Robin Peppe Sterneck spent a good portion of her career at General Electric during the Jack Welch era and considerable time at Lehman Brothers. She shared her career experiences with EMBA class 44 during their recent Leadership Residency.

Sterneck opened with the age-old question: Are leaders born or are they developed? In truth, it’s a little bit of both, says Sterneck. She shared her path to leadership spanning 30 years in financial services and the importance of observing role models she found worthy of emulating.

Important lessons Sterneck discussed with the EMBA students include:

• Leading is not about the leader but about the people he or she leads. Focusing on the team is the first step.
• To achieve a leadership position in an organization, find leaders you respect and mimic what you like about them.
• You must positively differentiate yourself amongst your peers.

 About Robin Peppe Sterneck

Robin Sterneck has spent her 30-year career in financial services and business leadership. During her time in Investment Banking at Lehman Brothers in New York she focused on the Capital Markets and Municipal Finance areas, ultimately running the Health and Education Public Finance Department.

Robin then served on several leadership teams at GE including national and global roles in pricing, actuarial, marketing and talent development in addition to leading the $1Billion Commercial Insurance business portfolio and division. In 2006 Robin joined Swiss Re’s Global Management Team as part of their acquisition of GE Insurance.

Robin is currently a member of the Sterneck Capital Management team, an individual investment advisory firm based in Kansas City. She serves on three corporate boards and is a Vice Chair on the JCC Board. Recently she has served on the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, WIN for KC/KC Sports Commission, and Pembroke Hill School Boards. She has been recognized professionally in the “Women Who Mean Business” feature of The KC Business Journal, as a “People to Watch in Insurance” by Insurance Magazine and the “Mentor of the Year” by the Central Exchange.

Robin loves spending time with family, traveling and working out.

Pictured above: Professor Hillary Sale, Robin Peppe Sterneck and Professor Stuart Bunderson