-to-day customer service performance of Delta’s more than 20,000 flight attendants, supervisory and administrative personnel spanning the globe in 13 US and 11 international bases. In addition, Sandy oversees the development of In-Flight policy and procedures to help ensure the safety and security of Delta Air Lines passengers and flight attendant crews.

A twenty one-year Delta veteran, Sandy began her career as a flight attendant, where she quickly rose through the ranks learning the detailed specifics of the airline operations with emphasis on the In-Flight Services department. Throughout her career, she has been known for promoting an inclusive and respectful work environment where employees are engaged and work in partnership with the leadership team. The use of these skills resulted in Sandy being the recipient of the R.E.A.C.H. Award, recognizing her decisive and effective leadership during the events of 9/11.

In addition to her core responsibilities, she serves on the Delta Benefit Funds Investment Committee and is a member of the Delta Air Lines Diversity Council tasked with the goal of helping to define, implement, and champion corporate global diversity strategies. Named one of Atlanta’s top professional women in 2010 by Business to Business magazine, Sandy is also a recipient of the CareerFOCUS Eagle Award and is a member of the Leadership Atlanta class of 2012, the oldest sustained community leadership program in the nation.

Gordon gives back to her local community in numerous ways. Among other volunteering activities, she is on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, she volunteers with a local Girl Scouts troop, she is Vice President of the Atlanta chapter of National Epicureans – a civic and social organization that promotes and sponsors social, cultural, literacy, and charitable affairs – and is involved in the National Sickle Cell Project. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a public service sorority.

A graduate of Hampton University, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, Sandy is a native of Atlanta and now resides in Fayetteville, Ga., with her husband and their two children.

 

Transformational Women Highlights Jennifer Dorian, SVP Turner Entertainment Networks

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We sat down to talk with Jennifer Dorian, senior vice president, strategy development, for Turner Entertainment Networks (TEN) and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media group (AYAKM). In this lively and fun-filled interview, listen to Jennifer’s stories about what it takes to succeed. She embodies someone who is very comfortable in her own skin and has these four pieces of advice:

1) Be your own agent, 2) Act like you belong, 3) Be fearless, 4) Be a catalyst for change.

Scroll down below to read the fun “Declaration of Personal Responsibility” that Jennifer and her team enacted in 2009 to get better work life integration.

In her role, Jennifer serves as a strategic business and branding consultant for TEN, which includes TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and truTV, and AYAKM, which includes Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang. Dorian is based in Atlanta and reports to Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, and to Stuart Snyder, president and chief operating officer of AYAKM

Previously, Dorian served as senior vice president, network strategy and brand development, for TEN. She oversaw strategic business planning and brand identity development and image marketing for both networks. Prior to that position, Dorian was vice president of branding for TNT where, in 2001, she led the network’s launch and on-going strategic brand positioning as “TNT: We Know Drama.” Dorian’s positioning of the brand became a resounding success, with TNT ranking as ad-supported cable’s #1 network in delivery of key adult demos for six consecutive years. TNT has been able to monetize its positioning with advertisers in large part because of the groundwork laid by Dorian and the network team.

Dorian also oversaw the June 2004 creation and implementation of the “TBS Very Funny” brand. The positioning proved enormously successful, with TBS consistently ranking as one of basic cable’s Top 5 networks with young adults. On the strength of her work with TNT and TBS, Dorian was honored with a Brand Builders award from Brandweek. She is also leading Turner Entertainment Networks’ strategic business planning, brand development and portfolio management.  Her work in that area includes a focus on innovation for the organization and exploration of extending brands into new arenas and platforms, such as the highly successful TCM Classic Film Festival.

Prior to joining Turner in 2000, Dorian was director of strategic services for sports and leisure marketing at The Coca-Cola Co., based in Atlanta. In that capacity, Dorian oversaw a portfolio of U.S. sponsorships, assessing proposals and evaluating brand alignment and potential returns on investments. Previously, Dorian was manager of kids marketing for Pizza Hut, Inc., a division of PepsiCo. She joined the company as assistant manager of new product development. Dorian also served as director of marketing for InfoVentures of Atlanta, a partnership of Cox Enterprises and the former BellSouth.

Dorian holds a master of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Texas and a bachelor’s degree from Emory University. Within Turner, she is involved in mentoring through Turner Women Today and TEN Mentoring. She serves on the board of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau; the National Marketing Committee of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF; and the board of the PATH Foundation. In 2009, she was recognized by Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) with the Horizon Award. In 2011, WICT named Dorian as a Woman to Watch.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Declaration of Personal Responsibility by Jennifer Dorian and Team

The unanimous declaration of the Strategy Development Department

When in the course of work/life events, it becomes necessary for one team to dissolve the traditional habits and norms that pre-dated them in the corporate world, and to proactively assume leadership of their own destinies and create the best working environment, norms and personal habits to propel them to do their best work and live their best lives.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all team members are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Having a Life, Personal Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  That to secure these rights, Employers provide outlets for creativity, constant learning, making a contribution, teamwork, challenges, self-esteem and financial compensation and benefits.  We embrace the role of employers in our lives but cast off the yoke of tradition.

