Chief

Thanks for the honor, TIME! We are incredibly proud and grateful to be recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023. This recognition is a testament to our talented and passionate team and incredible community of Chief Members. We started this journey just over four years ago — our work is just beginning, and we look forward to all that lies ahead as we continue to advance our mission to change the face of leadership. #TIME100Companies

Congratulations to the Chief Members celebrating major career milestones this week. We’re continually inspired by your hard work and commitment to impact. — Sara Jones was hired as Chief Solutions Officer at Formstack — Jean B. was promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer at Farm Credit Services of America — Deborah Battaglia was hired as Senior Vice President, Head of Customer Experience at Farmers Insurance — Laura Demuth, MSN, APRN, NP-BC was promoted to Vice President, People and Patients at Curology — Kelle Coleman was hired as Head of Marketing & Growth at verb. — Stephanie Bograd was hired as Managing Director, Deputy Chief Auditor at BNY — Yana Holets launched NeoTech Gen AI — Yelena La Forgia, CPA received a Business Insurance Women to Watch Award — Julie Parisio Roy, CFA CFP was named one of Barron's 2024 Top Women Financial Advisors — Joanna Popper was named one of 50/50 Women on Boards’ 50 Women to Watch for Boards

When The Society for Human Resources Management announced (https://lnkd.in/gxEnrTsX) that it was dropping the E from IE&D “effective immediately,” the backlash was similarly immediate, with people calling the decision “disappointing” and “reactionary.” Swipe through for insights from Chief Member and HR exec Tiffany R. Frasier, MBA, SHRM-SCP, CMC plus why companies should be concerned with the shift toward softer language (Hint: Lawyer Christopher Lyle anticipates a slew of legal issues, too). 

Is generative AI all hype? Businesses don’t seem to think so. Demand for Chief AI Officers has tripled in the last five years, with compensation packages surpassing $1 million. Here are key insights for succeeding in this new C-Suite role from Deborah Perry Piscione, author of the forthcoming Harvard Business Review book “Employment Is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies Are Revolutionizing the Way We Work.”

Looking for your next dose of inspiration? Here’s what every leader should add to their summer reading list. Whether you’re looking to tackle your executive anxiety once and for all or position yourself as a problem-solver, this list will help you do it. 1. Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams 2. Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World by Ginni Rometty 3. Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trust Leaders Guide to Solving Problems by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss 4. When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn From Them by Julia Boorstin 5. Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears Into Your Leadership Superpower by Morra Aarons-Mele 6. To the Top: How Women in Corporate Leadership Are Rewriting the Rules for Success by Jenna Fisher 7. Stop Self-Sabotage: Six Steps to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower, and Get Out of Your Own Way by Dr. Judy Ho 8. Embrace the Power of You: Owning Your Identity at Work by Tricia Montalvo Timm 9. Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion by Wendy Suzuki 10. Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Deborah Liu Which book will you be picking up? Let us know in the comments. P.S. Make sure you’re following Chief so you don’t miss out on our summer reading list giveaway 👀 We’ll see you back here on August 13 for our first book club.

Congratulations to the Chief Members who made bold moves this week. We’re cheering you on not only in these big moments but in your moments of impact every day. — Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers) was hired as Partner at The Change Agencies — Smriti Laxman Popenoe, CFA was promoted to Co-Chief Executive Officer at Dynex Capital, Inc. — Natriece Bryant was hired as Chief Operations Officer at the Denver Public Library — Fay Kallel was hired as Chief Product and Design Officer at Intuit Mailchimp — Rina Thakker was hired as Chief Product and Technology Officer at Grand Slam Track – Sara Jones was hired as Chief Solutions Officer at Formstack — Alicia Tozier was hired as Chief Strategy Officer at UNITY Biotechnology — Deborah McBride was hired as Vice President of Finance, Controller at TransForce — Viravyne Chhim was named one of The Hedge Fund Journal's Private Markets: 50 Women Leaders 2024 — Jennifer Koster, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP was named one of Corp! Magazine’s Most Valuable Professionals for 2024

Authentic leadership 🤝 emotional expression. On the heels of this historic win, Michele Kang owner of Kynisca Sports International — the first global, women-owned, multi-club organization in women’s football — has donated $4 million to the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens team. The funds will help grow the sport and provide improved resources to its players and coaching staff ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Recent high ratings for women’s sports prove that, with the right exposure, fans will watch — and sponsorship dollars will follow.

It’s always a good idea to bet on women. In case you missed it, rapper Flavor Flav inked a five-year sponsorship deal with the U.S. Women’s Olympics Water Polo Team after finding out from social media that the three-time gold medalists were still working two or even three jobs to fund their trip to Paris. While the 2024 Olympic Games achieved gender parity for the first time, this makes it clear that there is still a gap in funding and support for women competitors. This unexpected partnership is a prime example of how business leaders can go beyond rote “inclusion” initiatives, pairing commitment with action for true allyship and advocacy. The viral content that followed is just the cherry on top.

As of 2024, there are five generations active in the workforce. Twenty-seven percent of them work remotely full-time, and 54% work in a hybrid environment. Due to this unprecedented shift in our working environment, executive leaders face greater challenges than ever in cultivating an active, engaged company culture. That’s why when a people leader in tech asked: “What can I do as a leader to create a culture of collaboration across generations, especially with some of my team working remote and hybrid?,” we turned to Stacey Payne, Chief People Officer of Daily Harvest, to share the leadership strategies she’s developed to address this challenge. Read Payne’s recommendations and insights at the link below. 

To be nice, or to be authentic? That is the question many executive women ask themselves each day. It may be counterintuitive but, in the professional arena, pursuing likability may hamper an organization’s ability to move through productive conversations. Psychologist Dr. Robin Buckley (she/her) argues that inauthenticity holds the potential to create a suffocating atmosphere, stifling diversity and promoting groupthink. That’s on top of the pressure it adds to you — and your team — to maintain a certain appearance at all times. To executives everywhere: Remember that true leadership lies in the ability to make challenging, sometimes unpopular decisions for the ultimate benefit of your organization.