|
By Michael Reardon
One of the first qualities you notice about Donna Winn ’76 is her sense of humor. Asked to describe the most valuable lesson she learned at Holy Cross, she answers with a laugh, “The ability to think and question—but probably a lot of people I work with wish I hadn’t learned that.”
Winn is president and chief executive officer of OFI Private Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. She is a highly influential and accomplished woman in the predominantly male world of finance and investing. And, as a member of the first class of women to enter Holy Cross, Winn learned to lead and succeed in a male dominated culture.
In her position at OFI Private Investments, Inc., she is responsible for separately managed accounts, registered hedge funds, 529 college savings plans, charitable giving services and, also, for creating investment products and packages that cater to the affluent market.
Despite her ability to laugh at herself, Winn and her company were put to the most extreme test as a result of the worst terrorist attack in history on American soil.
On Sept. 11, 2001, she and her colleagues were in the South Tower when planes flown by terrorists slammed into the World Trade Center. OppenheimerFunds occupied five floors of the building—luckily all 600 employees escaped and survived the attack.
Looking back Winn believes that “most of the people at Oppenheimer were in shock for 18 months. It was very traumatic. People had post-traumatic stress and didn’t know it.” Today, her office overlooks Ground Zero, the site where the World Trade Center and surrounding buildings once stood.
“I see it every day,” she says. “Even now the area has not recovered.”
Although all OppenheimerFunds employees survived, a number of Winn’s friends and neighbors died that day, including her son’s basketball coach.
“It makes you realize that life can end at any minute,” she says. “You can’t always live for the future. You have to enjoy the moment.”
But, as part of her job, Winn spends a significant amount of time giving seminars to women on planning for the future through investing. A leading voice for getting women involved in financial planning, she is writing a book on the subject.
Although women control most of the wealth in the United States through household budgeting, Winn notes that only about 40 percent participate on the investment side. She emphasizes that, since women traditionally live longer than men, they need to take more risk through investing to ensure long-term financial security.
“A 50-year-old woman has a good chance of living to be 90 years old,” Winn says. “Most women live 10-15 years longer than men. They have to plan for that.”
Before joining OppenheimerFunds in 1999, Winn worked 22 years at Merrill Lynch in a number of sales and marketing positions; her responsibilities included product management of CMA and retirement plans.
Originally a chemistry and premed student at Holy Cross, Winn graduated with a degree in economics. She and her husband, Alexander Marasco ’74, met each other their third week on campus—and have been together for 34 years. The couple was married 28 years ago on April Fools’ Day in the St. Joseph Memorial Chapel.
Winn decided to attend Holy Cross because the College was ranked sixth best in the country for its premed program. She also wanted to be close to her home in Methuen, Mass.
An incoming member of the Holy Cross Board of Trustees, Winn is on the Executive Committee of the Holy Cross Club of New York. As a Trustee, she hopes to work on a number of initiatives to improve the College.
Recently named to the national board of directors of the Women’s Presidents’ Organization, she is also a member of the Better Business Bureau Charitable Foundation Board and the Marketing Committee of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Q&A:
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I love to knit and make jewelry.
What do you do in your spare time?
I’m writing a book on women and investing. I’m a few chapters into it. After giving all of these talks on the subject, I felt there was a place for it.
What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
My children. Alex is studying business. He loves the stock market. Steven would like to become a famous chef or coach a professional sports team.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My mother. She didn’t go to college. She worked at the Eagle-Tribune newspaper in Lawrence, Mass. When they found out she was pregnant, she was fired from her job. She inspired us not to be afraid to go out and do what we wanted to do with our lives.
Stats:
- Birthplace and Date: Methuen, Mass., on Oct. 31, 1954
- Current Home: Larchmont, N.Y.
- Family: Husband, Alexander Marasco ’74; sons, Alexander, 19, and Steven, 15
- Profession: President and chief executive officer of OFI Private Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
|
