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Leadership Insights from Top Women Leaders in Business

leadership insights from women in business

While the corporate world at large crawls towards gender parity in leadership, companies with women at the helm are raising the bar in every sense, across all industries. Through the constant change and unprecedented uncertainty of today’s business environment, talented women have established themselves as leaders among leaders, driving innovation and creating value through visionary, transformative leadership. Ellig Group is honored to count many of these game-changers among the previous guests of our monthly podcast, Leadership Reimagined. In no particular order, here are some of their choice words of wisdom for aspiring executives and established leaders alike:

Leadership Insight #1: Focus on impact

I never aspired to be in the C-suite. That was never on my list of “what I want to be when I grow up.” I always wanted to have impact and more impact. Every job decision I’ve made, I’ve done by answering the question, “will this next step have impact? And is it the most impact I have available to me right now?”

Priscilla Sims-Brown, CEO, Amalgamated Bank

Leadership Insight #2: Make your goals known

So many people have a goal or an objective, but they don’t tell anybody. I’ll mentor people, and I’ll say, “what do you want to do?” And when I finally pull it out of them, they’ll say, “oh, I want to run a business one day,” or, “I want to be a Chief Marketing Officer,” or whatever it might be. And then I say, “great. Who knows?” And their answer is, “what do you mean?” Listen, if people don’t know what you want, they can’t help you. So for me, being ambitious meant setting goals, but just as importantly, it meant letting people know what my goals were so they could help me. 

Shellye Archambeau, Board Member, Verizon, Roper Technologies, and Okta

Leadership Insight #3: Never stop learning

Let me give you a few examples of [leadership] essentials. One, of course, is “do the right thing”. And that is absolutely core. But my second leadership essential is, “lead with excellence, confidence, and humility”. And humility is really important because leaders with humility are learners. They don’t feel like everything needs to be built by them. So [instead of thinking], “Oh, I have to build it myself,” they’re willing to look outside. They partner, they build great teams. And I knew that as we move forward with the pace of change, with the importance of our ecosystem partners and the more and more complex business, I needed to underscore that all of my leaders needed to be learners. They needed to have that humility. They needed to be externally focused, not always internally focused.

Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture

Leadership Insight #4: Be prepared, be excellent

Maybe there are [diversity] quotas in legislation in some places, or maybe your identity checks the missing box on their list. So maybe your background gets you through the door, or maybe you have a mentor or sponsor who gets you there, but after that, it’s on you. There’s no shortcut to preparation and excellence. Those qualities will dispel any myth, any stereotype or preconceived notion about who you are or where you come from, because results speak louder than anything else. 

Lili Gil Valletta, Co-founder and CEO, CulturIntel and Cien+

Leadership Insight #5: Learn the language, follow the money

I think having a financial background and skill set can really enhance a person’s career in so many ways. Knowing how to interpret a balance sheet and understanding finance and accounting. The language of business is an invaluable skill, even if you don’t want to be a CFO or aspire to have a career in finance. But I do think being a CFO gives you a really unique perspective in a corporation. You are the allocator of capital. You’re a partner to the CEO and other business leaders, you’re a spokesperson for the company, to investors and other stakeholders. It is second in nature only to the CEO. It’s really a unique opportunity and perspective on how to operate and understand a business.

I think a lot of people misinterpret the CFO role as a back-office function, but world class CFOs are very close to the business and help steer and drive the go-forward strategy. Also, I think financial expertise is a highly sought-after skill that boards are looking for as well. It’s a great entree to the C-suite. We talk about only 4% of board members being women of color. But diversity in the C-suite is another huge opportunity and I think the finance function is a very beneficial one.

Robin Washington, Board Member, Alphabet, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc., Mastercard Foundation, Salesforce.com and StockX

Leadership Insight #6: Turn microaggressions into opportunities

Early in my career, trying to break into private equity and investing, I was always the only woman and many times, also the only minority. So I had a little bit of a double whammy going in, and I always felt like I was a little bit on the outside. Of course, one big challenge faced by most executive women I speak to is when you are the most senior woman in a room, and people turn to your junior partner or vice president who’s a male and address them as the boss. Also things like being asked to take a coat or coffee. But those are also opportunities to show up. And I have found throughout my career, when I was prepared, and I opened my mouth, and I presented facts, a lot of times the energy in the room would change immediately as I started talking, because it was clear who was the most senior person in the room.

