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CLAUDIA Lynn Cohen, who passed on at the age of 57, was an American gossip columnist, socialite and TV reporter. The daughter of businessman Robert Cohen, president of the Hudson County News Company, a magazine wholesaler, and his wife, Harriet, Claudia was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. She attended the Dwight School for Girls (now Dwight- Englewood School) and the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the New York Post in the late ‘70s as a reporter for its gossip column Page Six. Noted for going for the jugular, creating a column with a savvy and sharp edge, Claudia is credited with putting Page Six on the map.

She left the Post in 1980 to begin her own gossip column, I, Claudia at a rival Manhattan daily. While that column failed, it did further Claudia’s profile in the Big Apple’s entertainment scene. She got married to corporate raider Ronald Perelman in 1985 and had a daughter, Samantha, together. After nine years the marriage fell apart. Claudia walked away with a reported US$80 million (RM265 million) settlement. Despite her massive wealth, she went back to journalism, appearing regularly on the morning talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee to talk about entertainment gossip and society news. She died on June 15 last year from ovarian cancer. Her ex-husband, Perelman, recently asked the University of Pennsylvania to rename the historic Logan Hall, next to College Hall, as the Claudia Cohen Hall, much to the shock of Penn faculty, alumni and students.

Column

WITH POLITICS AND WARRING FACTIONS, BACK-STABBING EPISODES, COLLEAGUES TRYING TO SABOTAGE YOUR EVERY EFFORT OR DRAW FIRST BLOOD IF ONLY TO SEE YOU FAIL AND FALL, THE OFFICE PLACE CAN BE A WAR ZONE. WILL YOU EVER FIND PEACE AT THIS PLACE? READ ON FOR THE ANSWER.

A very satisfying part of my corporate life is the ability to provide mentoring and advice to younger people, especially women, and to be made to feel that I have in some ways, helped overcome a challenge that was impacting their career or happiness at work. This does not mean that men do not need mentoring as they have the same issues and challenges in the workplace. However, women tend to be more open to seek guidance and advice and are not ashamed to reveal emotional pressures resulting from problems at work. What are the common issues and advice that most women seek? Predominantly, it is relating to dealing with difficult bosses or colleagues, office prejudices, career decisions and so forth. In most cases, it’s not about money but their unhappiness in the office and the lack of job satisfaction. Does one have to be happy at work? Certainly. We spend most of our waking hours in the office and most of our sleeping hours at home. If your most productive time is not in an environment that is conducive, it impacts your whole persona and even your health. Aside from the money, work has to be challenging, drawing on one’s creativity, talent and helping us to grow both mentally and emotionally.