Women Worth Watching 2015
Carine Jean-Claude
This VP and CCO at Arrow Communicates Compliance Messages to a Global Team
Born in Haiti, Carine and her family fled first to Central Africa and then to the United States to escape coups d’état. When Carine landed in the United States as a child, she didn’t speak English. She and her sisters had a hard time in school, and her parents—well-respected professionals in both Haiti and Africa—were forced to work in a factory to make ends meet. Despite these challenges, Carine thrived, eventually attending New York University’s Stern School of Business and then Boston University Law School.
Early in her legal career, Carine took on pro bono cases where she had a chance to help asylum seekers like her parents. “I saw how much my parents suffered and how hard they worked when they came to this country,” said Carine. “I’ve always been driven to help others in their shoes.” She came to Arrow in 2000 as a legal generalist and climbed the corporate ladder, eventually becoming Arrow’s chief compliance officer and vice president of legal affairs. She now leads and mentors a team of seven working around the globe.
Carine is an innovator who is always looking for new ways to effectively communicate important legal directives to Arrow’s 17,000 employees. For example, she is currently developing a series of videos that feature actual employees explaining key policies. She launched “In the News,” a site that uses current compliance headlines to further educate Arrow employees with regard to ethical conduct. And she co-chaired Arrow’s first diversity task force, which was responsible for developing specific recommendations for how to increase diversity in the company’s global workforce.
The recipient of several distinguished awards, including the YWCA’s Salute to Women Leaders, Carine helped her sister establish the Renal Care Institute, which provides dialysis equipment for Haitians, and she will soon begin volunteering her time with a legal defense fund that seeks to empower women in domestic violence situations.
“…I am the only one who can put limits on my potential.”
Education: J.D., Boston University Law School; B.S., New York University Stern School of Business
First Job: Intake Specialist at Private Industry Council
What I’m Reading: “Ruby” by Cynthia Bond
Words I live by: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” –Alice Walker
The most important quality a woman leader should have is…
..confidence and having an unconditional belief in what you can accomplish.
The career advice I’d give my former self:
Something Oprah Winfrey said that has really stuck with me: “Excellence is the best deterrent to racism and sexism.”
The one thing I’d do differently in my career, knowing what I know now, is…
…take more risks and not be afraid to fail or let myself down.
When I really need to focus on a project, I…
…dance or go for a walk! They help put everything in perspective. When I am done, I’m ready to focus.
My biggest career leap (and what I learned from it) was…
…my promotion to Chief Compliance Officer and VP, Legal Affairs. It showed me that I can do anything with hard work and that I am the only one who can put limits on my potential.
Being a woman in my profession has been…
…challenging and rewarding. I learned that I’m not defined by color, race or gender.
I’ve learned that failure is…
…an opportunity to grow and a stepping stone toward success.
I maintain a healthy personal life by…
…keeping myself grounded! My family and friends play a crucial role with respect to that.
I knew my present career was what I wanted to do when…
…I saw how much my parents suffered and how hard they worked when they came to this country—I’ve always been driven to help others in their shoes.