A Seat at the Table

In this special episode, celebrating 15 years of the Leading Women Executives program, co-founders Cheryl Francis and Sheila Penrose, along with CEO Deb  DeHaas , reflect on their journey in creating impactful leadership programs. Discover the lessons learned, the milestones achieved, and the legacy being built as they continue to inspire a new generation of women leaders. Sponsored by Discover, t...

In this episode,  Deb DeHaas, CEO of Corporate Leadership Center, is joined by Sarah Robb O'Hagan, CEO of EXOS , to explore Sarah's remarkable personal and professional journey. Sarah shares pivotal moments from her career, including her roles at iconic companies like Nike, Gatorade, and Equinox and how those experiences shaped her leadership philosophy. Together, they discuss the importance of re...

In this episode, we feature LanTing Garra, Senior Director of Innovation and Design at Motorola Solutions and an LWE Fellow from Fall 2016. LanTing discusses her career evolution from Industrial Design to AI-supported end-to-end customer experience design. She shares the challenges she faced and overcame while leading a critical project for the company's iconic public safety product line. LanTing...

This episode features a conversation between Lori Nishiura Mackenzie, co-founder of the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab and faculty member of Leading Women Executives; and Deb DeHaas, CEO, Corporate Leadership Center. Lori and Deb talk about Stanford's recent research and playbooks around board diversity and culture, along with Deb's real-life experience and advice across her man...

This episode features Robin Blackmon, Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Aflac.  Robin shares her wonderful, winding journey in Finance and HR that led her to where she is today. You'll also hear insights on learning from others in big and small ways, the importance of relationships and practice when it comes to boards, and a few tips on wellness and stress management.    SHOW N...

This episode features Laura Kohler , Chief Sustainable Living Officer, Kohler. Laura shares insights about the legacy of Kohler and her journey within the company, and Kohler's culture of innovation, sustainability and purpose. Laura also discusses the importance of re-skilling, the role of technology in sustainability, and how her personal values have played a role in her leadership journey. SHOW...

This episode features Jennifer Montague, President and Chief Operating Officer for Columbia Gas of Virginia. Montague is also a Leading Women Executives Fellow, Fall 2018. Jennifer provides insights about innovation in the energy industry and delivers advice and experience about growing as a leader through taking on P&L roles, smartly planning for technology and people, advantages to working overs...

This episode features Deanna Kovar , President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division: Small Agriculture & Turf Care, Europe, Africa, and Asia, Deere & Company. Kovar is also a Leading Women Executives Fellow, Spring 2017. This conversation explores the history and evolution of technology and innovation in Deere and Company and shares insights into precision agriculture and how it impacts all of u...

In this episode, Kelly Tufts , Vice President, Field Talent at Discover and Leading Women Executives Fellow, Spring 2015, discusses her focus on finding meaningful and impactful ways to lead with purpose. In her role at Discover, Kelly has been integrally involved in the opening of a new contact center in Chatham, a disinvested neighborhood in Chicago. Through this work and other civic roles, Kell...

In this episode, Jennifer DelVecchio , Senior Director Global Content and Culture at McDonald's (Leading Women Executives Fellow, Fall 2022), shares her leadership journey, that has allowed her to travel the world while tackling unique and challenging growth opportunities. Throughout these experiences, Jennifer has fostered and developed her creativity as a way to approach new challenges, solve co...

In this episode, Ilene Gordon, former CEO & Chairman of Ingredion, and her husband, Bram Bluestein, former management consultant, share their advice and successful strategies for dual-career families. Juggling family, relationships and work responsibilities is not an easy task, but over the course of their 40+ years of marriage, Ilene and Bram learned how to balance their robust careers while empl...

In this episode, three women leaders from Boise Cascade discuss the organization's foray into their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey. Leading Women Executives Fellows Jo Barney , Vice President Western Operations (Fall, 2021), and Bertha Villalobos , Engineered Wood Products National Accounts Manager (Fall, 2022), are joined by Trina Finley Ponce , Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director,...

