Security and Defense Studies Review 2010 Fall ... - Offnews.info

assignment on the U.S. Secretary of State’s staff in Washington, D.C. This is just one example inwhich adequate preparation and exceptional performance allowed me to overcome gender barriers,outshine my male and more senior colleagues, and coin a reputation as a promising U.S. ForeignService officer.Professional Networks and PatronsAs many of us know from personal experience, most recruitment is conducted through professionaland personal networks, and patrons (or mentors) play a significant role our professional development.I have been blessed with several male and female mentors throughout my career and have been adirect beneficiary of this type of networking and recruitment. After eight years in the diplomaticcorps, I took an educational sabbatical to study business and transitioned to a career in internationalbanking in London where I covered financial markets in Europe and the Middle East.Through my affiliation with the Council on Foreign Relations and continued personal relationshipswith my State Department mentors, my private sector career ended prematurely after the September11, 2001 attacks. Thanks to these close ties to senior leaders at the State Department, I returned toU.S. government service in 2002 to contribute my international banking skills (more specifically, myexpertise in off-shore banking activities) to the financial front of the war on terror. I became the StateDepartment’s first Director of Counterterrorism Finance Programs.This was a rather challenging assignment, as I was the only female policymaker leading these newefforts with intelligence and law enforcement officers, who had reservations about my credentials anddoubted the effectiveness of “following the money trail” in counterterrorism operations. Throughspecific case studies and an active public outreach program to the private sector, think tanks (likethe Council on Foreign Relations,) universities, and professional associations in the banking sector,I became a recognized expert on counterterrorism finance issues and created a culture of trust andconfidence within our team. Under my leadership, the U.S. delivered training and technical assistanceto over 20 countries across four continents, training over 1800 foreign counterparts, and our teamreceived an “A-” from the 9/11 Commission for our efforts to combat terrorist financing in 2005.The professional networks I cultivated with partner nations, U.S. interagency counterparts, theprivate sector, and academia were vital to the success of our programs and in raising awareness of theimportance of safeguarding the financial markets from terrorist financiers. Without my patrons andprofessional networks, this extraordinary professional opportunity in the field of counterterrorismwould not have been possible.In the course of my career in international security, I have encountered professional challengesdue to my gender but have surmounted them thanks to the four p’s of preparation, performance,professional networks, and patrons. While statistics indicate that women are still under-representedin the top leadership ranks across all disciplines including the field of international security, I believethat trailblazers like my mentors, including former Secretary of State Rice, and former President ofChile Michele Bachelet, now the first Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General for of UNWomen, have laid the groundwork for progress towards gender equality in the near future.Irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, or creed, we should strive to provide promising professionalsthe adequate access to opportunities to perform and excel in the field of international security.164Security and Defense Studies Review 2010 Fall-Winter Issue / Edicíón Otoño-Invierno 2010 / Edicão Outono-Inverno 2010 / Volume 11