Company and Executive Women Worth Watching ® 2013 Award Winner
Kelly McNamara
Discover Financial Services
Corley “A college education is an investment in YOURSELF. College provides more than just a superior education.” › What college courses do you suggest for aspiring leaders? American political thought ›
Is there an educator who had a profound impact on your career and/or life? If so, what did they do to motivate you? The Dean of Women at USC, Joan Schaeffer, supported me in all I wanted to do at USC. She taught me about the power of women helping women succeed.
› How do you balance career and lifestyle/home responsibilities? When I leave the office, I try to do my best not to be distracted by my email inbox but rather to focus on my family. We take great vacations together that also help us reconnect as a family. I never miss a soccer game or singing performance of my daughter’s.
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BELIEVE THAT BEING A LEADER IS MORE THAN A TITLE. IT’S SOMEONE WHO IS FAIR, COMMITTED, AND COMPASSIONATE. My job goes beyond just being responsible for the company’s legal and regulatory matters. It’s important to me to always put customers first by protecting consumers’ rights, being a responsible lender, and fostering fair standards and policies within the financial industry. And throughout my career, my education is the one thing that has affected everything I do. A college education is an investment in yourself. College provides more than just a superior education. It’s a chance to learn new skills and find new opportunities. As a political science major at USC, I learned to respect opposing perspectives and think analytically under pressure, things that I relied upon later in my career while leading the effort on a landmark lawsuit, which resulted in one of the largest antitrust settlements in history. I believe in the importance of advancing your education and helping employees achieve additional education. I started my career 30 years ago right after college, as an intern with the company. Through the company’s tuition reimbursement program I was able to pursue a law degree in the evening while also working full time. I have tried to encourage my employees to continue their education and provide the flexibility they require to do so. The law department recently partnered with a national nonprofit organization that promotes education for low-income students, with the end goal of acceptance into four-year colleges. Part of our sponsorship allows us to host students from a local high school at our offices. The opportunity provides these students with hands-on work experience that further promotes the benefits of an education. Even with the rising costs of tuition, a college education still remains one of the best investments a person can make. It’s key to new opportunities, fundamental to reaching your goals, and most importantly, an investment in yourself.
September/October 2012
HEADQUARTERS:
Riverwoods, Illinois WEBSITE:
www.discoverfinancial.com BUSINESS:
Financial services REVENUES:
7.1 billion EMPLOYEES:
11,650 TITLE:
Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary EDUCATION: BA, University of
Southern California; JD, George Mason University FIRST JOB:
Government affairs and regulatory policy MY PHILOSOPHY:
Dream big. FAMILY: Husband, Monty
and daughter, Caroline
WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM
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