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The Seat Advisory — Blog

Thinking on VP transitions,
judgment, and the seat.

Written by Mariana Cassimiro. 17 years inside Goldman Sachs. Founded to say the things that couldn't be said inside the institution.

Tactical · Reputation

The 6 Moments That Define Your VP Reputation in Financial Services

None of these appear in onboarding programmes. All of them are shaping your trajectory right now. After 17 years inside Goldman Sachs, these are the moments I watched build — and quietly end — careers.

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Identity · Operating Model

Operating Under Power: Why Newly-Promoted VPs Keep Proving What's Already Been Decided

Stop trying to prove you deserve the promotion you already have. The title changed. The operating model hasn't caught up yet. That is not a character flaw — it is a pattern with a name, and it is fixable.

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Reputation · Cost of Waiting

How to Make Your Judgment Visible — And Why Waiting Is the Most Expensive Decision You Can Make

One promotion cycle delayed in financial services is conservatively $450,000 in foregone compensation. The window is now. Here is how to make your judgment legible in the rooms where it matters most.

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Operating Model · Identity

Why the Operating Model That Got You Promoted to VP Is Now Working Against You

The behaviours that made you exceptional at Director level — thoroughness, precision, careful qualification — are the same behaviours working against you in the seat you now hold. Nobody tells you this.

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