Why Everyone Should Value the Power of Mentorship

Ten Thousand Coffees Team -
March 14, 2023

Habibe “Bibi” Rubio wears many hats. A mentor. A mother. An expert in international taxation. But most all, the senior executive is a trusted leader whose career has been shaped by mentorship. Through sponsorship and allyship with women in the financial sector, Rubio’s career path has been defined by helping others. She is an active member of the ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America) community and a mentor for the ALPFA Connect. Rubio spoke to 10KC about her early mentorship experiences that led to landing a job in finance, how she navigated microaggressions throughout her career, the need for diversity in corporate America, and the unparalleled  benefits of mentorship in the workplace. 

10KC: Tell us about yourself and the organizations that you're currently involved in.

Rubio: I started my career 20 years ago. I'm a graduate of Baruch College, and an alumnus of Northeastern University, with my master's degree in taxation. I've been in taxation for 20+ years. I’ve always worked in the financial industry, with a focus on international taxation. I started my career in public accounting the banking industry. I do a lot of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) group participation and have volunteered all my life. 

I started with ALPFA as a student at Baruch College I introduced Rosemary Rodriguez and Steven Mendez and brought many other professionals to our Accounting Society meetings. They later launched the student chapter at Baruch College the year after my graduation. I've always been active in different non profit organizations at various levels, including treasury and secretarial roles. I’m a big promoter of ethics and responsibility very early in my career I educated myself in corporate governance. I believe the best way to expand your knowledge and your network is to be involved in external organizations. I’m a member of the New York State Society of CPAs, AICPA, and the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, where I run the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) working group which includes DEI initiatives. The banking and FinTech industries are moving toward a generational change. I want to make sure that our voices are heard.

10KC: What drives your passion to support diverse talent?

Rubio: The lack of seeing anyone at my level, and the experiences I've been through. Being a woman of colour in tax, an immigrant and a single mother you hardly come across someone that looks like me in the room. I've managed to break through those ceilings by making myself an equal despite my differences, my uniqueness is my superpower. A good education will help you earn the respect needed in your profession. Once you earn that respect, you’re forever on the same playing field.

Despite having earned my spot I’ve unfortunately experienced and continue to experience and witness microaggressions both towards myself and others. Here are some examples of microaggressions I’ve experienced. I was once told because I'm a mother of three that I couldn't be in the Big Four. I had professors tell me, ‘You’re such a great socializer and networker. You would be great at marketing and sales.’ If I walked into the room, I was never the one respected, or asked if I was part of the team. I was asked if I was there for coffee. Some people are blind about their actions until they learn that it is a microaggression. I have a granddaughter and I wouldn't want her to go through what I went through, that drives me.

I remember a student coming up to me during an ALPFA conference, she was a single mom. She said, ‘You know, you're the first single mom I've met in public accounting. She didn't think the Big Four would hire her, we had some similarities. I told her, ‘No, don't think that way.’ When your experiences have that effect on others, you help them realize that it’s possible to make it. I hope I'm giving someone the confidence to be able to say, ‘Okay, if she did it, and she made it, maybe it's possible for me.’ There has been some change in the industry, but I won’t be happy until I see 5% of Fortune 500 companies with 5% of us at C-level positions.

10KC: How has mentorship impacted your career journey? 
Rubio
: There is a point in your career that you plateau, and you must switch from a mentor to a sponsor. At the beginning of your career, you're so naïve. We are not taught how business works in schools, or how to function in business. You’re just thrown into the fire. Most of the time you’ll burn out and move on. My mentors changed over time. For the first five years of my career, I had a great mentor who started with me from college. Eventually, you'll need to switch to a sponsor if you want to continue moving up. You need a person who has the power to make sure you continue in your career journey.

I felt that I needed someone to show me the ropes. One senior partner took an interest in my career. He did it vocally, in front of this entire committee that I’d been coming to for 10 years. I'd never been seen until that moment. This partner was part of this committee, well respected, and said publicly you should run the committee. He gave me a voice that day. That’s an example of a sponsor making a difference.

10KC: Do you have a highlight or memorable moment from any of your mentor-mentee relationships? 
Rubio: I mentored a woman from Canada whom I’d never met before. She heard me speak at a conference about the difference between a sponsor and a mentor. She reached out through LinkedIn. She had been in her company for several years and had not been promoted. I’d previously attended classes on how to ask for a promotion. I mentored her through the process — this is what I want you to do, this is what I want you to put together. Take an Excel sheet, put together a portfolio of your accomplishments over the last few years, find out what you get paid for, then come to me and show me your pitch. Long story short, she pitched her employer and said she wanted to be a manager. They gave her a senior manager role instead and the equivalent of $25k more. When she thanked me, she called me an angel. She said, ‘Why did you do this for me?’ And I said, ‘Because you're a woman. As long as it made a difference for you. That's all I care about. I want you to take what I taught you and do it for someone else. That's it.’ We stay in contact and catch up yearly.

