Diversity Woman Magazine

FALL 2015

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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40 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N Fa l l 2 0 1 5 d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m 100 BEST COMPANIES FOR WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Insurance Solutions at the frm. "Tat comes in many realms— in gender, age, ethnicity, and diferent areas of expertise." Strable-Soethout, the frst woman to become a division presi- dent at Principal, says several mentors advocated for her with senior leadership—and also nudged her out of her comfort zone. Te opportunities were many, thanks to Principal's rota- tional training program, which moved her around the company. "Early on in my career, I worked in Brussels, Belgium," she says. "I had an amazing opportunity to work independently and learn about diferent cultures. In my 25 years, I've had 10 diferent roles, so Principal has been great about giving me diferent op- portunities to learn more about the business. I learned early on that a pure technical role probably wasn't for me. I liked leading people and pulling many diferent aspects together." Several years ago, Principal launched Women's Network for Leaders (Strable-Soethout has been an executive sponsor since its start) to move more women into leadership. Te program ofers career development, networking, job shadowing, and mentoring. Te company has also rolled out two sister programs, Women in Sales and Women in Technology. Strable-Soethout acknowledges that there's more work to do but says, "Diversity culture is very much embedded within the company, and we see a lot of success." Finnegan, Garrett & Dunner LLP Women at the Top W omen have certainly progressed in the legal profession since the early 1950s—when only 3 per- cent of attorneys were female—but law con t inues to be mostly male, especially in the upper echelons. Not so at Finnegan, where 55 percent of staf chief ofcers and directors are women, as are 71 percent of managers and supervisors. Tat's particularly impressive for an intellectual property frm like Finnegan, which seeks lawyers with technical and science undergraduate degrees, a pool that continues to be primarily male. "Te frm has made great strides despite these challeng- es," says Dori Hines, a partner at the frm. "When I became a partner in 2000, I was the frst woman partner in the Electrical Practice Group. Tat year, the ranks of women partners broke into double digits, and since that time, women have served as practice group and section leaders, members of the manage- ment and compensation committees, managing partner, and frm chair." Young female attorneys at Finnegan have benefted from the Women's Initiative program, which provides mentorship. When Hines was an associate—and a new parent—she sought out a partner in the Mechanical Practice Group, Barbara McCurdy. "I heard she was an excellent lawyer and I knew she had a young family," Hines says. "We worked on several projects, and I was able to see frsthand how she balanced work and family. And she gave me great opportunities. I've tried to use Barbara's example as I work with young women at the frm." Finnegan has also incorporated work–life initiatives like back- up child care, a generous maternity leave policy, and a phased back-to-work program for new mothers. Te frm also allows telecommuting, remote work, and even an 80 percent work schedule (with full benefts) or a 60 percent schedule. As women assume key leadership positions, Finnegan is also bringing other diverse voices to the table—representing difer- ences in race, geography, and practice type. As Hines says, "We serve our clients best if we understand their business needs and can also relate to and identify with their individual experiences." Eli Lilly and Company Giving Women a Voice in Succession Planning E li Lilly began hiring women and promoting them into key roles long before the practice was common. It was 1876 when the company hired its frst female employee, and in 1927 Anna Hickson became Lilly's frst female lab technician. Over time, the global pharmaceutical company's commitment to workplace diversity has only grown. To diversify the very top of the organization, Lilly evaluates all talent for leadership po- tential, especially seeking out diverse talent. All managers—36 percent are women—assess their employees to fnd the shining stars, who are given opportunities to grow their leadership skills. In addition, the Global Lilly Women's Network, composed of more than 4,500 members around the world, helps women to successfully lead and exert infuence at the company. Te net- work ofers quarterly speaker events, teleconferences with female leaders at Lilly, and a leader's conference. Trough these programs, many women have been groomed for leadership and have ultimately risen up the ranks. For exam- ple, Lilly has four women and two people of color on its 14-per- son executive committee, who report directly to the CEO and have proft-and-loss responsibilities. Te company also has four women on its board of directors (29 percent), besting many other Fortune 500 companies. Research shows that organizations must have at least three women directors to reach "critical mass," thereby enhancing performance and governance, yet 28 percent of the Fortune 500 have just one female board member, and 5 percent have none. Because Lilly serves so many diferent cultures and needs, its diversity eforts span the globe. In 2004, Lilly introduced a program to develop female leaders in Japan and has since rolled out work–life balance programs there. Over the last fve years, Lilly Saudi Arabia has transformed its local workforce from having no female employees to being a national industry leader in gender diversity. Lilly had to get permission from the national labor ofce to have a "female section" in the business and had to restructure its local ofce to meet the agency's requirements. But leaders say the invest- ment has been worth it, because having a strong female presence is essential for the company to achieve its business goals and improve quality of life for people around the world. IN

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