It is our duty to throw off such conventional out-dated habits which may hold us back, and to provide new norms for the future success of our enterprises and our personal selves.

We cast off the following conventions of corporate life:

  • Traditional, rigid work schedules
  • Staying late at the office to impress others
  • Bound to working only at our desks
  • “Dress for success”
  • Lunch “hour”

We replace these conventions with an invitation to find personal work habits that are most effective for the individual and still effective for the group and clients.  These may include (but are not limited to):

  • Telecommuting and working off-site
  • Pre-established flexible hours (core hours and communication to immediate manager)
  • Exercise during business hours
  • Appropriate dress for the occasion
  • Thinking time, exploring time
  • Spending time with outsiders
  • “Meetings management” (the right to say ‘no’)
  • Punctuality

We solemnly publish and declare that these employees of the strategy and brand development team are absolved from all allegiance to “the old ways” and may act as free and independent people with the full power of personal responsibility to produce excellent work and make full contributions while achieving our unalienable rights.  We mutually pledge to each other our work lives, our fortunes and our honor.

Signed this 24th day of September, in the year of 2009.  We the undersigned affix our signatures to this document:

 

 

 

Transformational Women Highlights Linda Klein, Managing Shareholder, Baker Donelson

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We sat down to talk with Linda Klein, managing shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Georgia offices and a member of the Firm’s Board of Directors. In our interview Linda talks about why she decided to go into law practice (listen to her story about her grandfather’s grocery store), how she finds purpose in the work she does (it’s about helping people by solving their problems), and her tips for what it takes to be successful:

1)  Show enthusiasm for the work you’re given, 2) Work hard, 3) Have self-confidence because you deserve it, 4)  Take credit for your success, 5) Know yourself and be authentic in your own leadership.

Linda is also the Chair of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates for the 2010 – 2012 term. Her practice includes most types of business dispute resolution, including contract law, construction law, fidelity and surety law, employment law and professional liability. In 1998, Georgia Trend Magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful and influential Georgians. Atlanta Magazine has named her a Georgia Super Lawyer and one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Georgia annually since 2004. In 2010 and 2011, she was named by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of Georgia’s Legal Elite. In 2004 the American Bar Association honored Ms. Klein with the prestigious Margaret Brent Achievement Award.  In 2009 Ms. Klein was honored with the Randolph Thrower Award for Lifetime Achievement and was named to the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers.  Ms. Klein is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, Who’s Who in America and Chambers USA.

In June 1997, Ms. Klein became the first woman to serve as President of the State Bar of Georgia. She served as Chair of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association from 2003 to 2004. She is a Past Chair of the Committee on Rules and Calendar of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association and Chair of the Association’s Coalition for Justice. She also currently holds numerous Board of Director positions, including Southface Energy Institute and Neighbor to Family. She is a Past President of the Board of Directors’ Network, Past President of the Caucus of State Bars, and Past Chair of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Georgia and the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia. She currently serves on the advisory boards of Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers.

Ms. Klein has authored numerous published works, most on construction topics. Her lecture schedule has included presentations in France, Sweden, Spain and Canada, but most extensively in the Southeast United States. She is a member of the American Law Institute, and a certified mediator and arbitrator, frequently serving as a neutral as well as a client advocate.

 

 

 

Transformational Women Highlights Debbie Smith & Rita Izaguirre, SVP’s Suntrust

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Debbie Riney Smith is a Senior Vice President in the Atlanta office of SunTrust Investment Services, Alexander Key Division.  She has over 18 years of industry experience, with an expertise in investment analysis and portfolio management. Debbie started in the business in 1994 at Legg Mason in Baltimore, MD as a mutual fund analyst.  In 1997, she was recruited to J.C. Bradford in Nashville, TN to provide mutual fund marketing and analytics to their advisors.  In 2000, after PaineWebber merged with J.C. Bradford, she moved to Charlotte, NC to manage the mutual fund department, and build new marketing strategies to help advisors close business.

In 2001, SunTrust recruited Debbie to move to Atlanta, GA and build a new high net worth brokerage group entitled “Alexander Key Investments”, focused on high net worth individuals and corporations looking for unique investment solutions.  She wrote most of the marketing and sales brochures for the products she was responsible for, provided “buy lists” for the advisors to use

with their clients, and traveled through the Southeast speaking at advisor and client events on the brokerage services industry.

