Shifting gears, careers

May 23, 2001|By Lisa Bertagnoli. Special to the Tribune.

At an age when many women are considering retirement, Sheli Rosenberg has decided it's time for a career transition. The 59-year-old lawyer most recently was president and CEO of Equity Group Investments LLC, headed by famed real-estate investor Sam Zell. Rosenberg, whose law degree is from Northwestern University, joined Equity in 1980 as general counsel, then started her own law firm, Rosenberg & Liebentritt. The firm served as Equity's internal law firm, just as Rosenberg did as general counsel.

These days, she works out of Equity's office part-time and out of her own as she eases into non-profit work, a decision she made last year. She does organizational and fundraising work as a board member of the Chicago Foundation for Women, as a trustee and member of the executive committee of Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital, and as an advisory board member at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.

She and her husband, attorney Burton X. Rosenberg, have two grown children and one grandchild, who live in Chicago. "It's God's gift," she says of having her family close by.

She recently took a few minutes aside to discuss her world.

Wakeup call: 5:45. We read the papers, then exercise, then are out of the house at 8:30, 7 if we have breakfast meetings.

Quitting time: If there's no business dinner, I'm home at about 5:30 or 6.

How she gets through meetings: You mean the kind you don't want to be at? I try to concentrate on other things that need attention. I tend to have a quirky sense of humor, and finding humor in things is a focus.

Her advice for getting through a big project: The hardest thing about working is it's a balancing act between family and friends and work. I'm lucky; I don't have young kids at home. When there are young kids at home, making everything work is a daunting responsibility.

And for motivating people: Do what you enjoy doing, and if you don't enjoy doing it, get out. There are lots of opportunities that don't exist until we need to find them.

What she'd be doing if she weren't doing this: I'm doing what I want to do. I'm in a transition place, an interesting place. I'm lucky enough to be healthy and make this kind of change.

What sparked the career change: I saw peers getting sick and not being able to complete all the things on their list.

What she does to unwind: Run on the treadmill. It really makes a world of difference.

How she keeps her energy up: I've been blessed with an enormous amount of energy. I don't need a lot of sleep and it's God-given. I've been very lucky.