Sandra Kapell, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Chartis

The Motivator

By Brittani Banks

Sandra Kapell is one of the top women at American International Group, number 17 on the Fortune 500 list with $104 billion in revenue. But her career path has not been easy: one of the challenges she faced early on was a lack of advancement opportunities in smaller companies where she previously worked.

Before AIG, Kapell worked at MetLife as senior vice president of the practice development group. She credits lessons and wisdom learned while working at small entrepreneurial companies with giving her the skills needed to get the MetLife position.

“I felt like I wanted to ‘keep growing’ vertically. But in small companies, the growth isn’t always vertical, and I would get very frustrated,” Kapell tells PINK. Instead of becoming disillusioned, she used the opportunity to grow as an individual. She says the experience “has become one of the guiding principles around how to approach my career.” So what life lesson did Kapell learn?

“I was forced to understand how much you can grow and learn if you just focus on the work,” she says. “I tried very hard not to set sites on a specific title or slot. I want to remain open to however opportunity presents itself in my career.”

She also hopes to have a positive impact on those she works with, and “to make a difference and leave a legacy of fairness and respect for all people.”