Many women only network when they have time.

Corinna Valentine is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Managing Director at the payment service provider PAYONE. We talk to her about why visibility at work matters and what we can do to increase it.

Since October 2024, Corinna Valentine has been CFO and Managing Director at the payment service provider PAYONE. Previously, she worked for many years at Fidelity International (FIL), most recently as CFO and COO of the German subsidiary. Before that, she held positions at KPMG in Wales and Kleinwort Benson in London. Corinna is also a member of the Fondsfrauen advisory board. We talk to her about why visibility at work is important and what we can do to improve it.

Corinna, today we want to talk about visibility. Do you consider visibility in a professional context important?

From my perspective, there are two angles, especially as a woman. First, it is very important to be visible to other women because of the role model effect. In the financial sector, the share of women is still not where it should be. This makes it even more important for senior women to be visible. The second aspect, which should not be overlooked, is that you should also be noticed outside your own company.

Is it more important to be visible internally or externally, or both?

Both, in fact. Internal visibility matters for promotions or when interesting internal projects arise. External visibility also plays a role, for example if you might change jobs, or if someone wants to invite you to a panel or interview.

Why are visibility and networking so important?

Visibility is useful in many ways, whether you receive a job inquiry or a networking request. A big part of networking is expanding your horizon. I personally spent a large part of my career in one company, so I focused on internal visibility. When I wanted to make a change, I quickly realized that hardly anyone outside my company knew me.

Can you describe a situation where being known and visible really helped you?

For internal visibility, it helped that I clearly communicated my ambitions within the company. For example, I once wanted to work abroad. I communicated what I could offer and repeatedly said that I would like to apply my skills internationally. Eventually, I received an internal request: We have a role in Bermuda. Would you be interested? The request did not come from my supervisor nor from my department, but someone thought of me at the right moment. If you are not visible, people do not have you in mind, and then you will not be considered.

Bermuda, how great! Was that the only time internal visibility helped you?

Actually, all my professional roles came about because of my internal visibility. I changed roles relatively often, roughly every three years over the past 25 years. Opportunities always came to me because someone had seen me and thought: This would be a great fit for you.

What exactly do you do to increase your visibility?

If you simply do your job every day, you will not be broadly visible. I always asked myself which projects would offer visibility. These are the things that let you think beyond your day to day tasks. You should think about who you want to be visible to. I started doing this early. When I traveled to Japan for business, I arranged a meeting with our Japan CEO, even though I was still quite junior. That was easy because he was German at the time, so I could use that connection. I did this on all international trips. No one ever declined. Senior executives generally enjoy talking about their area, their country, or their challenges. Everyone likes talking about themselves, right?

Does mentoring help with visibility?

Absolutely. I always enjoy connecting with others. Many of my mentees stand at career crossroads. I always tell them: You need to become more visible. Find someone who supports you, maybe someone two levels above you. Go for lunch with them or volunteer for a project. Present something interesting. It does not need to be heavy handed, just enough so someone keeps you in mind. I always did that too, boldly and bravely asking for a conversation. The worst answer is no.

And did you ever get a no?

Thinking back, actually never.

Should you always work on your visibility, or are there moments when you should ramp up your efforts?

Within my company, I always worked on my internal visibility because I knew how important it was. But for a long time I did not work on external visibility because I underestimated its relevance.

When did you start building your external visibility?

When I left Fidelity, I realized that I had done very little to build external visibility. Yes, I was visible within the Fondsfrauen network, but not beyond that. I was shocked when a recruiter told me he had never heard of me. I thought, that is remarkable. I had a long and successful career at Fidelity, most recently as a senior executive with influence, and now I was stepping outside and realized that externally I had no profile at all. I had to start from scratch, explain who I was, what my brand was. I realized I had missed something. I bring this experience into my mentoring because I want other women to do better.

How much time does it take to be present? How should you balance doing your job and networking or visibility?

That depends on your life situation. In a global company, there are many opportunities. Even in your daily job, you show up in different projects or make your voice heard. You are seen. External visibility, however, requires more time. I started simply by liking or commenting on relevant posts on LinkedIn. Then I volunteered to speak about courage at the Fondsfrauen Summit, which led to an interview that became very visible externally. You do not need to be visible every single day. My actual job was CFO, not influencer.

How else can you increase external visibility besides LinkedIn?

Consider which events you attend. I do not go only to be seen, I also want to learn something. But events give you networking opportunities and afterwards you can write a post, if you have something meaningful to say.

Does the importance of visibility depend on your position? A woman in sales will naturally be seen more than someone in the back office.

Yes, absolutely. That is why I was pleased when you invited me to join the advisory board. Many women there have roles that naturally create more visibility, like CIOs or heads of sales. I think I was the first advisory board member who came from the back office. There are many women in back office roles, and visibility is especially important for them. A company only works with both front office and back office.

As a journalist, I am rarely allowed to speak with back office women, even when I need an expert for a back office topic. They often cannot speak because they have no media training.

Exactly. Media training is very important. I had the chance to take such training and was mostly surrounded by salespeople. Media training builds confidence for panels, interviews, or other public appearances. It is also important to step out of your comfort zone and go on stage or give an interview, even without training.s

How do men handle this balance?

I do not want to be biased, but when I look at my mentees and the women in the company, I see that for them the job always comes first, and networking is an add on or a luxury. Women network only if they have time, but when is that? Men see networking as part of their job.

Imagine you are overwhelmed with deadlines and tomorrow is a full day industry meeting that you signed up for. Do you go or stay at your desk?

I would always recommend going. You can always go for half a day if needed. This Friday, I am registered for an FAZ event on leadership, but I already have three morning meetings. I still want to attend, even if only in the afternoon. These events give you great impulses and visibility. My advice is: Do not underestimate networking at events. Sign up and go.

How do men handle that?

A man would never say he has no time for networking. Men see networking as part of their daily tasks. Sometimes I feel that I need to explain to my supervisors that women's networking works differently. I enjoy women's networking events, partly because you meet many women there, and partly because the energy is different. My feeling is that women network more at events or in groups. Men go for business lunches together. I do that too, but I prefer meeting several people at once.

Not every woman likes being in the spotlight or speaking on a stage. What can quieter personalities do to be present?

Of course there are introverted women, but I truly believe that anyone can stand on a stage. Not long ago, I sat on a panel next to a woman who told me she is introverted and uncomfortable on stage, but she was there because she felt she had a story. Maybe she needs more preparation than someone who can speak spontaneously, but it is absolutely possible. She took a brave step outside her comfort zone, and that is admirable.

We talk so much about diversity. If everyone on a panel is loud and extroverted, that does not help either. It is much more interesting for the audience when they get different perspectives and encounter different personalities.

An introverted woman does not necessarily need to be on stage. She could, for example, be active on LinkedIn.

Yes, absolutely. But there should be a balance between social media and in person meetings. Not everyone is on LinkedIn, and in person exchanges at events are completely different from posting something online.

Do you have a personal final tip for our readers?

I want to share one principle. Be bold and brave. Be courageous, ask questions, claim what you need. That is crucial. People can always say no, but at least you tried. If someone asks me for a lunch or coffee, I almost always say yes. Sometimes it takes time to schedule, but networking, both internal and external, is essential.

Thank you very much, also for your personal insights.

 

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