One negotiation technique a lot of women don't realize is that when you do ask for a raise, stay quiet. Let them think. Women have a habit of continuing to justify what we’re asking for. These are things I learned from watching other women speak in webinars. There's this lady who teaches women how to play poker. Through poker, you learn the techniques of negotiating for your best salary. You need to walk in there with a poker face.

10KC: Many organizations, especially in the current climate, have ambitious DEI targets and mandates about diversity in the workplace. How can companies authentically promote and help diverse talent feel represented? How do you think corporate America could better support and action these DEI targets?

Rubio: I think corporations and everyone in a leadership role need to learn what a microaggression is, and all  of their biases. DEI was very different 20 years ago than what it is today. People tend to forget that 20 years ago, diversity was just about diversity. That’s it. We just wanted to see different people. Now, it’s about equality and equal pay. Companies need to train individuals in upper management and trickle that education down to their managers.

 Accountability is very important to me and something that I push for. You need to train your managers to be better managers, for them to be more perceptive to the differences of individuals. I hope that 30-40 years from now, we're not looking at each other because we're different. We're looking at each other because we're good at what we do. My hope is that we start closing the gap of equal pay and building wealth so that we create a more shareable economical contribution for all.

10KC: Tell us about the ALPFA community and the people you've connected with there.

Rubio: I was President of the Accounting Society at Baruch College, pregnant and interviewing for jobs. I interviewed at seven public accounting firms and all of them said no to me. Everybody on my entire board had a job except me. I cried my eyes out and called Rob Rosario, one of the co-founders of ALPFA. ‘I don't know what I'm doing wrong,’ I said. He was one of my mentors when I was a student. He asked, ‘Are you going to the interviews with the baby bump? I want you to call your contact at one of the Big Four accounting firms and I want you to ask if you can defer your interview. I didn’t think that was possible. He said, ‘You’re the president of the accounting society and The Accounting Society is doing amazing this semester because of your leadership!’ Since I deferred my interview after giving birth, I got the job and my start date wasn't until July. He was right. If it wasn’t for Rob's advice and his guidance, I never would have started my career in a Big Four public accounting firm.

10KC: What advice do you have for people seeking a mentor or a sponsor? 

Rubio: Look around and ensure you don’t niche yourself with the same individuals or the same organizations. I don't think I ever had a female sponsor until my last job. The sponsors at the table might not look like you. Think of building a board of directors with different people for your career progression. Your sponsor can be of any generational background, as long they believe in your work and work ethic. You have to be a good employee at the end of the day. Nobody's going to sponsor you if you have a bad reputation. One of my biggest pieces of advice is: to look for the sponsor that has influence and is most comfortable with speaking up for your career.

Webinar

Why Everyone Should Value the Power of Mentorship

Habibe “Bibi” Rubio wears many hats. A mentor. A mother. An expert in international taxation. But most all, the senior executive is a trusted leader whose career has been shaped by mentorship. Through sponsorship and allyship with women in the financial sector, Rubio’s career path has been defined by helping others. She is an active member of the ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America) community and a mentor for the ALPFA Connect. Rubio spoke to 10KC about her early mentorship experiences that led to landing a job in finance, how she navigated microaggressions throughout her career, the need for diversity in corporate America, and the unparalleled  benefits of mentorship in the workplace. 

10KC: Tell us about yourself and the organizations that you're currently involved in.

Rubio: I started my career 20 years ago. I'm a graduate of Baruch College, and an alumnus of Northeastern University, with my master's degree in taxation. I've been in taxation for 20+ years. I’ve always worked in the financial industry, with a focus on international taxation. I started my career in public accounting the banking industry. I do a lot of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) group participation and have volunteered all my life. 

I started with ALPFA as a student at Baruch College I introduced Rosemary Rodriguez and Steven Mendez and brought many other professionals to our Accounting Society meetings. They later launched the student chapter at Baruch College the year after my graduation. I've always been active in different non profit organizations at various levels, including treasury and secretarial roles. I’m a big promoter of ethics and responsibility very early in my career I educated myself in corporate governance. I believe the best way to expand your knowledge and your network is to be involved in external organizations. I’m a member of the New York State Society of CPAs, AICPA, and the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, where I run the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) working group which includes DEI initiatives. The banking and FinTech industries are moving toward a generational change. I want to make sure that our voices are heard.

10KC: What drives your passion to support diverse talent?

Rubio: The lack of seeing anyone at my level, and the experiences I've been through. Being a woman of colour in tax, an immigrant and a single mother you hardly come across someone that looks like me in the room. I've managed to break through those ceilings by making myself an equal despite my differences, my uniqueness is my superpower. A good education will help you earn the respect needed in your profession. Once you earn that respect, you’re forever on the same playing field.

Despite having earned my spot I’ve unfortunately experienced and continue to experience and witness microaggressions both towards myself and others. Here are some examples of microaggressions I’ve experienced. I was once told because I'm a mother of three that I couldn't be in the Big Four. I had professors tell me, ‘You’re such a great socializer and networker. You would be great at marketing and sales.’ If I walked into the room, I was never the one respected, or asked if I was part of the team. I was asked if I was there for coffee. Some people are blind about their actions until they learn that it is a microaggression. I have a granddaughter and I wouldn't want her to go through what I went through, that drives me.