Suzanne Yoon, Founder and CEO, Kinzie Capital Partners

Leadership Insight #7: Do what you love; serve to lead; listen, listen, listen

I always go to Maya Angelou, my favorite poet, who said, “don’t make money your goal. Instead, do what you love and do it so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” I think that’s the first place to start. 

The second piece of advice is: don’t aspire, but rather serve. I’m a big believer in servant leadership. If you put others ahead of you, if you are there to serve them, it’s amazing what comes back at you.

I listen a lot. I read all my emails. No one scans any of my emails. UPSers and customers are really great at sending me notes. It’s extraordinarily helpful because rather than poo-pooing what they say, I go check it out. Oftentimes that leads me to an opportunity I didn’t know was there.

Carol Tomé, CEO and Board Member, UPS

leadership insight

Leadership Insight #8: Have a road map, but don’t be afraid to go off-road

I think we all need a plan, but we all need to be prepared for that plan to be upended. I was an Urban Fellow under the Koch Administration. I was granted a fellowship to come into government. It was the city’s only recruitment mechanism in the late eighties, and you were able to pick your agency and work directly with commissioners and heads of agencies. In that process, I was encouraged by the leaders of the fellowship program to try something outside my area of interest. At the time, I was on my way to law school, hoping to fight for the rights of juveniles in the justice system, and I did a ton of interviewing with commissioners around the city.

In the 80s, coming out of the fiscal crisis, the city was a very different place. The physical plant was terrible. There was absolutely no way for anyone in government to hire anybody because there was a freeze on new hires. But they could bring on urban fellows, and every Commissioner in the city wanted one, so I got all sorts of offers to come into agencies and shadow the Commissioners. On a whim, I took on two fellowships, a summer one and an academic year one, and I decided to try economic development. It was a very sophisticated, quasi-public agency with a president, a board of directors, carpeting and air conditioning.

At the time, the city was a really horrendous place to work. I went to school in the Bronx; I’m pretty tough, but I have to say, walking into the Public Development Corporation, I thought, “you know what? I could spend a summer here and just figure this economic development thing out and try it on for size.” It was then and there that I realized I had real estate development in my veins. I would never have known it had I not spent that summer doing projects around the city, large scale public-private partnerships. 

MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder and CEO, MAG Partners

Leadership Insight #9: First you get the experience, then you get the skills, then you get the promotions

I think that the key role of a leader is to set a clear and inspiring vision for the team about what the priorities and key strategies are. And then to create an environment where everyone feels like they can bring their full selves to work and thrive. Breaking down barriers when they get in the way. It’s really about being humble enough to know that you can’t do it yourself, and that the efforts and achievements of a team are always better than those of an individual when you’re all rowing in the same direction.

So the advice that I give is, when you’re early in your career, don’t be focused on promotion timing, be focused on acquiring diverse experiences, work in a different function, if you’re in the finance organization, ask to work for a few months in the marketing organization. If you work in retail, ask to work in the field. When I was growing up in the marketing organization at P&G, I had the great opportunity to spend three months working as a sales rep, stocking shelves, calling on grocery store managers, understanding how to build a display. These were things that really helped me later on. Also, when I was running the global cosmetics business, I took the opportunity to go to a Boots cosmetics counter. In the UK, just outside of London, I spent a week as a makeup artist at a Max Factor counter that we had at Boots.

Now, I’m not saying I didn’t get help; I’m not sure you want me to be your makeup artist. But I learned so much throwing myself into that different experience. So that’s what I always say to young leaders: don’t be focused on how quickly you can move up, be focused on how well rounded your learning is. Because that’s ultimately what will give you the perspective to make better decisions, and to be a better leader of people across functions that you don’t understand very well. 

