On the Path to the Corner Office: “Earn the Trust of Your Colleagues and Nurture Your Reputation as a Contributor”

Women now yield unprecedented economic and financial clout--making up nearly two-thirds of the U.S. work force and frequently out-earning their spouses. Yet they have traditionally been underrepresented in the corner office.

In honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month in the U.S., BNY Mellon's executives share lessons from their personal leadership journey. These dedicated leader-coaches are a reflection of why BNY Mellon has become the Investments Company for the World.

Lisa Peters, BNY Mellon’s Chief Human Resources Officer, with her top five career tips:

1. Build your professional network and earn the trust of your colleagues.
    
2. Nurture your reputation as a valued contributor.
    
3. Be a continuous learner to broaden your knowledge and skills.
    
4. Seek mentors throughout your career, both on a formal and informal basis.
    
5. Develop your successor(s) so they can assume your role if you transition to a new one. This can be threatening to some, but don't be short-sighted. Not having a viable successor may inhibit your own career growth.

Lisa Peters is a Senior Executive Vice President of BNY Mellon and the company's Chief Human Resources Officer. She is also a member of the company's Executive Committee, the organization's most senior management body, which oversees day-to-day operations.

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Ms. Peters is responsible for all Human Resources policies and practices supporting the company's more than 51,000 world-wide employees, including leading the effort to attract and retain key talent. She held the same position at Mellon Financial Corporation prior to its July 2007 merger with The Bank of New York Company, Inc.

Ms. Peters joined the company in 1982, and advanced through a variety of management positions in several functional areas, including human resources, legal and corporate affairs, special banking services, and retail risk management and compliance. In 1999, Ms. Peters was appointed special assistant to the chairman, whom she directly supported on complex and diverse issues affecting the corporation and its businesses. Her scope of activity included comprehensive business planning and analysis, assessment of the business environment and potential risks, evaluation of internal control processes and strategic issue identification.

Ms. Peters began her career as a consultant and account representative with Comshare, Inc. (now Extensity), where she consulted with Human Resources directors of Fortune 500 companies on state-of-the-art products in the emerging field of relational data management.

A summa cum laude graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ms. Peters holds bachelor's degrees in business management and psychology. She is a member of The Conference Board's advisory council on human resources management, the Alpha Group of Human Resources Executives, the Pittsburgh Human Resources Executive HR Council and the Executive Women's Group of Pittsburgh. As the executive chair, she led BNY Mellon's participation in the 2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in New York City. In 2008, Ms. Peters was honored by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as its Human Capital Business Leader of the Year, and was named a 2009 Women of Excellence and Achievement honoree by the United Way of New York City Women United in Philanthropy. Additionally, she was recently named an HR Leader of the Year by the HR Leadership Forum and The Pittsburgh Business Times. In 2011, Ms. Peters was appointed chair of the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania.