Linda W. Filardi

Senior Director and Associate General Counsel, Capital One Bank

Biography:

Linda Filardi is a senior director and associate general counsel at Capital One Bank responsible for legal oversight of the Commercial and Industrial Business, which includes Sponsor Finance, Core Middle Market and the US Corporate Group. Prior to joining Capital One, she was deputy general counsel and corporate secretary of Antares Capital, which was previously the leveraged finance business of GE Capital sold to the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, where she managed all aspects of the Sponsor Finance Group’s NY/CA-originated transactions. Linda is a member of the Loan Syndicated Trading Association’s Primary Market Committee and the Practicing Law Institute faculty on Going Private Transactions. Linda joined GE Capital as senior counsel & compliance officer in Tokyo, Japan, covering legal and compliance of the commercial finance group in Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.

Linda started her legal career at the law firm of Debevoise and Plimpton. Before beginning her legal career, Linda was an assistant treasurer at American Express Bank. She received her J.D. Magna Cum Laude from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she was notes and comments editor of the Seton Hall Law Review. She completed a Master’s Program in International Affairs and Economics from The John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and holds a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry?

Find an area that you are truly interested in pursuing by working in a number of different areas when you first start your career. Don’t limit yourself because you have been slotted into a particular position or within a segment. Having a broad exposure to a number of different areas will give you a strong foundation and allow you to truly pursue something you love, rather than accidentally falling into something because you know how to do the work. And, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there; take personal risks and be courageous. Most of all, be positive and take care of yourself.

When you have a great attitude, you emote energy that others can feel and people will want to work with you and give you more opportunities.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career?

I wish I had known how important and professionally satisfying it is to have strong professional relationships outside of my immediate company. I have always enjoyed very strong working relationships with my colleagues and have maintained the professional relationships formed from the very beginning of my career. However, the pace of the legal industry, especially at junior levels, does not always give you the luxury of time to network outside of your immediate company. In the later years of my career, I developed very strong relation- ships within professional associations that have served me well, both personally and professionally. I also believe very strongly in giving back. Being very active in the nonprofit area is a way that I can improve the lives of others and gives me a healthy perspective in my day-to-day life.

What kind of role has mentoring and/or sponsorship played in your career?

I have been very fortunate to always work in organizations where there have been fantastic role models who have served as mentors and sponsors in my career—both men and women. They have been instrumental in my development as a lawyer and business person and have taught me how to be effective in my position. They have also contributed to my career success and overall happiness, as they have been able to provide support and advice at every stage of my career, not only on long-term goals, but on the day-to-day issues, which are just as important. Having a sponsor is incredibly important, but that is a relation- ship that is typically earned. Having a sponsor or mentor is an indication that you have performed well, so your focus should always be on doing the absolute best work—not on obtaining mentors or sponsors.

What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?

The best and the brightest want to work in organizations that are evolving with the rapid pace of the changes in our industry and one way to attract talent is by being inclusive of a diversity of both thoughts and people. I am incredibly proud of the emphasis Capital One places on inclusiveness because it enables our organization to put our best foot forward and be forward-thinking. Diversity and inclusion breeds thought development and opens up the business to new opportunities and ways of doing business. Working overseas in Asia was an incredible experience for me and being able to experience different cultures in the workplace made me more patient and accepting to ideas and work styles that did not necessarily comport with my own.