In 2007, Debbie decided to make a career shift, going to the sales side in her industry.  She joined Charles Wellborn, in his investment advisory and financial planning practice, still at SunTrust Investment Services.  They formulated the Wellborn Group and manage $400 million in client assets.

Debbie is from Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, a women’s college on Baltimore, MD, with a degree in mathematics.  Her personal passion is helping people, whether that be personally or professionally.  She herself has used a career coach from time to time to help keep her focused on the next challenge that comes her way.

Rita Izaguirre is Senior Vice President Diversity & HR Compliance for SunTrust Banks, Inc one of the nation’s largest financial services holding companies with total assets in excess of $170 billion.  SunTrust is located throughout the Southeast, with over 1,600 branches and almost 3,000 ATMs. In her role, Rita is responsible for SunTrust’s employment brand driving corporate strategy and execution of diversity activities and talent acquisition. She also oversees regulatory compliance and operational risks associated with the human resources function for the Company. Rita joined SunTrust August 2009, and has extensive experience in human resources and employment law.

Prior to joining SunTrust, Rita was the Compliance & Diversity Leader for General Electric Healthcare where she managed human resources compliance, diversity and employer of choice efforts in the US and Europe. She practiced law in the US and Latin America, and in 1997 moved to the Human Resources field where she has held a variety of roles with Fortune 100 companies, as well as public sector organizations.

Rita holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Barry University, a Law degree from Nova University and a Certificate in Organization Development from Georgetown University. She is admitted to the Florida Bar; also holds the SPHR designation. Rita taught Managing Workforce Diversity in the graduate OD/ HR program at American University in Washington, DC, and has been published on the Intercultural Management Quarterly.

Rita is a member of the board of Year Up, a national organization that provides urban youth educational tools to achieve their potential.  Rita is married and lives with her husband, Amado, in Atlanta, GA.

Transformational Women Highlights Annette Tirabasso, Partner Deloitte Consulting

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Annette Tirabasso is Principal, Strategy and Operations for Deloitte Consulting. She brings more than 20 years of experience consulting and advising Financial Services and Consumer & Industrial Product organizations.  She specializes in counseling companies experiencing major restructurings, business transformations, including streamlining processes and integrating operations with new technologies.

Ms Tirabasso has led teams that have delivered all phases of organizational change initiatives, from strategy development, business model creation, process design excellence, and systems implementation. She has also advised more than 20 client organizations to significantly improve their operating and financial performance, cost structure and service quality by eliminating trade-offs between cost and service.  She has deep experience in strategy, program and change leadership, optimizing costs, business process reengineering, merger integration, shared services and outsourcing, and systems implementations.

In addition, Ms. Tirabasso developed a Service Delivery Maturity Model to help organizations develop targets and optimize operations across the dimensions of strategy, services, structure, and operations & technology.  Ms. Tirabasso is the Lead Consulting Partner responsible for bringing all Deloitte Consulting services to clients.  Her functional experience includes finance, human resources, and information technology, marketing, legal, sales, customer service, and corporate communications.  She also leads Deloitte Consulting’s Women’s Initiative (WIN) for the Southeast United States.

Ms. Tirabasso is a sought-after speaker.  She recently addressed The Conference Board on “Moving beyond the Traditional Boundaries of Shared Services.”  She has also spoken several times to the Mortgage Bankers Association.  She is often quoted in industry and trade publications such as Bank Technology News, and was acclaimed for authoring “The Silver Lining in Lending:  Turning Doubters into Online Believers.” Ms. Tirabasso received the “Reengineering Team of the Year Award” from Computer World magazine for the best example of integrating business process and technology to implement significant performance improvement at one of her clients.  She was also one of 20 recipients of the “Woman of Inspiration” Award from the City of Atlanta and the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

Her most recent articles include “Next Generation Service Delivery for Consumer Product Organizations,” “Enhancing Value from your Service Delivery Organization:  Leap Ahead or Lag Behind,” and a look into how companies are using social discounting to penetrate the millennial generation titled, “Deal or No Deal?”

Ms. Tirabasso earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis on Marketing, Communications and Quantitative Business Analysis from Cleveland State University.  She lives in the Vinings area of Atlanta, GA, where she enjoys free time with family and friends, exercising, sports of almost any kind, and traveling, with a passion for destination spas.

