“Opening Belle” author talks about life for working mothers on Wall Street

Global Business

Maureen Sherry

The financial sector is an industry that’s never been considered very female-friendly. The so-called glass ceiling phenomenon is certainly ever-present. 

While women make up more than 40 percent of the entire labor force at S & P 500 companies, just four percent of them are CEO’s.  women in financial sector

That’s only 20 positions and down from 24 last year. Just over a quarter of senior executives or managers are women. But not all of the news is totally bleak. Women now hold 20 percent of the board seats at the largest companies. That’s up from 15 percent a decade ago.

Karina Huber recently interviewed a woman who knows firsthand about the male-dominated culture on Wall Street.

Maureen Sherry, a former Managing Director at Bear Stearns for 12 years, has just released a tell-all book of what life is like for working mothers on Wall Street.  Its title is “Opening Belle” and it is fictional but much of it is inspired by Sherry’s life and the experiences of her female colleagues.   

Karina sat down with Sherry recently and began by asking her what the environment was like for her shortly after returning to work after becoming a first time mother.
Follow Karina Huber on Twitter @kkat31

 

One More Question for Maureen Sherry

Karina Huber asked Maureen how she feels about Reese Witherspoon playing her lead character’s role in the film adaptation of “Opening Belle.”