3 Movements Led by Women Business Leaders in 2018
It’s 2018, and women have surmounted a number of seemingly-insurmountable barriers in the workplace. While we’ve collectively come a long way in mentoring and promoting women business leaders, there is still progress to be made. Research reveals that the majority of women only apply for a job or promotion if they have 100% of this listed required skills, whereas men will apply when they only have 60% of the necessary skills. On top of that, only one in five senior business leaders is a woman, while one in 25 is a woman of color. We want to change that.
Menttium is passionate about creating and supporting strong mentoring programs at companies looking to nurture their high potential individuals. While the workforce does still have a long way to go when it comes to aiding and positioning women to achieve their goals, the future is bright. Here are a few movements led by women business leaders in the past year alone that point to the growing impact and evolving role of women at the senior executive level.
Estée Lauder’s Breast Cancer Campaign
A woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 19 seconds, and beauty brand Estée Lauder seeks to change that. Founder Evelyn H. Lauder started the fundraising and awareness Breast Cancer Campaign in 1992 in the hopes of eventually helping to create a breast cancer-free world. Though she passed away in 2011, the movement continues to gather funds for breast cancer research and support from ambassadors like actress and spokesmodel Elizabeth Hurley.
The Campaign mobilizes 46,000 employees around the world, supports 60 different breast cancer organizations, and is active in more than 70 countries. Managing a yearly movement of this magnitude is no small task, but Vice President of Global Corporate Communications Bari Seiden-Young is up to the task. Seiden-Young leads The Breast Cancer Campaign and also sits on the Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She has held her role since 2010, and has had a direct impact on fundraising and awareness. Of her role, she says, “I am honored to lead a Campaign that is a unifying point-of-pride for both our employees and global stakeholders, and has made a real impact in the lives of those touched by breast cancer.”
GMP’s Integrated Energy Movement
Mary Powell is a figurehead in the world of integrated energy service. As President and CEO of Green Mountain Power (GMP), Powell solidified a partnership with Tesla on Powerwall—giving GMP customers access to 100% self-powered home energy solutions. Under Powell’s leadership, Green Mountain Power has cast aside its conventional utility model in favor of a startup culture that’s reinventing power delivery in Vermont.
GMP now champions a unique power delivery model that’s focused on helping customers use less energy and save as much money as possible. This movement seeks to empower consumers and protect our planet through integrated energy solutions that are clean, reliable, and cost effective. Powell is also pursuing a range of initiatives focused on helping customers outfit their homes and businesses with cleaner and more efficient energy technology—reducing costs and improving lives.
The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment
In October, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation collaborated with UN Environment to initiate the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, with the goal of eliminating plastic waste and pollution at the source—namely, the companies that create the waste in the first place. Companies that signed on to the initiative include L’Oréal, Unilever, Pepsico, and Danone. Overall, more than 290 companies and organizations have signed on to the global commitment. The promise isn’t only in name, either—there are set goals, and companies that have signed on are reviewed every 18 months to evaluate their progress.
Founder and Chair of Trustees Ellen MacArthur stepped away from a history-making professional sailing career in 2009 to launch her foundation. Before she did that, she spent four years traveling the world to familiarize herself with the current issues facing the global economy. Her team of people also features a number of women in key lead and managerial roles!
Support Women in Business with Menttium’s Mentoring Programs
We see the powerful women making strides and calling for change around the world, and we want more of it. Women make up just 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs. That number needs to improve. Menttium has been a woman-owned business since we began over 27 years ago, and this year, we earned a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification.
Our commitment to supporting and developing women in business extends to our program offerings. Menttium 100 matches high potential women with experienced mentors who can help them navigate and overcome the persistent obstacles facing them in the workplace. Our mentoring program, along with our numerous resources, can prepare the women in your workforce for taking more risks, making moves, and assuming additional responsibility in your company.