 

Transformational Women Highlights Dr. Patricia Wheeler, Managing Partner, The Levin Group

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Dr. Patricia Wheeler is a global executive coach with over 20 years experience working with senior leaders in organizations around the world, from large multinational organizations to mid-sized and entrepreneurial ventures. Her strength and passion is helping smart, technically skilled people become effective and inspiring leaders. Her current research focuses on women moving up in organizations….what helps them move up and what challenges they face.  She’s managing partner of The Levin Group (www.thelevingroup.com), a leadership advisory firm based in Atlanta GA.

Transformational Women Highlights Alicia Philipp President Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

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We sat down to talk with Alicia Philipp, President of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Hear her story of how she and her team have transformed this organization and the innovative growth plans she has for impacting the Greater Atlanta community. This is a leader whose determination to do what’s right and her strong influencing skills are sure to give you insights for your own business and career.

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta is one of the largest and fastest growing philanthropic service organizations in the country. With over $740 million in assets, The Community Foundation strengthens the 23-county Atlanta region by providing quality services to donors and innovative leadership on community issues.

Ms. Philipp’s local, regional and national leadership responsibilities include previous service as a board member of the Council on Foundations, the Southeastern Council of Foundations, Independent Sector and the National Center on Family Philanthropy. Honors received include being named one of the “100 Most Influential Atlantans” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and one of 175 “Emory History Makers” by Emory University.

 

Transformational Women Highlights Duriya Farooqui, Interim COO City of Atlanta

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“If I have to be 20% smarter than the next guy, then that’s a problem I can solve”.  This is the kind of confidence we wish more women leaders would have! We sat down today to talk with Duriya Farooqui, the Interim Chief Operating Officer of the City of Atlanta.  Named to the position about 3 months ago, this is Duriya’s first full interview about her story, leadership philosophy and the work she is doing with Mayor Kasim Reed to help serve the people of the City of Atlanta.  Listen in to the interview to learn more about the impact she wants to make for the people of Atlanta.

Working for Mayor Kasim Reed, Duriya manages all operating departments including Aviation, Police, Fire, Corrections, Watershed Management, Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Planning and Community Development as well as several support departments and external agencies. She led the Atlanta Streetcar project that was awarded a $47M federal grant in 2010 and is set to become the first spur of light rail transit within the Atlanta region in 2013.

Since joining Mayor Reed’s administration in 2010, Duriya has led major mayoral initiatives to completion. She managed development of the administration’s first budget proposal, which added 100 police officers and opened all recreation centers after closing a budget gap of over $40M. She also led the city’s negotiations with Delta Airlines and other carriers in 2010 that amended their lease agreement with the city to add $30M in airport revenues. The lease amendment enabled the timely financing of the international terminal that is set to open in 2012. Duriya also worked with Chief Operating Officer Peter Aman to develop the proposals and analysis for pension reform that passed in June 2011, which is projected to save the City $500M over 30 years.

Duriya began her tenure at the City of Atlanta in the Finance Department in 2007 and completed the city’s first public infrastructure assessment that quantified a $750M backlog in investment. In 2008 she assumed the role of Performance Management Director in the Mayor’s Office to drive the citywide performance management program (ATLStat). She acquired significant experience in citywide operations and performance improvement before joining Mayor Reed’s administration in January 2010 as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

Duriya holds a Masters in Public Administration and International Development from the Kennedy School at Harvard University and was awarded a fellowship on merit of professional promise. She received a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Hampshire College, under a full scholarship. Prior to joining the City of Atlanta, Duriya’s experience was focused on international policy

analysis and included positions with the World Bank, The Center for Global Development and the Center for International Development at Harvard University. Her research focused primarily on trade, education policy and impact evaluation. Her work was also cited in the World Bank’s 2004 World Development Report.

Duriya moved to Atlanta from the Boston area in 2004 and enjoys living near Candler Park with her family.

Transformational Women Highlights Kristin Adams, Managing Director Aon Hewitt

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We sat down to talk with Kristin Adams, Managing Director of Aon Risk Solutions. She has been with Aon for 15 years, beginning her career as a Legal Associate with Aon’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group in New York. Kristin also spent 3 years with Aon’s Capital Markets team, based in San Francisco and Chicago. In this interview she talks about how important it is to focus on and understand the strengths of people you manage on your team.

As a team leader for Aon in Atlanta, Kristin is responsible for delivering solutions to her clients surrounding a broad range of issues including Directors and Officers Liability, Enterprise Risk Management, property and casualty program placement, and a variety of human capital offerings.

Her background in M&A and Capital Markets allows Kristin to bring a wide range of industry specialization, and she has particular expertise with the private equity, financial institutions and real estate sectors.

Kristin graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law. She also completed post-graduate executive education programs in finance at New York University and Harvard Business School. Kristin is FINRA Series 7 and 63 licensed.

 

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