At our "15 Minutes @ Noon" Twitter Chat this month, Patricia Lenkov, President and Executive Recruiter with Agility Executive Search, LLC, shared her thoughts about sponsorship, as part of a multi-faceted strategy to landing a board seat.
According to Lenkov, sponsors can provide valuable advice and support to those advancing in their careers. Citing a Catalyst study, she said that sponsors could propel a protégé to the top of a list of candidates or eliminate the list itself. They can provide advice on how to get on a board and perhaps even more importantly, make relevant introductions.
When asked about what qualities to look for in a sponsor, Lenkov said that the best sponsors are knowledgeable and experienced in and about the boardroom. Ideally, they will have sat on a board or two. But, she acknowledged, boardroom experience is only part of what makes a good sponsor. They also need to be willing to engage in the relationship and make the time to be helpful.
Does a sponsor need to be a CEO? No, says Lenkov, but engaging with a senior and experienced executive is important to achieve your objectives. "The best sponsors have a seat at the decision table," she said. "The ideal and most committed sponsors come from your own network."
Lenkov also points out that a protégé must give as well as receive. Sponsors want to work with people whom they respect. You can make their job easier and rewarding by being the best you can be in your career. Successful protégés recognize that the relationship must be earned -- not just once, but continually.
Strategies to Landing a Board Seat: Sponsorship
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A Career Success Roadmap for Women
Event Date:
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 17:30 - 20:00
Seeking advice from seasoned professionals on how to navigate your way through the corporate world? MBA Women International Boston Chapter is hosting a panel event to focus on just this topic!
Panelists:
- Phyllis Barajas, Executive Director, Conexion
- Tracy Burns, CEO of Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA)
- Lauren Ready, Director of Marketing, ICEDR
- Martha Sloan Felch, Vice President, Sr. Relationship Manager, Blue Hills Bank
We invite you to join us on June 12, 2013 at 5:30pm – 8pm to network and enjoy our program. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
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Business After Hours at The Curtis Hotel
Event Date:
Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 18:00 - 19:15
Join the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce for business networking, refreshments and more!
Register here or learn more!
$10 members
$15 non-members and walk-ins
About the Curtis Hotel
You don’t just stay at The Curtis, you experience it! From the minute you walk through our lobby doors, you are immersed in the best pop-culture a Denver hotel can offer. You’ll find cartoons playing in our lobby and a Five & Dime filled with treats from the past. Each of our guest room floors has a personality all its own and every detail has been ‘revved up’ to create a boutique, one-of-a-kind downtown Denver Colorado hotel experience.
Chic, contemporary guest rooms and suites await your arrival in our fun Denver boutique hotel. Dressed with flat screen televisions and iPod speaker systems, entertainment is always at reach. Get a wake-up call from Elvis or Austin Powers—just a couple of the fun amenities awaiting you at our Downtown Denver hotel!
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Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce Downtown Luncheon
Event Date:
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 11:00 - 13:00
Join the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce on June 19 for a luncheon featuring Sharon Caulfield!
Register here or learn more!
$28 Members
$38 Prospective Members & all Walk-ins
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Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce West Luncheon
Event Date:
Thursday, June 6, 2013 - 11:00 - 13:00
Join the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce on June 6th for a luncheon featuring Margaret A. Burd!
Register here or learn more!
$28 Members
$38 Prospective Members & Walk-ins
Margaret A. Burd is a recognized leader in building and growing organizations that are constantly improving, acquiring skills, and implementing new and best-in-class development practices. Ms. Burd founded Magpie TI, a software development services company, and served as its CEO for nine years prior to the merger of Magpie TI with Green Energy Corp in August 2010. In July, 2012, Magpie was spun out of GEC and Ms. Burd is once again President & CEO of Magpie. She was previously Director of Engineering at Lucent Technologies Bell Labs, leading development for mobile internet and other telecommunications applications. She was responsible for managing customer contracts and relationships while running an organization with an $18M annual budget, up to 100 people at multiple (including international) sites, and as many as 10 simultaneous projects. . Earlier Margaret gained over 15 years of experience in software development at AT&T and Lucent Bell Laboratories as a developer, project manager, and technical manager. While at Bell Labs she was an inventor on two patents. She has a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Missouri State University.
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Women and Finance: Roadblock to a board seat? Maybe not so much.
We often hear that women need to step up their understanding of finance to land a seat on a corporate board. But, according to the study "Financial Literacy Around the World: An Overview", published in 2011, women seem to know as much as men when it comes to matters of finance. What they often lack is a command of the language of finance, which would make it easier for them to join the conversation in the boardroom.