Linda Nolan, Senior Managing Director at Northern Trust, and Leading Women Executives Fellow (Fall, 2011), shares how core values provide a foundation for leadership style; and how alignment of your values with those of your employer can empower you to lead with your colleagues' and clients' best interests in mind. Linda discusses how embracing this servant leadership philosophy guides her profess...

In this episode, Deborah Gordon , Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief Legal Officer for Memorial Hermann Health System, discusses her career journey and becoming an authentic leader. Deborah explores issues that many women leaders face, including building an executive brand, overcoming imposter syndrome and investing in your own personal and professional development....

There are many benefits to serving on a not-for-profit board, including helping to fulfill an organization's mission, expanding your skillset and broadening your network. Finding the right fit and understanding the expectations of Board membership is important to ensure an optimal experience. In this episode, Leading Women Executives Fellows Aimee Nolan and Sara Granack discuss their experiences s...

In this inaugural episode of Season 4, Mary Ann Korenic , CEO of The Chicago Trust Company at Wintrust Wealth Management, shares her leadership and life journey. Having faced numerous personal and professional hardships, Mary Ann shares her perspectives on facing adversity and discusses how these challenges forced her to persevere and ultimately, conquer new summits.   Many thanks to Discover for...

In this episode, Deb DeHaas , CEO of Corporate Leadership Center, talks with Michelle Banks as she discusses her career journey and the key inflection points that led her to her current role as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Kohl's. Michelle articulates the many ways that Kohl's is working to surpass its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion goals across the key pillars of people, community, and...

Finding one's leadership voice and style is never easy, and for women of color, it can be particularly challenging. Often women of color find themselves facing social and cultural constraints as the "firsts" in corporate leadership roles and feel pressured to conform in order to advance in their careers. In this episode, Valerie Purdie Greenaway , Professor of Psychology, School of Arts and Scienc...

Career transitions provide a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect before embarking on new ventures. Oftentimes, insights gleaned during this period help to guide future decisions, both professionally and personally. Having recently left JLL as Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Mary Bilbrey (CEO Perspectives alumna, 2019) reflects on her career journey and lessons learned as a result of th...

Every business leader can benefit from greater insight on how to collaborate more effectively with their in-house legal team. In turn, every legal team can provide greater impact when viewed as a strategic partner, collaborating with the business to achieve its goals.  In this episode, Laura Wood , General Counsel, Zoro US; Leading Women Executives alumna, Spring 2019; and Tamela Merriweather , Se...

Research shows that when it comes to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), women make up only 28% of the workforce and are significantly outnumbered by men in fields like computer science and engineering. This outcome underscores the fact that girls and women are often discouraged from pursuing studies in science and math, limiting their access and preparation to pursue these ar...

Business executives often credit a breakout role – a unique project or challenge in which they excelled – as a major part of their career success. The increased responsibilities and visibility these roles offer enable leaders to both demonstrate their skills and expand their capabilities in new and interesting ways. In this episode, Lisa Badgley, Senior Vice President at Walgreens and alumna of bo...

In the past few years, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have become a key priority for companies, as they work to define their ESG goals and link them to long-term sustainability and strategic planning. Long before the concept of ESG became popular, Grainger focused on these goals and built them into an integral part of their corporate values and leadership objectives. In this epi...

Supporting top performers by encouraging them to take on stretch assignments and advocating on their behalf is at the heart of sponsorship. Those who have had the benefit of being sponsored often become sponsors, to 'pay it forward' and help develop others' careers. In this episode, Discover's Diane Offereins , Executive Vice President and President of Payment Services and Alisa Ellis , Global Hea...

Leading Women Executives hosted a virtual workshop in August focused on "Creating Workplaces That Work for Everyone" to address the challenges that all organizations are facing in the wake of the pandemic. Specifically, the discussion focused on the topics of: Reengaging and Retaining Talent, Rebuilding Culture and Reskilling Employees.   In this episode, three Ambassadors from the Summer 2020 pro...