In the Public Eye
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Greater transparency on salaries 'will be welcomed' |
Sunday Telegraph - Stella Magazine Alison Downey and Kate Grussing were interviewed as part of an article that appeared in the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine on 30 May 2010. Entitled ‘Many Happy Returners’, the article explores the challenges facing professional women who endeavour to resume their careers after taking time out to have children. Kate’s advice included keeping active and connected even part time. Alison is one of the successful returners profiled. Please click here to read the article. |
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Financial Times Kate Grussing has observed many senior professionals surviving the downturn by moving away from the contracting financial services sector. Some, driven by pragmatism, have moved to work in other sectors or become entrepreneurs, while others have discovered the motivation “to give something back, or do something with more meaning”. Kate sees a silver lining in the fact that “think-tanks and the regulatory world have been able to attract people they might not have been able to in the past”. |
The Observer That is not the only positive spin-off for women, says former investment |
L’Echo Magazine |
Women in Business |
Keep women on board; Too many top females are leaving by Widget Finn |
Fishing In The Talent Pool Kate is interviewed about the incubation and start-up of Sapphire Partners in 2005. She also discusses the impact of the downturn on women and flexible working, the value of investing in childcare in order to stay in the job market, and the need for greater flexibility by employer and employee. |
Home is Where the Office Is: Does flexible working offer a way to survive the recession? Kate Grussing was quoted in an article on FT.com by Alison Maitland on 5 November 2008, looking at why flexible working is a way to survive the imminent recession. As City head hunters are predicting a 20-30% decline in compensation, offering flexible working methods is a low cost way of retaining top talent. A flexible workforce is also easier to expand and contract as the need arises. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c7f0ef5c-aa85-11dd-897c-000077b07658,_i_email=y.html |
BBC Radio 4 Interview, 19 September, 2008 Sapphire Partners MD Kate Grussing took part in a discussion with Gillian Tett, assistant editor of FT, on the BBC Radio 4 programme Women’s Hour, on 19 September 2008. The topic under discussion was ‘If more women were in senior influential positions in the City, would the financial crisis of the past week have been less likely?’ The eight-minute segment can be heard by clicking here. (RealPlayer required)
BBC Essex Radio Interview, 2 September, 2008 |
The Guardian, September 1, 2008 Sapphire Partners was featured in the front page article of The Guardian’s G2 section. The article examines the challenges women face in returning to their careers after taking time off to raise a family. It quotes and pictures Kate Grussing and Alison Downey from Sapphire and one of our candidates, Heather Stork. Helping companies tap this valuable resource of women who have taken career breaks is a small but important part of how Sapphire makes a difference. Click here to read it. |
Click here to watch the programme.
| Quick fixers with lasting value, by Alison Maitland The Financial Times, July 31, 2007 Alison Maitland examines the nature of working at executive level in interim roles. The ability to analyze a situation quickly and come up with a game plan in the first week are key. In addition, dealing with nervous and unresponsive colleagues is a key challenge. Value must be demonstrated through quick successes, which means taking some risks. Managing your exit is also essential, and can start almost as soon as the interim manager arrives. Sapphire Partners candidate Sophie Castell explains, “It’s about transferring knowledge and skills. I see part of my job as making myself ultimately redundant.” |
| FT ‘An economic imperative for banks’ by Joanna Chung The Financial Times, May 19, 2007 Joanna Chung looks at why banks are now holding special events for women returners in response to growing competition in the fast-expanding and rarefied corners of finance, such as credit derivatives and structured finance. She quotes Bill Winters, co-head of JPMorgan’s investment bank as saying, “We reasoned that if we are going to continue to be successful as a firm, we need to reach further and deeper to find talent … and sometimes go beyond the traditional hiring patterns.” Sapphire Partners candidate Betsy Abdallah is quoted as saying, “Bringing women back is good for diversity at banks but have no doubt that first and foremost, it makes commercial sense.” |
| FT Magazine ‘When push comes to shove’ by Alison Maitland The Financial Times, 15 October 2005 This article takes a detailed look at the possibilities for working flexibly given the “macho, long hours culture of investment banking”. There is a “hidden brain drain” taking place that Sapphire Partners co-founder Kate Grussing has decided to capitalise on. With an enviable background in Financial Services including being COO of J.P. Morgan’s European equity business, Grussing decided to step off the corporate ladder and start up her own business. She found her inspiration for the new venture at the gates of her children’s school. “…she got to talking to the other mothers. Among them she found tax lawyers, bankers and accountants, all of whom had given up their jobs.” |