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 …

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 h…

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 …

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 …

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 Chica…

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 creativ…

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 lear…

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 Po…

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 thi…

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…

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 …

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, co…

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…

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, P…

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 ca…

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 a…

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, limiti…

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, S…

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 corpo…

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…

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 epi…

A key component of the Leading Women Executives curriculum focuses on negotiations, including how to recognize opportunities to negotiate, positions vs. interests, and different strategies for successful outcomes. In this episode, Tracy Hedrick, Vice President, Card Operations, Discover Financial Services; Ambassador Fall 2020, and Heather Lindsay,…

As CEO of the American Red Cross of Illinois, Celena Roldan is responsible for leading her team, and thousands of volunteers, to serve communities in times of crisis. The past 18 months, in particular, have generated a wealth of leadership lessons in communication, transparency, building culture and affecting positive social change. In this episode…

Serving on a Corporate Board is both an exciting opportunity and sizable responsibility. Board members have the opportunity to share their knowledge and business expertise, as well as glean new ideas to bring back to their own organizations. In this episode, Deidra Merriwether, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Grainger, and CEO …

The words we use to describe others in the workplace, particularly when it comes to evaluating performance, need to be chosen with care. Often, we use different words when describing men and women, which can have a profound impact on perceptions, decisions and opportunities. In this episode, Lori Mackenzie, co-founder of Stanford’s VMware Women's L…

Fostering innovation requires a unique balance between decentralized creativity to ideate and build new solutions, and centralized allocation of organizational resources and support to bring those ideas to life. In this episode, Sona Chawla, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer, CDW, and Leading Women Executives Advocate, discusses the links between…

Succession planning requires a deep understanding of the company’s strategic objectives, as well as the interests and career goals of its valued leaders. In this episode, TransUnion’s Anne Leyden, Executive Vice President & Head of Human Resources and Katie Coleman, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Leading Women Executives Ambassador, Fal…

Deb DeHaas recently joined Corporate Leadership Center as CEO, following her retirement from Deloitte as Vice Chairman and National Managing Partner for the Center of Board Effectiveness. An active member of multiple boards and civic organizations, she is committed to making an impact as a business leader and member of the community. In this episod…

This year has been a particularly challenging one, requiring everyone to find new ways of living, working and practicing resilience. Ambassadors from the Spring 2019 program reflect back on 2020, and how lessons from the Leading Women Executives program helped them be more effective leaders throughout this tumultuous time. Featuring Summer Collins,…

Leadership journeys often uncover opportunities to take on “stretch roles” – positions that require new skill sets and new responsibilities, and which yield great rewards. Moving into these roles requires courage, confidence and a willingness to step out of one’s comfort zone. In this episode, Kris Yates, President of Allsteel (a division of HNI Co…

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to accelerate their digital transformation strategies to meet their customers’ needs quickly, creatively and efficiently. In this episode, we explore the concepts of the Digital Rubicon and proximity, and how Ulta is applying these lessons to how they do business. Featuring: Rob Wolcott, Co-Founder and Exe…

Corporate Leadership Center Co-Chairmen and Leading Women Executives Co-Founders Cheryl Francis and Sheila Penrose reflect on their experiences as senior business leaders at a time when few women had a ‘seat at the table’. In this episode, they acknowledge important mentors who influenced them throughout their careers and share their experiences as…

Peer boards are an integral part of the Leading Women Executives program. These carefully curated, smaller groups of 4-5 women are designed to help participants cultivate a strategic network and valuable resource for professional viewpoints. In this episode, a peer board from the Spring 2018 cohort explores how their professional connections flouri…

The COVID-19 crisis has forced organizations to reassess and realign how they do business. Understanding customers’ changing needs is a critical step in the process and requires companies to listen, learn, and adapt quickly in order to succeed in this new environment. In part one of this episode, Michael Treacy, Founder, and President of The Treacy…