Teri Paul JD '85 seems to like competition. She's a fan of motorsports and a 25-year Trojan football season ticket holder who has managed to combine her passions with her work. Paul is a senior managing counsel at Toyota Motor North America, where she provides legal guidance to the company's motorsports, racing and marketing groups.
Paul also values connections, especially her close ties with the Trojan Family, which she credits as being a big part of her career success. As the newly elected president of the four year-old USC Gould Alumni Association, her vision includes fostering connections, as well as helping the new First Generation Professionals Program take off.
How did Gould prepare you for a role in corporate leadership?
I graduated in '85 so I have to remember back 30 years! [laughs] I think my experience as vice president of my third-year class provided invaluable insights about how to motivate and organize groups of individuals in order to achieve a common goal. I also think the connections I made at Gould and as part of the alumni association have been a huge part of my ability to succeed in my career. The people I met while I was in law school were and are an impressive group of individuals. Back when we didn't have anything like LinkedIn, I'd say I was linked in with these people. The importance of the USC connection is true with respect to alumni as well. I feel lucky to have met a pretty impressive group of people as a result of my participation in the USC Gould Alumni Association. They've been such an important part of my development and my career because, whenever I needed mentoring or advice, I had not just the people in my class, but the alumni.
What do you enjoy best about your work at Toyota?
Lots of things! I feel so lucky to be doing what I'm doing and to have found this job 22 years ago when I started as managing counsel at Toyota Motor Credit Corporation. Toyota was my "dream job." I had an interest in the automotive industry and motorsports before I went to law school. I think it started when I was a kid growing up in La Crescenta and my dad took me to an Indy car race in Fontana. After law school, I worked in the litigation department at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro (formerly, Lillick, McHose & Charles) where my clients were an odd combination of automotive manufacturers and financial institutions, so the credit division of Toyota seemed like the perfect fit.
About 10 years ago, I moved to the sales side of the business and began supporting our motorsports, racing and marketing groups. Toyota sponsors and competes in a variety of different types of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA and NHRA sanctioned racing, off road racing, Motocross, Supercross and dirt track racing. My work for the marketing group also fuels my passion for a variety of other sports. I have worked on sponsorship agreements for a number of baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer teams, naming rights agreements for a variety of sports venues and many athlete agreements. I am currently working on a sponsorship deal for the Olympics. I truly love my work. More importantly, I work with a great group of people, so that is another plus.
What are your keys to success?
My personal philosophy and key to success is: Believe in yourself. It sometimes takes time to develop, but I really believe that going out there every day and believing that you're going to succeed is a huge key to success. Also, you need to be kind to yourself and understand that mistakes are learning experiences. I would also say: Take advantage of mentors. Be humble enough to admit when you don't know something and go out and seek advice.
What has been your experience as a woman in the profession?
I have generally had a positive experience as a woman in the profession, but that doesn't mean that it was easy. Women have different challenges than men. I grew up in the 1960s — the "Mad Men" era. Many women came from families where their moms didn't work, and it was hard for me to find true mentors. When I first started practicing law, women were wrestling not only with how to make it in a profession dominated by men, but with how to balance career and family. On the professional side, I sought out and found the appropriate support, from both men and women, in order to succeed in my career. On the personal side, I had to work hard to find the right balance for me and my family — and we somehow survived!
I think there is more awareness today of gender disparities in the profession and a better support network, but that doesn't mean that we have resolved all the issues facing women — and you see that in the news all the time. If I were to give someone advice, I would say: Find a mentor or somebody who can help you work through those challenges because you're not alone.
Your family is truly a Trojan Family.
My connection to USC goes back to high school. My dad, who had a bachelor's degree from UCLA, decided to get his master's in taxation, and he went to the USC Marshall School of Business at night. He loved it. My sister started as an undergrad at USC when I was in my second year of law school. She married a fellow USC student. When I was in law school, I met my husband who was in the process of getting his master's degree from Marshall, and our daughter earned her BFA from the USC School of Dramatic Arts in 2014.
What are some of your priorities as president of the alumni association?
We're well positioned to start thinking about long-term goals, and we are drafting a strong mission statement. I believe that the alumni association serves several important functions. I think that providing support to the school and the students is paramount, as is providing support to alumni as they advance in their careers. That means programs for recent grads, alumni in their middle years and people approaching the end of their career or retired. We have a commitment this year to broaden our social media outreach by designating committee members in each region to work on social media efforts. We also hope to enhance and improve our strategy for increasing alumni engagement and participation.
Can you talk about your interest in Gould's First Generation Professionals Program?
I think it's such a wonderful program because the school recognizes that these particular students need support. I think one of the reasons it resonates with me is that my dad came to this country alone from Europe when he was 19 years old. He had to learn English and finish high school before he could go to college, and he had no one to support and guide him in this process. He was the first person in his family to go to college. It was a difficult path, and I am sure he wishes he had the kind of support that the Gould program is giving first-generation law students. I especially think of the value of this program as I provide advice to my own children, who are young adults. When my daughter graduated, she asked advice about what to do in an interview. Well, if you're a first-generation student, who are you going to go to? I feel like it's our moral responsibility to help people succeed where they have so many roadblocks.
