Mary Jane Fortin is proof that success comes from calculated risk-taking. The 47-year-old CFO of AIG’s SunAmerica Financial Group, led her firm through the recession and media maelstroms.
(Click here to read her exclusive profile!)
The Wharton MBA graduate was once confused about moving jobs and cities, as a single parent with a nine-year-old. Six years after taking that risk, she’s one of the top female executives in the history of the insurance multinational, with $265 billion in assets under management.
Here, she talks to Little PINK Book about risk-taking, how Venice, Italy can inspire your business, and the real solution to work-life balance.
Little PINK Book: What’s your success secret?
Mary Jane Fortin: Great mentors, working for good leaders who supported my growth, and taking calculated risks. I was willing to take risks by analyzing: “What is the worst that could happen, what would be my plan?” That then gave me the confidence to go forward.
LPB: What’s the biggest obstacle faced by women in the workplace?
MJF: The courage and confidence to say, “I can’t be here for this meeting because I need to do X.” We can be successful, professionally, while managing work-life demands. I continue to go through this every day. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We have to let go of the guilt, and not be perfectionists on everything.
By Ruchika Tulshyan
“Feedback is hard – we don’t always like what we hear. But perception is reality.”
Mary Jane Fortin
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