Heather Foust-Cummings, Ph.D., leads Catalyst’s research on corporate governance, with a focus on understanding relationships between diversity, corporate governance, and board and firm performance. As part of the tenth anniversary Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500, Dr. Foust-Cummings profiled the experiences of women board directors of companies that had demonstrated a sustained commitment over time to having a significant proportion of women on the board. Additionally, she examines the role of sponsors in influencing the advancement and retention of senior-level and high-potential women and men, which she speaks about frequently.
Prior to joining Catalyst, Dr. Foust-Cummings taught at Columbia University and conducted brand analyses for the Corporate Research Department at Young & Rubicam. Dr. Foust-Cummings received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Women's Studies from Emory University; she received her B.S. in Political Science and Secondary Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.