179. Clare Scherrer, Investment Banker, CFO, Public Board Director
Release Date: 08/10/2026
179. Clare Scherrer, Investment Banker, CFO, Public Board Director
The 92 Report
Show Notes Clare Scherrer outlines her career journey in three main chapters: 25 years at Goldman Sachs in Investment Banking, a number of years as a public company Chief Financial Officer, and her current role as a director on two public company boards of directors. Clare also shares her life immediately post-graduation, including getting married and completing McKinsey's Business Analyst program in New York City. Love at First Blind Date Clare recounts her initial post Harvard plan to join the Foreign Service and how a blind date led to her getting engaged and pivoting her career path. She...
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178. Mara (Beverwyk) Christine, Librarian, Teacher, Lawyer
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Mara Christine (formerly Mara Beverwyk) describes her circuitous path, starting with a job at the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) in Berkeley, followed by a role in the Oakland public library system. She pursued a library degree in Michigan and returned to New Mexico, where she worked as a school and research librarian. She transitioned to teaching at a Montessori elementary school, earning her certification, and later went to law school at age 46, becoming a prosecutor. A Career Move to Law Mara explains what drew her to the law, and she cites her midlife crisis and...
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177. Kiki Snyder, Assigned Karen at Birth
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Kiki (formerly Karen) Snyder shares her 35-year journey since her breakdown at Harvard, which landed her in restraints at McLean Hospital during exams in 1991. She discusses being misdiagnosed as severely bipolar, the 32 years she lost to toxic psychiatric medications, and the self she rediscovered. "Karen was full of fear and anger. Karen wanted to speak to the manager. But Kiki's in charge now. I am the manager." Learn more about her transformation on Instagram at and at . From Karen to Kiki Kiki elaborates on her transformation from Karen to Kiki. A massage therapist...
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176. Maya Browne, The Road Not Taken
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Maya Browne recounts her senior year at Harvard, including writing her thesis "Idealizing Vision" which was about how magazine editors, photographers, and designers had shaped the ideal female form in the 20th century, and additionally another was an article for Essence magazine about eating disorders. It was the first article of its kind that drew data from women of color, and it won an award called the Excellence in Media Merit Award (EMMA). Writing, Modeling, and Playing Violin Maya describes her first job at Details magazine under James Truman, where she handled...
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175. Chana Gable Selmon, Medicine Without Borders
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Chana Gable Selmon explains she joined Harvard as a transfer student in 1990, overlapping two years with the class of 1992. She graduated in 1993 after completing science requirements due to her history concentration. Chana decided to go to medical school at Cornell, followed by an internship in Emergency Medicine at Bellevue NYU and residency at Harvard. Commuting between Jerusalem and New Jersey Chana had her first child in 2000 and continued working as an ER doctor. She describes her experience as a fourth-year resident at Brooklyn Hospital Center during 9/11. She later ...
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174. Jenny Davidson, Professor of English & Comparative Literature
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Jenny Davidson describes her continued passion for literature, reading, and writing, her interest in primatology, adventures in Tanzania, and her new hobbies. Form and Technique in Powerlifting She details her fitness routine, including powerlifting, running, swimming, triathlon, and yoga. Jenny shares her experience with a longstanding injury affecting her ability to do high-volume aerobic training. Jenny explains the basics of powerlifting, distinguishing it from Olympic lifting. She describes her favorite lift, the deadlift, and the other two main lifts: squat and...
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173. Teresa Nakra, Exploring Music through Culture, Technology, & Creative Coding
The 92 Report
Show Notes Teresa shares her background as a music major at Harvard, focusing on conducting. She discusses her decision to apply for the Michael C. Rockefeller Fellowship to study Indian classical music in India. Teresa describes her year in India, living with a family and studying North Indian classical music. Exploring Indian Classical Music Teresa explains her experience with the violin, which was introduced to Indian classical music by the Portuguese in the 1500s. She details the differences between Western tonal harmony and Indian classical music, including the use of a drone and melodic...
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172. Michael Lim, Physicist, Mentor, Traveler
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Kim Goyette reflects on Michael Lim’s early days at Harvard, starting with their time in Dorm Crew. They met in Lionel Hall and became friends, with Michael being a physics major and Kim a sociology major. Their relationship began tentatively in their sophomore year, with many ups and downs before they officially became a couple by graduation. From Harvard to the University of MIchigan After graduation, Michael went to the University of Michigan for his PhD in physics, while Kim went to Tulane University for her MA in sociology. They maintained their relationship during...
