Lisa McDermott, executive director, WestLB AG
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career?
I decided to move into investment banking from my career as a tax lawyer – a huge leap. I was at a stage where I felt that I could either go for partnership or move into banking, which made sense because I wanted to be more hands-on with deals, rather than one step removed. Many of the skills I had gained as a lawyer were transportable, but I was definitely out of my comfort zone: instead of being an advisor, I was now the person making the tough calls on deals. I enjoy being central to the whole process: in this role, 99 per cent of the time the deal fails or succeeds based on your contribution.
