National Association of Professional Women Announces Michelle Onesto, Chief Operating Officer at Pacific Southwest Financial, a 2015 Professional Woman of the Year
Garden City, NY (PRWEB) February 03, 2015 -- NAPW honors Michelle Onesto as a 2015 Professional Woman of the Year. Ms. Onesto is recognized with this prestigious distinction for leadership in finance. As the largest, most-recognized networking organization of professional women in the country, spanning virtually every industry and profession, the National Association of Professional Women is a powerfully vibrant networking community with over 600,000 members and over 200 Local Chapters.
“I started in the securities industry about 13 years ago,” says Ms. Onesto, Chief Operating Officer at Pacific Southwest Financial (PSF). “At the time, I didn't even know what an IRA was nor did I know the first thing about investing.”
That did not stop Ms. Onesto. She diligently learned all she could about the business, reading everything she could get her hands on and asking for advice whenever she needed it. She credits Barry Litt, former PSF CEO and Bob Eddy, PSF Executive VP, for encouraging and mentoring her. “I owe the majority of my success to them,” she says. Their faith in her was well-placed. Ms. Onesto steadily climbed the corporate ladder, taking on key roles in the organization with increased responsibilities. Recently, Ms. Onesto was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and her new duties now include supervision over aspects of PSF's entire enterprise.
During her career at PSF, Ms. Onesto has amassed an expansive understanding of the industry. She uses her analytical and organizational skills to oversee the operations efficiency and compliance policies and procedures in the securities department. Ms. Onesto stresses organization and efficiency. Respectful of her hard-working staff, she encourages employee engagement through brainstorming meetings and by offering opportunities for professional development. “I love creating innovative ways to teach or train my staff and make our working environment fun even though our firm is extremely busy throughout the entire year,” she says.
Although ongoing regulatory requirements in the industry make for a challenging environment, Ms. Onesto is confident PSF will continue to grow. “I would like PSF to be a household name in both the securities and insurance world,” she said. “I know our former CEO, Barry Litt (who passed away in 2011) would be proud to see his company is still going strong!”
About NAPW
NAPW’s mission is to provide an exclusive, highly advanced networking forum to successful women executives, professionals and entrepreneurs where they can aspire, connect and achieve. Through innovative resources, unique tools and progressive benefits, professional women interact, exchange ideas, advance their knowledge and empower each other.
Lisa Mancuso, NAPW, +1 516-453-6111, [email protected]
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