I remember a student coming up to me during an ALPFA conference, she was a single mom. She said, ‘You know, you're the first single mom I've met in public accounting. She didn't think the Big Four would hire her, we had some similarities. I told her, ‘No, don't think that way.’ When your experiences have that effect on others, you help them realize that it’s possible to make it. I hope I'm giving someone the confidence to be able to say, ‘Okay, if she did it, and she made it, maybe it's possible for me.’ There has been some change in the industry, but I won’t be happy until I see 5% of Fortune 500 companies with 5% of us at C-level positions.

10KC: How has mentorship impacted your career journey? 
Rubio
: There is a point in your career that you plateau, and you must switch from a mentor to a sponsor. At the beginning of your career, you're so naïve. We are not taught how business works in schools, or how to function in business. You’re just thrown into the fire. Most of the time you’ll burn out and move on. My mentors changed over time. For the first five years of my career, I had a great mentor who started with me from college. Eventually, you'll need to switch to a sponsor if you want to continue moving up. You need a person who has the power to make sure you continue in your career journey.

I felt that I needed someone to show me the ropes. One senior partner took an interest in my career. He did it vocally, in front of this entire committee that I’d been coming to for 10 years. I'd never been seen until that moment. This partner was part of this committee, well respected, and said publicly you should run the committee. He gave me a voice that day. That’s an example of a sponsor making a difference.

10KC: Do you have a highlight or memorable moment from any of your mentor-mentee relationships? 
Rubio: I mentored a woman from Canada whom I’d never met before. She heard me speak at a conference about the difference between a sponsor and a mentor. She reached out through LinkedIn. She had been in her company for several years and had not been promoted. I’d previously attended classes on how to ask for a promotion. I mentored her through the process — this is what I want you to do, this is what I want you to put together. Take an Excel sheet, put together a portfolio of your accomplishments over the last few years, find out what you get paid for, then come to me and show me your pitch. Long story short, she pitched her employer and said she wanted to be a manager. They gave her a senior manager role instead and the equivalent of $25k more. When she thanked me, she called me an angel. She said, ‘Why did you do this for me?’ And I said, ‘Because you're a woman. As long as it made a difference for you. That's all I care about. I want you to take what I taught you and do it for someone else. That's it.’ We stay in contact and catch up yearly.

One negotiation technique a lot of women don't realize is that when you do ask for a raise, stay quiet. Let them think. Women have a habit of continuing to justify what we’re asking for. These are things I learned from watching other women speak in webinars. There's this lady who teaches women how to play poker. Through poker, you learn the techniques of negotiating for your best salary. You need to walk in there with a poker face.

10KC: Many organizations, especially in the current climate, have ambitious DEI targets and mandates about diversity in the workplace. How can companies authentically promote and help diverse talent feel represented? How do you think corporate America could better support and action these DEI targets?

Rubio: I think corporations and everyone in a leadership role need to learn what a microaggression is, and all  of their biases. DEI was very different 20 years ago than what it is today. People tend to forget that 20 years ago, diversity was just about diversity. That’s it. We just wanted to see different people. Now, it’s about equality and equal pay. Companies need to train individuals in upper management and trickle that education down to their managers.

 Accountability is very important to me and something that I push for. You need to train your managers to be better managers, for them to be more perceptive to the differences of individuals. I hope that 30-40 years from now, we're not looking at each other because we're different. We're looking at each other because we're good at what we do. My hope is that we start closing the gap of equal pay and building wealth so that we create a more shareable economical contribution for all.

10KC: Tell us about the ALPFA community and the people you've connected with there.

Rubio: I was President of the Accounting Society at Baruch College, pregnant and interviewing for jobs. I interviewed at seven public accounting firms and all of them said no to me. Everybody on my entire board had a job except me. I cried my eyes out and called Rob Rosario, one of the co-founders of ALPFA. ‘I don't know what I'm doing wrong,’ I said. He was one of my mentors when I was a student. He asked, ‘Are you going to the interviews with the baby bump? I want you to call your contact at one of the Big Four accounting firms and I want you to ask if you can defer your interview. I didn’t think that was possible. He said, ‘You’re the president of the accounting society and The Accounting Society is doing amazing this semester because of your leadership!’ Since I deferred my interview after giving birth, I got the job and my start date wasn't until July. He was right. If it wasn’t for Rob's advice and his guidance, I never would have started my career in a Big Four public accounting firm.

10KC: What advice do you have for people seeking a mentor or a sponsor? 

Rubio: Look around and ensure you don’t niche yourself with the same individuals or the same organizations. I don't think I ever had a female sponsor until my last job. The sponsors at the table might not look like you. Think of building a board of directors with different people for your career progression. Your sponsor can be of any generational background, as long they believe in your work and work ethic. You have to be a good employee at the end of the day. Nobody's going to sponsor you if you have a bad reputation. One of my biggest pieces of advice is: to look for the sponsor that has influence and is most comfortable with speaking up for your career.

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