TCNJ

34 The College of New Jersey Magazine S andra Bolton '90 has had what many would consider a fantastic career in finance, working at top companies and as a managing director at an asset manage- ment firm in Philadelphia. But as a woman in an industry dominated by men, the road has not always been easy. In one of her first jobs out of college, where she was the only woman on an equity trading desk in New York City, her boss regularly asked her to file papers, as her male colleagues made crude, sexist comments. In another job, the head of her division made it known that he did not like the women who worked for him to wear pants. But the memory that stands out as a caution- ary tale happened when Bolton was a young mother. Another working mother in the office shifted her hours to part time, becoming the first senior vice president to be granted that option. Bolton and other female colleagues were thrilled that one of their own had found a way to balance motherhood with a career in finance. Bolton, who had just had her second child, wondered if maybe she could also scale back her hours. But on the next round of layoffs, the young mother was the first one out the door. "We all said, 'So that's what happens when you go part time.' That was a lesson for every woman that was also a senior vice president at that firm," says Bolton, who is now the chief integration officer at FS Investments in Philadelphia. Against the odds, these alumnae made it to the top of their field. Now they're making it easier for those on their heels. Words Ronda Kaysen Pictures Bill Cardoni Financial gains Facing page: Sandra Bolton, chief integration officer, FS Investments

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