It is widely recognized that there is a strong business case for diversity in corporate leadership. McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org’s Women in the Workplace Report from 2022 discusses the “broken rung” effect, whereby gender representation in entry-level roles may be relatively balanced, but fewer women are promoted to the next level. With fewer candidates in manager and more senior-level roles, there are fewer women in the pipeline to consider for promotion to the C-suite. The report also documents what it calls the “Great Breakup,” referring to the high rate of women leaders stepping away from their companies. The report warns that if companies don’t take action, they won’t just lose women in leadership roles today; they also risk losing the next generation of women leaders as well. During this panel, we will hear what in-house counsel Patricia Barbieri, general counsel of Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., and Stephanie Donahue, principal counsel of patent litigation of Sanofi, are doing to create and expand a diverse pipeline and retain their promising female employees, from entry level to the C-suite. They will also discuss the importance of that retention to business and consumers.
Speakers
Whitney Meier Howard, Partner, Venable LLP
Kathleen Hardway, Partner, Venable LLP