Stories
Stories
A Wall Street Pioneer Comes Home
Topics: Philanthropy-VolunteeringSociety-Social IssuesFinance-Investment“I went in [to HBS] with no preconceptions of what it would be like, except there would be mostly men and a few women,” says Lynne Sherwood (MBA 1965), one of the first of eight women admitted to the full-time MBA program in a class of 668 students. “I didn’t want to be singled out. I just wanted to be another person, getting an education.”
Sherwood did just that, following through on her goal of landing a job on Wall Street by applying to various firms in her second year at HBS. She eventually landed a position at Goldman Sachs, where she worked for 35 years as a securities analyst, vice president and associate director of research, and consultant on special projects. “When we called on corporate clients, people were sometimes astounded to discover I was a woman,” she recalls. “But as long as I could perform and show I knew what I was talking about, everything was fine.”
After returning to her hometown of Grand Haven, Michigan, in 1996 to care for two family members, Sherwood continued to consult for Goldman Sachs while serving on the board of JSJ Corporation, a durable goods manufacturing company cofounded by her grandfather. Fully retired from Goldman since 2000, she continues to serve as JSJ’s vice chairman of the board in addition to overseeing a family foundation fund and volunteering in community organizations.
“I knew I wanted to come back to this area at some point,” she says. “One of my aims was to give back to the community where I grew up, and nonprofits are always looking for people with a strong business background.”
(Published August 2015)
Support the next generation of leaders Make a gift nowPost a Comment
Related Stories
-
- 19 May 2022
- Skydeck
Leading to Salvation
Re: Bob Ryan (MBA 1970) -
- 07 Sep 2021
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
New HBS Fund Chairs Take the Helm
Re: Tom Nelson (MBA 1988); Anna Nelson (MBA 1988); Ashley Garrett (MBA 1987); AJ Jones (MBA 1987) -
- 29 Apr 2019
- Making A Difference
A Global Mission
Re: Art DeFehr (MBA 1967) -
- 31 Jan 2019
- HBS Alumni News
A Global Mission
Re: Art DeFehr (MBA 1967); By: April White