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About Beth Sawi
After hearing lots of anti-female bullshit like “We don’t hire women as account executives” and “Maybe you could work your way up from secretary?” in the early years of my career, I got myself to the GSB. With a Stanford MBA in my hip pocket, I landed an almost-VP level marketing job at Charles Schwab & Co in San Francisco in 1982.
My career at Schwab spanned 20 years as the company grew to nearly 8,000,000 customer accounts from less than 400,000. I worked my way up to EVP of Marketing, and then became President of the Schwab Mutual Funds. In 1995, the early days of the internet, I led the creation and launch of the Schwab’s online operations which established the company’s presence in the digital financial services sector. My final position at Schwab was as Chief Administrative Officer overseeing Human Resources, Legal, Audit, Compliance, Public Relations, and Facilities.
My husband and I raised two daughters during my Schwab days, a challenge familiar to all working couples. Based on those experiences, I wrote “Coming Up for Air: How to Build a Balanced Life in a Workaholic World” (Hyperion, 2000). It was honored by both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post as one of the best work-life balance books of the year.
I left Schwab in 2002, took a year off to do nothing, and then started investigating the world of non-profits. At one time, I was on four different non-profit boards simultaneously. Working for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, I learned how to raise millions of dollars. In my current board spot with the Oakland Museum of California, I’ve learned how museums can reflect and strengthen the values of diverse communities. When I started joining boards, I thought I’d learn how the non-profit world could be run more efficiently. I haven’t.
Being retired suits me. I travel a lot, having been to Botswana, Cuba, Scotland, Paris, Mexico, Iceland, and Egypt in the last two years. When not traveling, I take twice weekly lessons in yoga, Pilates, and Spanish. Four times a year, I go to Montana to fly-fish. I have family and friends both near and far.
In 2005, I was at the b-school reunion when Project Redwood was first proposed. I have supported them ever since. PRW’s combination of volunteerism and donations, guided by smart classmates, is unique. It’s a way that the privileged–GSB alumni like you and me–can share our good fortune.