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171. Chuck Hughes, The Road To College
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Chuck Hughes talks about his role on the Harvard Hockey team, being intimidated by recruiting processes and obtaining his teaching certificate while at Harvard. He taught maths, science, and english at a high school. He earned a masters in political science at Boston College. Working in Harvard Admissions Chuck talks about his transition to Harvard Admissions in 1995, influenced by a friend's job offer in Stanford Admissions. He describes his experiences in admissions, including visits to remote areas like Alaska and interactions with diverse applicants. Chuck highlights his...
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170. Jessica (McBee) Kerrigan, CASA Staff and Volunteer
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Jessica Kerrigan (formerly Jessica McBee) shares that she applied for an internship with the American Symphony Orchestra League but didn't get it, leading her to work with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony. She moved to Iowa City to be with her boyfriend, Wade Kerrigan, who was in law school, and worked at American College Testing. Jessica got engaged, married, and moved to Kansas City, where she worked for Andrews McNeil Publishing as a contract administrator. From Publishing to Nonprofit Work Jessica describes her transition from publishing to nonprofit work. She took some time...
info_outlineShow Notes
Clare Scherrer outlines her career journey in three main chapters: 25 years at Goldman Sachs in Investment Banking, a number of years as a public company Chief Financial Officer, and her current role as a director on two public company boards of directors. Clare also shares her life immediately post-graduation, including getting married and completing McKinsey's Business Analyst program in New York City.
Love at First Blind Date
Clare recounts her initial post Harvard plan to join the Foreign Service and how a blind date led to her getting engaged and pivoting her career path. She describes the decisive nature of her engagement and how it shaped her life and career.
McKinsey, HBS, & the Pivot to Investment Banking
Clare reflects on her years at McKinsey, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and learning from her engagement managers. She also explains how her experience at McKinsey influenced her pivot to investment banking during her time at Harvard Business School.
Relationship Building in Investment Banking
Clare details her summer internship at Goldman Sachs and how it led to a 25-year career at the firm. She highlights the various roles she held at Goldman Sachs, including managing client relationships, co-leading a global team, and co-chairing the IPO committee. Clare discusses the skills that contributed to her success, including work ethic, critical thinking, and building trust. She emphasizes the importance of running toward problems and the value of trust in client and colleague relationships. Clare shares her approach to communication, stressing the need for over-communication and the importance of truly understanding how critical business decisions are influenced and taken.
Becoming CFO of Smiths Group
Clare recounts how a long time client approached her about the opportunity to become the CFO of Smiths Group, a global engineering company. She initially hesitated but was encouraged by her husband to embrace the opportunity. Clare describes the company's products and services when she was CFO; including energy efficiency, safety, and connectivity solutions. She highlights how much she valued the experience of being both the CFO and a board member, which gave her a deeper understanding of the importance of public company governance.
Pursuing a Portfolio of Board Directorships
Clare explains her decision to pursue a portfolio of board directorships after her tenure as CFO. She currently serves on the boards of Legrand, a leading electrical and digital infrastructure company; and Shell, an integrated energy company. Clare also discusses that she sets aside some time to coach next generation finance executives in the US, drawing parallels to her experience developing talent at Goldman Sachs. She emphasizes the importance of developing and retaining talent, even outside of a full-time executive role.
Returning to the U.S.
Clare describes her typical work week, including the imperative to stay current on relevant financial markets, industry, and company developments. She also shares her current plans to move back to the U.S. after 15 years in London. Clare also reflects on the importance of consciously investing in personal growth and adopting habits that challenge as well as encourage reflection.
Harvard Reflections
Clare recalls her most challenging course at Harvard, which was Russian, and how rewarding the class and learning process was, despite it not being directly linked to her career pursuits after Harvard. Clare also shares how energizing she finds her weekly tennis match. She encourages others to find a pursuit outside of work that is energizing and allows you to laugh at yourself and with others.
Timestamps:
04:02: First Date and Early Career Decisions
07:03: McKinsey, HBS, & the Pivot to Investment Banking
13:38: Relationship Building in Investment Banking
19:39: Transition to CFO Role
26:06: Board Membership and Coaching
28:45: Personal Growth
36:25: Most Memorable Course and Personal Interests
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-scherrer-651396b1/
*AI generated transcript and show notes.