Holly Sraeel, Group Editorial Director, SourceMedia

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Six years ago Holly Sraeel launched SourceMedia's The 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking, which only includes women at the SVP level or higher. The ranking is published in the October issue of U.S. Banker, and honorees are celebrated at a black-tie gala the third week of October each year. Last year was the program's fifth anniversary. Sraeel is also proud of the Mentor Factor, in its second year, which includes regional leadership workshops in New York, San Francisco and Charlotte, offering off-the-record mentoring to women beneath the SVP level as they ascend.

Sraeel, currently group editorial director for SourceMedia, which publishes financial insight and analysis, enjoys the challenge of writing for very educated readers. "You're dealing with the most powerful people in the world," she says.

Financial services media is a male-dominated industry, according to Sraeel. "I notice that I'm the only editorial director on your list," she points out. No matter your gender, she advises 1) challenging convention; 2) spending some quality time with constituents of your circulation base in the market; 3) asking readers what they want--don't make assumptions; and 4) teaching editorial teams about the business of selling b2b ad space.

"I run my editorial business like a business," she says. She views her circulation base as one community with a series of subcommunities--all having different needs--in order to remain relevant. Her last tidbits of advice? Take calculated risks and apologize about moving quickly on something that has succeeded after the fact. Oh, and find a mentor. "Mentors won't find you," she says. "You have to find them."

Sraeel was a journalism major at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She initially wanted to be a magazine journalist--she loved reading New York magazine and The New Yorker at 12 years old and, at 14, toyed with the idea of being a sportswriter--but she ended up in b2b media.

Sraeel, who calls herself old enough to know better but young enough to raise a little hell, lives in Manhattan, as well as on the Jersey Shore. She relaxes by cooking-- especially Italian and French dishes, collecting wine and entertaining. She enjoys reading Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The New York Times magazine, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, BusinessWeek and People.

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