2008 Catalyst Awards Conference
The 2008 Catalyst Awards Conference was held on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York. Indra Nooyi, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo, Inc., gave the keynote presentation, a conversation about women in business with Catalyst President Ilene H. Lang. The Conference was sponsored exclusively by Cadillac.
In the morning, participants listened to presentations by representatives from ING U.S. Financial Services (USFS) and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., whose initiatives won the 2008 Catalyst Award. The CEOs of both companies were interviewed by Forbes.com.
Click here to watch the interview with Thomas McInerney, CEO of ING U.S. Financial Services
Click here to watch the interview with Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Forbes.com also interviewed Charles (Chad) O. Holliday, Jr., Chairman and CEO of DuPont and Chair of the Catalyst Board of Directors. Click here to watch the interview with Charles O. Holliday, Jr.
In the afternoon, Conference participants attended one of three presentations featuring forthcoming Catalyst research. Below is a look at the highlights from each of the afternoon sessions.
Women of Color and Intersectionality: Overcoming Challenges to Forming Relationships at Work
Moderator
Katherine Giscombe, Ph.D., Vice President, Women of Color Research, Catalyst
Panelists
Donna Maria Blancero, Vice President, Research Division, National Society of Hispanic MBAs
Yvette Burton, Ph.D., Business Development Executive, GLBT and Human Capital Management Segments, IBM Global Services
Diana Lee, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, MTV Networks and Nickelodeon Kids & Family Group
In the session on Women of Color and Intersectionality: Overcoming Challenges to Forming Relationships at Work, audience members learned about strategically using their multiple affinities—identities that may be visible or invisible—to connect with a portfolio of mentors and sponsors to seek career-related and emotional support. Panelists talked about “hidden” identities, such as growing up underprivileged or poor, coming from an immigrant family, being the first in their family to finish college, or growing up as a minority among other minorities, and how those experiences provide a unique vantage point in the workplace. One panelist described the “power of the unassumed” and how her hidden background of growing up as an Asian among blacks and Latinos allows her to connect and build alliances with blacks and Latinos in her workplace. Another panelist highlighted how being of color makes her stand out in a room full of “white Bobs and Toms,” and how she uses this to her advantage.
Meeting at the Generational Crossroads: Busting Myths and Exploring Realities
Moderators
Nancy Carter, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, Catalyst
Ellen Galinsky, President, Families & Work Institute
Panelists
Julie Gilbert, Best Buy Company, Inc., Senior Vice President of Winning with Women, Women’s Leadership Forum (WOLF), Learning and Innovation
Darlene MacKinnon, The Dow Chemical Company, Director, Leadership Capabilities, Global Diversity & Inclusion Group
Ron Parker, PepsiCo, Inc., Senior Vice President and Chief Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Melinda Wolfe, American Express, Senior Vice President Executive Talent and Chief Diversity Officer
Age doesn’t need to be a barrier to women’s advancement, said panelists at the session Meeting at the Generational Crossroads: Busting Myths and Exploring Realities. Senior leaders from companies with different demographics described programs for engaging employees of all ages. Best Buy uses the enthusiasm of its workforce—85 percent of which is under 23 years old—to brainstorm ideas for making its stores more welcoming to women. With more than one-half of its workforce in the Baby Boomer generation, PepsiCo teaches older workers how to ask for development opportunities and projects that keep them engaged in their work. Younger workers at The Dow Chemical Company ask—and get—more “transparency” from their leaders. American Express implements phased retirement plans to manage the retention and transfer of knowledge. Programs such as these keep employees sharp and give them the tools and opportunities to develop throughout their careers.
Including Men in Gender Equity: Techniques for Successfully Engaging Men as Diversity and Inclusion Champions
Moderator
Jeanine Prime, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research, Catalyst
Panelists
Michael Kimmel, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Sociology, Stony Brook University
Michael Welp, Ph.D., Partner, White Men as Full Diversity Partners LLC
It's in men's best interest to advocate for women's advancement but they won't do it unless pushed by the women in their lives. That was the consensus from two panelists at a discussion previewing forthcoming Catalyst research that explores the necessity of engaging men as champions of women's success on the job. "Men have to come out in the workplaces as fathers just as women have as mothers,” said Michael Kimmel, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at Stony Brook University. Men "don't think diversity is about them," added Michael Welp, Ph.D., a consultant in the field. Both panelists described deep-seated male tendencies, such as the fear of being perceived as "less masculine," as barriers to what they believe is the last frontier for moving gender equity forward. "Without men's support, the revolution will be stalled," said Dr. Kimmel. Entitled Including Men in Gender Equality: Techniques for Successfully Engaging Men as Diversity and inclusion Champions, the session was moderated by Jeanine Prime, Ph.D., who leads Catalyst's research on the topic; the panelists are advisors on the project.
2008 Catalyst Awards Dinner
2007 Catalyst Awards Conference Retrospective
2007 Catalyst Awards Dinner Retrospective
Details on the 2006 Catalyst Awards Dinner
Details on the 2005 Catalyst Awards Dinner
Details on the 2004 Catalyst Awards Dinner
Details on the 2003 Catalyst Awards Dinner
