Catalyst Welcomes Accenture CEO Julie Sweet as New Board Chair (Media Release)

Sweet leads Board with eight new Board members from Dow, Solvay Group, KPMG, The Guardian Life Insurance Company, Zoetis, Lockheed Martin, Chobani, and BMO Financial Group.

New York, New York – Catalyst, the global expert in accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion, welcomes Accenture CEO Julie Sweet as its new Board Chair and eight new Board members to its Board of Directors.

Sweet, a current Board member, was elected as Board Chair on March 18. She succeeds former Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO, Marillyn Hewson. She is also the third woman to chair the Board. Sweet follows Hewson and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the first woman to serve as Catalyst Board Chair.

Named Accenture CEO in September 2019, Sweet served as Chief Executive Officer of Accenture’s business in North America. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum and serves on the Board of Directors for the Business Roundtable. She also was named No. 1 on Fortune Magazine’s 2020 “Most Powerful Women”.

“I am honored to serve as the new Chair of the Catalyst Board and would like to thank Marillyn Hewson for her outstanding leadership and vision,” said Sweet. “This is a pivotal time to rebuild and reimagine the world we live in, and in doing so, we can accelerate gender equality in all parts of business and society. I look forward to collaborating with our new Board members, along with Catalyst leaders and supporters, to drive a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.”

The new appointees, who joined the Board in January and March, bring a wide range of experience to Catalyst’s Board:

• Jim Fitterling is Chairman and CEO of Dow, who serves as Executive Sponsor of Dow’s Global African Affinity Network and is known for his work supporting LGBTQ+ non-discrimination and workplace equality. He is a member of the Out Leadership Global Advisory Board and serves on the Boards of 3M, the Business Roundtable, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Chemistry Council.
• Ilham Kadri is CEO of the Solvay Group, Chair of its Executive Committee, a member of the Board of Directors and serves on the Boards of A.O. Smith and L’Oreal.
• Paul Knopp is Chair and CEO of KPMG LLP. He also serves on the Boards of the Center for Audit Quality, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, Partnership for New York City, and the US-India Business Council.
• Andrew McMahon is CEO and President of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. He also serves on the Boards of the American Council of Life Insurers, the Partnership for New York City and the New York State Insurance Advisory Board.
• Kristin Peck is Chief Executive Officer of Zoetis and serves on the company’s Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Business Roundtable and Columbia Business School’s Advisory Board of the Deming Center for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness. She was named a Fortune 2020 Businessperson of the Year.
• James Taiclet is Chairman, President, and CEO of Lockheed Martin. He previously served as Chairman, President, and CEO of American Tower Corporation.
• Hamdi Ulukaya is the Founder and CEO of Chobani. He founded the Tent Partnership for Refugees and was named an Eminent Advocate by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). He is also a recipient of the Oslo Business for Peace Award and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
• Darryl White is Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Group. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board.

Hewson, who was elected as Board Chair in September 2019, served on the Catalyst Board of Directors for seven years. During her tenure as Chair, she helped Catalyst leadership successfully navigate through the pandemic, and provided considerable support through Lockheed Martin to our “Women and the Future of Work” research.

“I am proud of the meaningful work we’ve accomplished together at Catalyst. We’ve strengthened opportunities for women at every level, and we’ve supported women already leading in the workplace,” said Hewson. “As I look to the future of Catalyst under Julie Sweet’s leadership of our outstanding Board, I am confident we can continue to expand hope, equality, and leadership development for women.”

The Catalyst Board of Directors works collaboratively with a Board of Advisors to guide the organization’s strategy, and with Advisory Boards for operations in Canada and Europe.

“Marillyn has been a model of inclusive leadership and courageously helped lead Catalyst through these turbulent times,” said Catalyst President and CEO Lorraine Hariton. “And we’re grateful to have Julie’s incredible vision, energy and expertise in leading our Board into the future.”

Learn more at catalyst.org.

 

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About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.

 

Contacts

Naomi R. Patton
Vice President, Media & Public Relations
Catalyst
[email protected]

 

Stephanie Wolf
US Communications Consultant
Catalyst
[email protected]