UBS' incoming asset management head Suni Harford is a star of U.S. banking. What are her tips on how to navigate the finance C-suite as a woman?
Suni Harford was ranked the 12th most important women in the U.S. banking industry by «American Banker» (J.P. Morgan's wealth and asset management boss Mary Callahan Erdoes led the ranking).
The 57-year-old Harford is about to cap her career with a seat in top management at UBS, where she will replace Ulrich Koerner as head of asset management next week. Harford's career could have followed an entirely different path altogether, she told the speciality publication.
Informal Avenues
Being prepared is everything, Harford said: when a male colleague attempted to take credit for a successful bond deal at Salomon Brothers early in her career, she had discreetly asked her boss to «cross his fingers» for her earlier in the day.
The male colleague was shut down when Harford won props for the deal. The colleague never pulled the stunt again, and Harford – one of UBS' most high-profile female bankers – presumably went on to clinch may more deals. The lesson? There are stealth and discreet ways to ensure your boss knows what you are getting done, without making a big fuss.
Career is «Work»
Harford is passionate about promoting talented women in finance. While at Citi, she co-founded a network of female bankers, and was also on the board of the Forte Foundation, which seeks to promote women in leadership roles in business.
«Every time you schedule a meeting with your manager to talk about your career, it's hard. It's additional work,» she said. Harford began as an accountant – a job she said she hated – before becoming an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and Salomon. She spent more than 20 years at Citi before joining UBS two years ago.
