Catalyst Names New U.S. Class Members to the Catalyst Women on Board™ Initiative (Media Release)
June 15, 2017Global CEOs/Board Chairs Come Together for the Second Year to Sponsor Board-Ready Women in Corporate America
New York City, N.Y. (June 15, 2017)—Ten board-ready senior executive women were announced today by Catalyst as the second U.S. class of the Catalyst Women On Board™ initiative. The sponsorship program matches exceptional candidates with leading CEOs and board chairs to help advance more women onto corporate boards in the United States. Its goal is to address the fact that current boards do not reflect the diversity of our country as women only hold around 20% of all S&P 500 board seats and women of color hold about 3%.
“When it comes to impacting almost every aspect of our lives, boards matter. And not nearly enough women have voices on the boards of the world’s biggest, most powerful companies,” said Deborah Gillis, President and CEO, Catalyst. “The Catalyst Women On Board™ program is an amazing game changer—placing exceptional women on an accelerated path to the boardroom thanks to the generous support of global leaders who are willing to make a difference and really ‘walk the talk’ about diversity in the boardroom.”
The latest Catalyst Women On Board™ US initiative participating pairs include:
| Sponsors | Board-Ready Candidates |
| Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company | Diane Reyes, Global Head of Liquidity and Cash Management, HSBC |
| Ursula Burns, Retired Chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation | Lorraine Martin, Executive Vice President and Deputy, Rotary and Mission Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation |
| Mary Cranston, Corporate Director, VISA, The Chemours Company, MyoKardia | Karen Golz, Former Vice Chair, Ernst & Young Global Limited |
| David Dillon, Retired Chairman, The Kroger Co. | Anne Taylor, Vice Chairman and Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP |
| Catherine Engelbert, CEO, Deloitte US | Victoria Dolan, Chief Transformation Officer and Corporate Controller, Colgate-Palmolive Company |
| Michel Landel, Group CEO, Sodexo | Dr. Ilham Kadri, Senior Vice President and Officer, Sealed Air Corporation and President, Diversey |
| Marc Lautenbach, President & CEO, Pitney Bowes Inc. | Marie Gallagher, Senior Vice President and Controller, PepsiCo, Inc. |
| Terry Lundgren, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Macy’s Inc. | Lori Mitchell-Keller, Global General Manager, Consumer Industries, SAP |
| Christopher J. Swift, Chairman & CEO, The Hartford | Jacki Kelley, Chief Operating Officer, Bloomberg Media |
| James S. Turley, Retired Chairman & CEO, Ernst & Young Global Limited | Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Former Executive Vice President and Treasurer, Walmart Stores, Inc. |
“Diverse boards are good for business and the community. It’s not only a matter of fairness, but rather having women on boards allows companies to tap into a wider talent pool and gives them a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said Brande Stellings, Senior Vice President, Advisory Services, Catalyst. “The bottom line is change has been taking a really long time, but we know that deliberate sponsorship sparks change faster. And our initiative makes sponsorship a reality.”
The Catalyst Women On Board™ initiative launched in Canada in 2007 and expanded to the United States in 2015. Nearly 60% of its alumnae have already been appointed to corporate boards—including more than 130 board appointments—and 68 senior executive women have been selected as participants. Sponsors and board-ready candidates are global leaders at some of the largest companies and professional service firms.
For more information, visit catalyst.org/catalystwomenonboard.
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About Catalyst
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit organization accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion. With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, Australia, and Japan, and more than 800 supporting organizations, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women’s advancement with the Catalyst Award.