It’s an honor and a thrill to be named Catalyst’s new President & CEO. It is my dream job, and I am deeply humbled. Catalyst’s vision and mission have been a career-long passion. In fact, my career has benefited so much from the work that Catalyst has done, and I am excited to have the opportunity to help write the next chapter and pay it forward to future generations.
Throughout my career, I’ve benefited from Catalyst’s efforts to create organizations that work for women. I’ve also worked to support women inside and outside my own organizations through mentoring, sponsoring, and creating programs like 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures, a global mentoring program to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM.
As we begin the next chapter, we are in a time of rapid change. Millennials are replacing baby boomers as the largest group in the workplace and bringing a new set of values and cultural considerations to work. Technology is fueling a transformation of the very nature of work itself. The #MeToo movement and increasingly visible sexual harassment have put our mission on the front page more than any time since the early 1970s. Companies have a renewed imperative to make workplaces work for women. We have a tremendous opportunity to move our mission forward aggressively.
I am excited to be taking the helm of Catalyst with a mandate to put Catalyst at the forefront of this new wave. I am looking to apply my diverse experience in business, government, and nonprofits and my strengths in technology, innovation, and partnering to do so. I am also hoping to maintain balance in my life with time to play with my six-month-old grandson and do a few century bike rides.
But I’m just one person. The challenges we face as we build a workplace for the future can’t be solved by one person or organization alone. And so I’ll be looking out to our diverse Supporter organizations, our Boards, the broader community—and our amazing staff—to build on the energy behind our mission in this moment. We will be thinking big, building partnerships, and finding new opportunities to turn the current spotlight on women’s experiences in the workplace into positive and lasting change.
I’m confident we can do this, and I look forward to doing this work together with all of you!