For Division Cabinet Chair-elect

PAM ROLLO

Director, Information Resources for Credit Suisse First Boston, New York, NY, (2000 to present).

SLA Member Since: 1986

Past Employment: Vice President, Library for the Americas, Assistant Vice President, Reference Manager/Records, Reference Manager, Reference Librarian with Credit Suisse First Boston, (1986-1999); Director of Research with Fleming Associates, Miami FL, (1984-1985); Branch Director, Assistant Branch Director, Reference Librarian with Harris County Public Library System, (1981-1984); Indexer, Humanities Index, HW Wilson, Bronx, NY, (1978-1980).

Education: MLS, Columbia University, New York, NY, (1978); BA, History, Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY, (1976)

SLA Chapter Activities: New York Chapter: Member, (1986-present); New York Chapter: Business and Finance Division Chair, (1994-1995).

SLA Division Activities: Business and Finance Division: Chair Nomination Committee, (2001); Global 2000­B&F Program Planner; Past Chair, (2000); Chair, (1999); Chair- elect, Conference Program Planner (1998); Roundtable Coordinator, (1995).

SLA Association Level Activities: Strategic Planning Committee, (1998-2000).

Other Professional Activities: Member Conference Board, Information Services Advisory Council.

Awards and Honors: Primark Award, Business and Finance, (2000).

Publications/Presentations: Conference Presenter, (1992-1999); European Business Information Conference (EBIC), (2000); North American Business Information Conference (NABIC), (2000); North American Business Information Conference, (1999); "Vendor Relationship Roundtable;" European Business Conference (EBIC), (1998); "Valuing Information;" North American Business Information Conference (NABIC), (1997); "Benefit Analysis of Online Services Delivered to Desktop;" North American Business Information Conference (NABIC), (1996); "Distributed Desktop Resources Workshop." SLA Conference Presenter, New York Chapter Business and Finance Division Presenter, National Online.

What are the key qualities of leadership? Give an example of how you exemplify these qualities.

Leadership is that relentless energy, which searches for what is best. It is enthusiastic and encouraging. It is tough, competitive, and fair. Leadership is unselfish. Leaders communicate. They instill self-confidence and engender trust. They make hard decisions and they confront difficult situations.

Most people associate leadership with big vision and strategic initiatives, but leaders lead from the middle, or any place else they find themselves in the hierarchy. I had the privilege to test some of these skills by flying every other week for most of 2001 to work with our London team. I congratulate our New York team for did a great job keeping our business flourishing.

The London team needed to rebuild its practice as many senior staff had left the group due to major changes within the firm. Both morale and performance were at risk. Together we plotted and experimented to determine what was our team best. We recruited new people, changed the tone, and the mix of skills. I think the team is doing very well, but the proof of the effort is that they and their clients think so too.

What was your greatest disappointment in life? How has this disappointment made you a better leader?

I would say that a great disappointment has been that in the corporate arena, the services that we provide to our corporate clients are always under review and are often not assumed to be pivotal to the success of a corporation. We probably do a lot more "proving" than other professional services within a firm.

That being said, this state of review has toughened my reserve. When one's very existence is under discussion, then one designs new ways to demonstrate value. We risk new services and shoulder market constraints. In an entrepreneurial business, there is no such thing as the mantle of a mandate. We define our work and seize ownership. The opportunity to help about 25,000 people make a better business decision every day is just too good to miss.

When you talk to other information professionals, what do you say about SLA? Do you say the same things to people who are not in the information profession?

When addressing my colleagues, I simply say that everyone interested in pursuing the profession should join the association because of the sheer talent of the membership. This is an organization whose members mentor and share quite like no other. I also say that the association can and should be more of an advocate for its membership and that as members we should do more to that effect.

I usually don't have to praise the association to my colleagues at my firm too enthusiasticallythey simply envy me for it. My colleagues at SLA have provided me with a wonderful avenue through which to introduce my work colleagues to their counterparts at other firms. The association always speaks best through its members.