According to the study's author, Annamaria Lusardi, a professor of economics and accountancy at George Washington University, women were less likely to answer questions correctly when financial jargon was used, but that didn't necessarily mean that the women were more ignorant. Women relied on the "do not know" option far more often than their male counterparts. But when the "do not know" option was eliminated, women were no more likely to pick a wrong answer than men. Said Lusardi, when "forced to pick an answer, women seemed to know as much as men."
This finding supports the notion that women are more cautious and more risk averse. "Women," said Dr. Lusardi, "are aware of their lack of knowledge while men are less willing to admit what they don't know." Cultural stereotypes add to the pressure men feel that they must be financial experts and have convinced women that they know less than they actually do.
Formal education hasn't kept pace with the complexities of modern investing, notes Meg Thakor of MoneyZen Wealth Management. Men and women are confused, but women may be more willing to ask for information.
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Vernice "FLYGIRL" Armour
Event Date:
Monday, September 9, 2013 - 07:30 - 11:30
Every year at the Simmons Leadership Conference, at least one stand-out presenter leaves audiences clamoring for an encore. At the 2012 event, it was Vernice "Flygirl" Armour—the first African American female combat pilot and author of Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter.
Flygirl is returning to Boston for a special three-hour leadership seminar presenting new material on how women can deploy her breakthrough mentality mindset to help win on the battlefield of life. Attendees enjoy a delicious breakfast before Flygirl takes to the stage for her high-energy, motivational presentation.
A book-signing session follows.
Registration Fee:
Early-bird rate, now through April 30: $149
Beginning May 1: $199
Register Now
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Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
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Hill Holliday
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11/12/13
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Camden National Corporation
Camden National is proud of its commitment to providing a gender equal workplace. 80% of Camden National stakeholders are women, as are 61% of its officers. Camden National also has a gender-diverse boardroom and executive team, and since 2009 has been recognized by the Boston Club’s Corporate Salute for valuing women’s contributions.
About:
Camden National Corporation, recently recognized by Forbes magazine as one of “America’s Most Trustworthy Companies,” is the holding company employing more than 500 Maine residents for two financial services companies including Camden National Bank and the wealth management company, Acadia Trust, N.A. Camden National Bank is a full-service community bank with a network of 50 banking offices throughout Maine. Acadia Trust offers investment management and fiduciary services with offices in Portland and Ellsworth. Located at Camden National Bank, Camden Financial Consultants offers full-service brokerage and insurance services.
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6th Annual Energetic Women Conference
Event Date:
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 12:00 - Friday, June 14, 2013 - 12:00
Develop your skills, Own your success, Increase your role, Take action in leadership!
This conference is open to anyone who wishes to seek greater influence and provide greater value to their company in the field of energy operations and engineering. Join us for two days of connection, support, and education.
Promote, Connect, Support, Recognize!
Connect with your peers in the energy industry at the 6th Annual Energetic Women's Conference! We welcome all who seek to increase their role in energy operations and engineering and add more value to their lives and their organizations. Our agenda allows for learning, networking, sharing and contributing to the unique challenges of women in non-traditional roles in the utility industry.
For more information: https://m360.midwestenergy.org/event.aspx?eventID=60905
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The Jacquelyn & Gregory Zehner Foundation
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MBA Women International 2013 Annual Conference and Career Fair
Event Date:
Thursday, October 3, 2013 - 00:00 - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 00:00
Women, Purpose & Passion: Turning Vision Into Action
This must-attend conference for MBA women is designed to assist students and professionals in their journey to develop and enhance leadership skills, network with like-minded individuals and connect with leading MBA employers. Offerings include the MBA Student and Early Professional Track, Experienced Professional Track, and the Entrepreneur Track.
Enjoy access to:
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Those In The Know
Speak Out, Margaret!
Those in the know, namely some pretty big institutional investors, have called the addition of Margaret Hayne to Urban Outfitter’s board “cynical” “bogus” and a “calculated insult" to investors who have supported shareholder resolutions against Urban's all male board.
Ms. Hayne, the wife of Urban's CEO Richard Hayne, is president of the company's Free People brand and is Urban Outfitter's second largest shareholder, outside of her husband. A smart businesswoman she's qualified to serve on lots of boards, but not on this one, shareholder activists say.
And while there's reason to believe that Mr. Hayne put his wife on the board to silence his critics, maybe he's provided us with an opportunity.
When Mark Zuckerberg put Sheryl Sandberg on Facebook's board he got a lot of flack because Sheryl was an insider. But soon after Sandberg's appointment, Facebook added a second woman, Susan Desmond-Hellmann, a Chancellor of the University of California and former president at Genintech. In our lingo, Facebook became a "W" Company.
