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| Suzanne Yoon |
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How did you get involved in TMA?
I joined in the late 1990s when I worked at ABN AMRO/LaSalle Bank. My boss was a member and encouraged me to join the organization as TMA was the only organization within the investor and credit community that was focused on distressed/special situations. Early in my career, I was attracted to the opportunity to network with industry leaders and gain more experience through focused educational content. TMA was the first professional organization I joined and I have been a member consistently since joining almost 20 years ago.
Hot topics in our community are: Leading Change, Successes and Failures, Mentorship/Sponsorship and Earning the Role. Have you had any experiences in any of these areas that made a strong impact on you?
It is important to "earn your role" not only with technical expertise, but to demonstrate an ability to create revenue and influence amongst your peers. Professionals and leaders create their own destinies when you have the right combination of client relationships, internal support and exceptional technical skills.
Mentorship and having strong sponsors are also very important to development within any organization. Throughout my career, I had several mentors and sponsors, both male and female. As my career developed, I sought out more female leaders to be part of my personal "advisory board". I believe in having multiple mentors as they bring a broad range of suggestions derived from different experiences. My advice to women who are looking for mentorship is create a role for yourself, think of who you want as advisors and seek them out. Do not wait for advisors to come to you.
In your opinion, what's the most exciting/interesting trend or event happening in the turnaround and restructuring industry?
The turnaround industry has always been at the forefront of creative investing and I believe the pace at which technology is changing is a huge opportunity for the turnaround management and investing. It will and has created tremendous opportunities.
A more general trend that I am excited about is the #MeToo movement... Women are now feeling empowered to be vocal and strong. #MeToo is a positive development for our business community as it will force people to be more thoughtful about how cultures are created and maintained within companies. I am hopeful that awareness will create more inclusive environments which in turn will attract more women to the financials industry as a whole.
What's the best career advice you've ever received?"
"Experience trumps pure intellect." Told to me when I was a young banker by a very wise CEO.
What would someone who only knows you professionally be surprised to learn about you?
I am an outdoor & sports enthusiast. I try to spend as much time as I can with my boys outside hiking, fishing, golfing, gardening, etc when I'm not working.
