Story 147

I worked for 10 years in the industry on the trading floor at two bulge bracket US banks. I started as a graduate and very quickly learned what it took to succeed as a woman – ‘wear shorter skirts’ I was told, followed by rumours that I had only been hired because the boss wanted…

For years, I spent my time updating strategy—working to align with each new corporate mantra, asking to be integrated into the organization with every restructuring. It was clear that much thought had gone into what the “new” organization was supposed to represent. Each time, I searched for where my team fit in the design. We…

My annual performance review in December (and every year prior): “She is integral to our team.” My mid-year review, just after discovering and reporting a fiduciary breakdown: “She does everything wrong and needs significant improvement by year-end.” There needs to be fundamental changes in HR practices, and senior managers who behave this badly should be…

As an early contributor to this site, I’ll take a guess that Citi’s C-suite is at least aware of it by now. I don’t believe for a second that any of them care in terms of culture, employees, or even customers. These are Careless People, focused on their own compensation and that of their cronies….

An MD in the former USPB Risk group started quietly reassigning a Director’s workload onto one of his peers. No explanation was given — none is deemed required. By routing a Director’s responsibilities through another, she could create the appearance that he was supervising and elevating a peer. A paper trail for a promotion, built…

On Staying in the Room — A Response to Story 242 and a Continuation of 246. I responded in Story 246. And now let me be clear about what I am doing. Very early in my career I was almost always the only woman in a pack of men. I was put off by women…