So, we're reaching out to Margaret Hayne and asking her to speak out; to tell her husband and his cronies that her appointment marks a change; the buck doesn't stop here. The board needs another woman, and maybe a person of color to be more representative of Urban's stakeholders. Ms. Hayne has an opportunity to mend some fences. We hope she's up to the task.
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The New Leadership Mix
When we’re asked what women bring to the corporate boardroom our response is that, in general, women are more collaborative than men. They tend to have better communications skills and are more risk averse. The addition of women to boards that have been traditionally male encourage enhanced dialog, better problem solving, and ultimately better decision making, which in turn translates into better corporate performance, a growing body of research has shown.
More women in senior-level positions have prompted a dramatic shift in our thinking about leadership. Where “strong, brave and aggressive” were traits that once defined leadership, today we’re more inclined to value leaders who exhibit traits thought to be more feminine: honesty, empathy, communication, collaboration and the ability to nurture.
This shift in thinking is the focus of a new book, The Athena Doctrine – How Women (And the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future by John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio (Jossey-Bass, 2013). Based on research of 64,000 people worldwide, they found that traditional feminine values and leadership styles are more popular than the macho paradigm of the past. The book is named for the Greek Goddess Athena, the goddess of war who disliked fighting and relied on wisdom to prevail.
According to Gerzema and D’Antonio, people from around the globe are frustrated by a world dominated by behaviors that are typically thought of as male: control, competition, aggression and black and white thinking. These “male” behaviors are often cited when talking about world problems: wars, income inequality, reckless risk-taking and scandal. The authors say that roughly two thirds of people around the globe believe that the world would be a better place if men thought more like women. This is especially true for millenials.
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New York Chapter
Chapter Abbreviation:
NY
Chapter Email Address:
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At the Table: Sessions in Success
Event Date:
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - 18:00 - 21:00
The Early Bird Catches the Wisdom…I Mean the Worm!
After months of planning we are excited to announce our most interesting event yet – “At the Table: Sessions in Success”. We are throwing the traditional panel discussions out the window for this event and providing attendees with “speed dating” type mentoring discussions. Karen Kaplan of Hill Holliday, we are excited to announce a few of our Massachusetts Women’s Forum “mentors” that will be participating: Michele Whitham, Trish Karter, Kate Walsh, Lynn Nicholas, Stephanie Sonnabend, Ruth Bramson, Carol Fulp, Heather Campion, and Alison Taunton Rigby!
RSVP: https://atthetablesessionsinsuccess.eventbrite.com
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CA Urges its Public Companies to Put More Women on Their Boards - SCR 62
In another "California leads the nation" moment, on Thursday, September 12, the California State Assembly passed Resolution SCR 62 urging all publicly held corporations over the next three years to add women to their boards of directors. The California Senate approved the resolution on August 26. California is the first state in the US to take a stand on gender diversity in the boardroom and the first state to define boardroom diversity as three women directors with a timeline of three years.
SCR 62 is not a law but it demonstrates the state's commitment to diversifying the boards of California public companies. It urges companies to have a minimum of 3 women directors on every corporate board of 9 members or more by the end of 2016. Boards with 5 to 8 seats should have a minimum of two women, and boards with 4 or fewer seats should have at least one woman.
According to research conducted by UC Davis almost half of the 400 largest publicly held corporations in California have NO women on their boards.
The National Association of Women Business Owners - California (NAWBO-CA) was the sponsoring organization of SCR-62. The resolution's authors included Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara and Assembly member Bonnie Lowenthal of Long Beach CA, both Vice Chairs of the California Legislative Women's Caucus.
Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, 2020 Women on Boards/LA Chapter Co-Chair with Renee Fraser, and a board member of NAWBO-CA, worked tirelessly to bring forward this initiative. We encourage 2020 supporters to work with their own state legislators to pass similar resolutions. To get started, find the Women's Caucus (group of women legislators) in your state.
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Inaugural Greater Boston Women in Leadership Symposium
Event Date:
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 08:00 - 12:00
"A Day of Excellence Through Leadership"
The purpose of this annual event is to bring together a diverse mix of successful women leaders who - by discussing topics that pertain to today's workforce - will educate, inspire, and encourage attendees to reflect on their own goals and status as they strive to advance within their organizations.
Topics Covered
Becoming a Person of Influence in the Workplace & Community
Perceptions of Assertive Women
Winning at Office Politics
Prepping for a Position of Power
Maintaining Your Value During Shaky Economic Times
Registration $79
Register Now
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