During a panel discussion at the 2021 IR Symposium presented in partnership with the New York Stock Exchange, three CFOs from REITs representing the residential, office, retail, and industrial sectors were asked about their experience moving up the corporate ladder and their transition from IRO to the C-suite.
These three executives were asked: “What advice would you give to rising professionals who want to continue to succeed and grow in your (CFO) role?”
Barbara Pak, EVP, CFO, Essex Property Trust
“When I look back to when I was young professional, just starting out in my career, something that was very helpful was that I was a sponge when I was in meetings. I didn’t know what was going on a lot of the time and I didn’t understand the full context of the conversations, but I tried to absorb as much as I could and try to piece things together later on. Those pieces of conversation will all fit together later on, and as you gain a deeper knowledge, you’ll understand more about what people are talking about. These conversations help younger professions grow their career and piece different aspects of their company together.”
Michelle Ngo, SVP, CFO & Treasurer, Kilroy Realty Corporation
“It’s all about paying your dues, and when I say that I mean learning the business in great detail. Learning the nuts and bolts of the business, knowing the details of the business from a top-down perspective and from a bottom-up perspective. Keeping those two aspects in mind as you continue to learn will really help you to figure out what you like and what you don’t like, and as you continue to build your skill set, you’ll really get a sense for where you want to gravitate.”
Laura Clark, CFO, Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc.
“One of the keys to my success in my career has been asking for feedback. Asking everybody around me - asking those above me, asking my peers, asking those below me - for real time feedback. Jump out of a meeting and ask “How did that go? How can I do better?” We can’t get better without that feedback, but most people won’t give you that real time feedback without you asking. So be proactive and ask for it.”