Name: Laurie Jean Shapiro Company: Meridian Capital Group LLC Year with company/firm: 5 Years in field: 30 Address: One Battery Park, New York, NY 10004 Telephone: 917-363-0177 Email: [email protected] Responsibilities include: Origination and placement of debt requests from investors with financial institutions. Real estate organizations/affiliations: YMWREA, WX, Cornell Real Estate Council. Other involvement with Joans Legacy, Hebrew Home for the Aged Professionally, where were you ten years ago and where are you now? I used to be a real estate loan officer at Republic National Bank of NY/HSBC, and used this background as a springboard for finance and brokerage. What single event, professional or personal, has most significantly impacted your career? My career at FGH where I researched all property date/analysis of cash flow and wrote all investment memorandums to Foreign Aegon Board for Approval. What was the best decision that you made in the last year? To make it a point of getting to know as many bankers personally so my loan requests are given priority. What award or recognition has been the most meaningful to you and why? I could say my tennis awards, but professionally, when deals get placed. How do you stay ahead of the curve? I read journals and stay in touch with clients, whether or not they are active in the market. Who has been the strongest influence on your career and why? Many of my prior bosses at FGH and Republic. There is some truth to "no pain-no gain!" What impact has social networking had on your success? It's given me the ability to connect with people on an easier level. How has the need to create a more sustainable environment influenced the way you do business? Impacted the building or green properties. What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today? Many: Always being the first at every job - first real estate paralegal, first loan officer all male company - First...First! What advice would you give to a woman just starting a career in your field? Develop critical relationships with other people in the industry. Never burn any bridges since you don't know where you will be working tomorrow. Stay abreast of your career. Never get lazy. Treat every person with respect and dignity and, finally, do as much for yourself as possible. Don't rely on secondhand information or work.