179. Clare Scherrer, Investment Banker, CFO, Public Board Director

Show Notes Clare Scherrer outlines her career journey in three main chapters: 25 years at Goldman Sachs in Investment Banking, a number of years as a public company Chief Financial Officer, and her current role as a director on two public company boards of directors. Clare also shares her life immediately post-graduation, including getting married and completing McKinsey's Business Analyst program in New York City. Love at First Blind Date Clare recounts her initial post Harvard plan to join the Foreign Service and how a blind date led to her getting engaged and pivoting her career path. She describes the decisive nature of her engagement and how it shaped her life and career.   McKinsey, HBS, & the Pivot to Investment Banking Clare reflects on her years at McKinsey, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and learning from her engagement managers. She also explains how her experience at McKinsey influenced her pivot to investment banking during her time at Harvard Business School. Relationship Building in Investment Banking Clare details her summer internship at Goldman Sachs and how it led to a 25-year career at the firm. She highlights the various roles she held at Goldman Sachs, including managing client relationships, co-leading a global team, and co-chairing the IPO committee.  Clare discusses the skills that contributed to her success, including work ethic, critical thinking, and building trust. She emphasizes the importance of running toward problems and the value of trust in client and colleague relationships. Clare shares her approach to communication, stressing the need for over-communication and the importance of truly understanding how critical business decisions are influenced and taken.   Becoming CFO of Smiths Group Clare recounts how a long time client approached her about the opportunity to become the CFO of Smiths Group, a global engineering company. She initially hesitated but was encouraged by her husband to embrace the opportunity. Clare describes the company's products and services when she was CFO; including energy efficiency, safety, and connectivity solutions. She highlights how much she valued the experience of being both the CFO and a board member, which gave her a deeper understanding of the importance of public company governance. Pursuing a Portfolio of Board Directorships Clare explains her decision to pursue a portfolio of board directorships after her tenure as CFO.  She currently serves on the boards of Legrand, a leading electrical and digital infrastructure company; and Shell, an integrated energy company. Clare also discusses that she sets aside some time to coach next generation finance executives in the US, drawing parallels to her experience developing talent at Goldman Sachs. She emphasizes the importance of developing and retaining talent, even outside of a full-time executive role. Returning to the U.S. Clare describes her typical work week, including the imperative to stay current on relevant financial markets, industry, and company developments. She also shares her current plans to move back to the U.S. after 15 years in London. Clare also reflects on the importance of consciously investing in personal growth and adopting habits that challenge as well as encourage reflection.   Harvard Reflections Clare recalls her most challenging course at Harvard, which was Russian, and how rewarding the class and learning process was, despite it not being directly linked to her career pursuits after Harvard. Clare also shares how energizing she finds her weekly tennis match. She encourages others to find a pursuit outside of work that is energizing and allows you to laugh at yourself and with others. Timestamps: 04:02: First Date and Early Career Decisions 07:03: McKinsey, HBS, & the Pivot to Investment Banking 13:38: Relationship Building in Investment Banking 19:39: Transition to CFO Role 26:06: Board Membership and Coaching 28:45: Personal Growth 36:25: Most Memorable Course and Personal Interests Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-scherrer-651396b1/   *AI generated transcript and show notes.