Gina Drosos, CEO, Signet Jewelers

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Tonie Leatherberry was at Deloitte for nearly three decades where she was the principal architect of The Board Leadership Forum and the NextGen CEO Academy, each of which has had a meaningful impact, ultimately placing more than 70 Black leaders into executive-level and board roles. As Chair Emeritus of the Executive Leadership Council, she created the Chairman’s Council of Academic Achievement to address achievement gaps for students of color in America’s educational systems, and as President of the Deloitte Foundation, the mission was to drive initiatives to develop future leaders through education. She is a passionate leader who has devoted much of her professional life to creating opportunities for women and people of color. Tonie is Lead director for Direct Digital Holdings, and a Board Director at Zoetis Inc. and American Family Insurance.

Cindie Jamison was elected Chair of the Darden Restaurants Board (NYSE: DRI) in September 2023, having served as a Director since October 2014 as part of a complete Board replacement slate through Starboard Value’s proxy fight. Since 2013, she has also served on the Office Depot Board (NASDAQ: ODP) where she Chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee. In May 2015, she joined the Big Lots, Inc (NYSE: BIG) Board, and became Chair in May 2022. In May 2023 Cindie stepped down from the Tractor Supply Company Board (NASDAQ:TSCO), a position she has held since 2002, where she was Chairman of the Board, after serving as Lead Director, and Chair of the Audit, Compensation & Corporate Governance Committees. Cindie joined the Board of Save the Children in February 2024.

David Chun, Founder and CEO, Equilar, Inc., has led Equilar since its inception to become one of the most trusted names in the corporate governance community. David has been recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential Players in Corporate Governance” by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the Disruptor Award by 2020 Women on Boards and Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business. David speaks publicly on corporate governance and board diversity matters, including events hosted by The Conference Board, Deloitte, EY, HR Policy Association, KPMG, NACD, NASDAQ, NYSE, The Society for Corporate Governance and Stanford’s Directors’ College. Prior to founding Equilar, David was a Vice President in the Investment Banking Division of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette, a global investment bank that has since merged with Credit Suisse. Before DLJ, David was a management consultant with Bain & Company and also Kenan Systems, a telecom software developer acquired by Lucent Technologies. David serves on the boards of the Commonwealth Club of California, PGA Reach, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG). He is on Nasdaq’s Center for Board Excellence Advisory Board and Catalyst’s Women on Board Advisory Council. David is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Past Chair of the SF Bay Chapter, a founding member of the Council of Korean Americans (CKA) and a former board member of the Wharton Center for Entrepreneurship and the Asian Pacific Fund Community Foundation of San Francisco.

Equilar Inc 150x150

Priscilla Sims Brown serves as President and CEO of Amalgamated Bank, a full-service bank, lender and investment manager with a century-long commitment to advancing positive social change. Amalgamated Financial Corp., the holding company for the Bank, is the first publicly traded (NASDAQ: AMAL) financial institution to be a public benefit corporation. Priscilla guides Amalgamated Bank in championing social responsibility through values-based banking, customer-centric services, and mission focused lending, serving individuals and organizations, including climate groups, foundations, labor unions, advocacy groups, political campaigns, and other socially responsible businesses, who care that their deposits are put to work for good. Priscilla is also dedicated to addressing environmental and social justice issues at Amalgamated Bank. More than 60% of the Bank’s lending and select balance sheet investments are high-impact through affordable housing, nonprofits, and climate solutions. Named one of the Most Powerful Women in Banking in 2023 by American Banker, Priscilla has been featured in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, PBS, and CNBC Changemakers, among others.

Amalgamated Bank 150x150

Myra Biblowit is the President Emeritus of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the nation’s highest-rated breast cancer research organization with a mission focused exclusively on funding the world’s most promising research. Myra took the helm as BCRF President in 2001 and, after 22 years, retired in April 2023. During Myra’s tenure, BCRF funding enabled breakthroughs in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, metastasis, and survivorship. Myra was widely recognized for leading one of the most impactful, financially efficient, and transparent nonprofits in the United States. Prior, Myra was Vice Dean for External Affairs at NYU Medical Center where she headed the Development, Alumni Relations and Public Relations departments. Previously she led the capital campaign as Senior Vice President of the American Museum of Natural History. Earlier, Myra served as Executive Vice President of the Central Park Conservancy. Myra is a member of the Board of Directors of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, the Housewares Charity Foundation and the Historic House Trust of New York City. She is a member of the New York Women’s Forum, the Yellow for Pink National Council, Extraordinary Women on Boards and serves on the Advisory Board of Project Hope for Ovarian Cancer Research & Education.

