Nooyi talks corporate strategy, women leaders | Execs ask shareholders to push for boardroom diversity | Nasdaq's Friedman weighs in on her leadership approach
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi says there are still systemic challenges -- including child care and gender bias -- that prevent some women from ascending to the CEO role at major companies. Nooyi also says CEOs must do a better job of leading with the entire life cycle of the company in mind, instead of just their own tenure at the top.
Shareholders should demand boardroom diversity from the companies they invest in, both for moral and practical reasons, says TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson, noting that boards made up of diverse members tend to produce better results. Data from BoardEx shows that, although progress has been made toward gender parity in the corporate world, women hold an average of 25% of board seats at S&P 500 firms.
Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman discusses the importance of seeing the big picture and understanding where negative feedback is coming from. "That input could be informative to how you move forward or how fast you move forward," she notes.
After building a successful career that included time as chief financial officer of Imperial Oil, Beverley Babcock found a spot on the Olin Corporation Board of Directors. "If we don't grab challenges when they're presented, it makes it harder for those behind us," she notes.
A growing number of businesses are developing new strategies for women who wish to return to work after having a child, including "returnships" -- which let mothers refresh their skills through networking and mentoring. Although progress toward ending career penalties for mothers is good, companies must do more to eliminate the bias that women returning to the workforce face, writes Debrah Lee Charatan.
Data shows that 39% of students enrolled in the top MBA programs in 2019 were women, compared with 32% in 2011. Three admissions directors share how programs are encouraging women to enroll, including by using GRE instead of GMAT scores to attract students with diverse backgrounds or work histories.
Several business schools are now offering innovative, forward-looking courses. The nonprofit Aspen Institute has recognized 10 of these courses, which focus on topics such as climate change, accounting and business impact.
As 2020 approaches, job hunters need to get ready and focused for finding employment in the new year. Hiring is slow in December so spend your time networking and narrowing the type of job you want -- however, the rare December jobs tend to be good listings, writes career expert Kourtney Whitehead.
Forté Foundation is a consortium of leading multinational corporations,
top business schools in the U.S. and abroad, and the Graduate Management
Admission Council (GMAC). Forté has become a powerful change agent directing
women towards leadership roles in business and enabling corporations to more effectively
reach and retain top female talent. It is the only organization that provides a national
infrastructure for women at all stages of the career continuum to access the information,
scholarship support and networking connections they need to succeed in business careers.
Learn more at
www.fortefoundation.org.