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Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management hosted a virtual Women in Business panel Tuesday in celebration of Women’s History Month.

The panel, moderated by Lisa Fontenelli, a 1986 Whitman and Newhouse School of Public Communications graduate, featured three panelists: Talbots CEO Lizanne Kindler, Oriana Fuentes, a 2012 SU graduate and the founder and chief operating officer of startup company Emptor, and Ashley Keyes, a 2014 SU graduate and a lab manager at Columbia University. 

The panelists discussed how to be successful as women in business and how to create positive workspaces. For Kindler, being a female executive is about staying true to herself and her beliefs. 

“Know that you’re in control of your own career and make your choices on your own,” she said. “For me, it’s about being true to yourself.”

Kindler noted that while the fashion industry is female-heavy, other industries struggle with female leadership, specifically Fortune 500 companies. But even within her organization, where 92% of the employees are female, only 60% of the executives are women, she said.

“We’ve come a long way,” she said. “We have to be thoughtful about how we support the trajectory all the way through.”

Whitman Dean Gene Anderson noted at the beginning of the panel that the school has been working to increase its number of female students. While only 36% of Whitman students were female in 2017, that number has increased to 47% in 2020. The school also saw a record number of female applicants for the upcoming year, he said. 

“You have to be willing to break the norm,” Fontenelli said. “You have to be willing to step outside the box.”

Fuentes said that while her career trajectory is not what she expected, she is happy in her work, which is what is most important. 

“I set out to never be bored and never really had a good idea of what I wanted to do so maybe that’s how I landed where I am now,” she said. “Why would you want to hate what you do eight, 16 hours a day?” 

Keyes also said that companies must evaluate how they hire employees to make sure the process is equitable and equal. But it’s more than just hitting certain target numbers, she said.

“I want to stress it should not be a numbers game. It’s more so how organizations are reaching those numbers and making sure team members feel comfortable in the workplace,” she said. 

The panelists all said that making mistakes and taking risks leads to growth and is an essential part of career development. It’s important to look ahead and be proactive, Keyes said. 

Fontenelli especially emphasized the importance of being happy in the workplace as being an indicator of success. 

“When people are happy doing what they’re doing, and they enjoy being with the people they work with, they’re more productive. They are more innovative and collaborative,” she said.

Published on March 30, 2021 at 11:10 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu