Yesterday, students filed into Leadership Hall to hear a talk given by Marcia Silverman, a significant figure in public relations today.
Silverman, who is the President of the Americas at Ogilvy Public Relations in Washington, D.C., spoke to a packed house of about 50 people yesterday as part of the Fox Leadership Program's Lessons in Leadership Series.
Silverman offered a lot of wisdom and a little bit of humor about the value of a liberal arts education and the total "baloney" of stereotypes regarding women leaders.
"I'm not a role model -- don't follow me, at least not for planning a career," she said, referring to the words of former basketball star Charles Barkley.
School of Arts and Sciences Vice Dean for External Affairs Jean-Marie Kneeley introduced Silverman as "one of the most influential women in PR."
Silverman completed both her undergraduate and graduate work at Penn, concentrating on political science. Before working at Ogilvy, she worked in public relations for a national labor union and a New York-based advertising agency.
Among Silverman's numerous honors is her recognition as one of the three most influential women in public relations by the Washington Women in Public Relations Organization.
Organizers of yesterday's event said that they believed Silverman had a lot to share with the Penn community.
"We were impressed with her resume, and she had a lot of experience to share with students," said Chuck Brutsche, associate director of the Fox Leadership Program.
Silverman began her talk modestly, speaking about her three passions -- her family, career at Ogilvy and Penn.
"I am not one of the most important PR people of the 20th century," she said. "I work to live more than live to work, but I have really enjoyed my career."
Silverman said she took advantage of her time at Penn and values her liberal arts education, especially in her leadership role. She spoke of the need for more women leaders, noting that out of the top 500 companies in the nation, only four have women as chief executive officers.
But despite those figures, Silverman remains optimistic.
"Women are making great strides," she said.
Silverman also touched upon the stereotypes that exist toward women in leadership.
"Gender stereotypes are just that -- stereotypes," she said.
Referring to an opinion survey about women leaders, she discussed how many respondents thought women lacked the toughness needed to be a CEO. Silverman dispelled this notion and chuckled, "I bet no one would say that about your president."
Silverman ended her talk by explaining her theory on life.
"Each of you must make your own individual choices [and] find meaning in your work and in your life," she told the mostly female audience.
"My one career regret is that I didn't start my own business," she added.
While many audience members said they wanted to learn about tips for breaking into the public relations industry, Silverman said her own path was by chance and that public relations was "an accidental career." She did stress, however, that intuition and long-term vision have been key attributes in reaching her goals.
Most audience members said that they enjoyed Silverman's talk.
"I might be interested in marketing and PR, and I think it's interesting to hear from women who are very successful in the business world," College senior Jenny Hartman said
"In the PR industry, she's one of the most influential people, and there's no better place to learn than from the source," Wharton senior Guy Margalith added.