Truett Tate is Chairman of a number of Boards, including Reference Point, TLC Lions, Thinkably and the recently retired Chairman of QBE, NA. Truett Tate is also Director of the DEVClever board. Truett has a long and esteemed global executive history including most recently as CEO of ANZ USA, Europe, Japan, Korea and the Middle East. Immediately prior, he was Group Executive (and Board member) at Lloyds Banking Group, responsible for Wholesale & International Banking (Including Global Wealth and International Retail) across the United Kingdom, the Americas and worldwide and prior spending 27 years at Citigroup where he held a variety of senior roles including corporate banking business across each of its regional geographies. Truett’s long board history includes Virgin Group, Ten Group, the BITC, BAB Inc along with many other charitable and academic organizations. A speaker, guest lecturer, philanthropist and professional coach/mentor, Truett has seemingly bottomless energy and passionate interest in a safer, more just, more humane and more sustainable world.

Janice Ellig team image

Janice Reals Ellig

Chief Executive Officer

As the head of the Ellig Group, Janice is dedicated to increasing the placement of women and diverse candidates on corporate boards and in C-suites by 2025. Janice joined the legacy firm in 2000 and became Co-Chief Executive Officer in its transition to Chadick Ellig in 2007; she assumed sole ownership of the company as the Ellig Group in 2017 with a new focus on Reimagining Search. Prior to her career in executive search, Janice spent 20 years in corporate America at Pfizer, Citi and Ambac Financial Group, an IPO from Citibank, where she was responsible for Marketing, Human Resources, and Administration.

Heralded by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of “The World’s Most Influential Headhunters,” Janice is often consulted for her expertise and her commitment to gender parity, inclusion, and diversity. She frequently appears at speaking engagements and as a media guest, and she has penned multiple articles for outlets such as Directors & Boards, Directorship, Corporate Director, The Huffington Post, and Forbes.com. Janice also co-authored two books: Driving The Career Highway and What Every Successful Woman Knows, acknowledged by Bloomberg Businessweek as “the best of its genre.”

A tirelessly active member of the industry and champion of her causes, Janice is Founder of the Women’s Forum of New York’s Corporate Board Initiative and its signature event, Breakfast of Corporate Champions. Since 2011, Janice continues to spearhead this event to honor companies committed to board diversity and to encourage CEOs to sponsor board-ready women for the Women’s Forum database. (LINK: www.womensforumny.org).

Janice is personally committed to several NFP organizations: Board Director of the National YMCA and Past Chair of the YMCA Board of Greater New York; Trustee of the Actors Fund and Committee For Economic Development (CED); Incoming Chair, University of Iowa Foundation; Women’s Forum of New York Past President and Chair of the Corporate Board Initiative; member of the Steering Committee, US 30% Club and The Economic Club of New York.

In recognition for her many philanthropic activities, Janice received the University of Iowa Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011 and the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) Eleanor Raynolds Award for Volunteerism in 2008. Named one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews, she was also a recipient of the Channel 21 Award In Excellence for her contribution to “Excellence in the Economic Development for Women.”

“Listening to our clients’ needs, learning their business and understanding their culture is how we present the best talent and provide  a competitive advantage. We place candidates with the character, competencies, commitment, (intellectual) curiosity and courage to make a difference. Our goal is always to go beyond the expected and deliver valuable advice, measurable results and great talent!”

– Janice Reals Ellig

  • Champion of gender parity, diversity, and inclusion
  • Industry expert, speaker, and author
  • Founder of the Women’s Forum of New York’s Corporate Board Initiative
  • Committed board and committee member and philanthropist

T: (212) 688-8671 ext. 226
E: Janice@ElligGroup.com