Concluding Thoughts from Edie Frasier and Gwen Young for the Modern Leadership Roundtable

Thank you all for today though. Thank you to the companies and the partners. As you know, we are transparent and uncover the data. So today, for example, while we were all sitting here, our monthly board report came out that shows you how many women have been appointed to the boards of public companies who self identifies and where they are. We had our women in the C suite and Pathways report come out with interviews with 20 women. How did they get to the CC? What did they do? We had our women's CEO report come out September 22nd at our summit and November 2nd our report's coming out on women corporate tech executives across industries. And we're doing the three things we talked about today. We're making the data transparent, we're providing that evidence base, we're providing those best practices and we're showcasing those women and those companies, much like Zoetis, that are really leading the way to do this because that's part of what we're doing together is how do we do this best practices. We know it matters. We're here, but we're driving that and that's what we're here for today. And I want, you know, Edie, come up, let's talk about what you want him to take away from today's meeting. And we realize we are between networking and drinks. But Edie, I'm going to turn it over to you for a moment.

Do we want to thank everybody. We inspired, you know, Sharon, you said we'd make history today. I think is if we turn to Nerene what you just said to us to what we could do really to accelerate and just is when we start. Let me just reflect for three minutes of or two minutes or one. But Felicity, when you started with the diversity panel and you really talked about transparency all over the place and the influences of change with your panel and they were absolutely clear cut on their roles in the boardroom in the C suite and to really drive change. And as Sandra Quince even said, the impact of recruiting and retention and the data but the absolute commitment to diversity like we've never seen before. Even Nellie from Accenture when said who's missing in the room that we really need to elevate and is what are we going to everybody talk about sponsorship. I mean Sandra Quincen when he talked about the hiring, the slating up right. Of what we've got to do to really build across the board and with Akamai, when Khalil really talked about it takes really aggressive leadership to go forward and to really take and seize on those systems and and Then when we talked about influencers and chiefs and that was really very, very good in that discussion, that board group really showed us can we just really reflect what that board group brought us? Because when they talked about not only the numbers everyone Talked they're either 40, 50%, their driving change of what they're doing with just real purposeful action. And is clearly when P and G took their four pillars and said what really makes it count between employees and boards and partners and communities, which we've been talking about all day. And when we go through and look when those board people talked about walking around and getting to know you and demanding data which they no longer need to do because they're getting it as purposeful leaders pushing that equity and change of what we look for. And when we talked about because Nobody could decide 1 day, 2 day, 3 day, 4 day how many days at work it really was flexibility. And we've really got to change in order to attack and retain. And that whole sense of what we need to do to bring more voices in the room as that Paula said from what we've got and change. And as we then talk all about the upskilling of talent. But the future looked pretty bright if we get pretty aggressive, right from what everybody said. And Kimber, you really talked about a lot the transparency of leadership. And Lorraine and we all talked about sponsorship above everything else. And ELC says we really and reflected back to what we've said, the war for talent. And we have won. We that means employees have won. If we've really gone forward and Christine Bogart of really saying we can't stop because we've lost some tech talent and then what are we going to do about the whole venture capital? But if we go through everything that we heard today and you all have more moats than me. It's really the value of what we're doing together just to accelerate and we can just take some pride and say but it can't take a lot of time because we don't have it. Does everybody agree there's some sense? Well, we'll take time and figure it out. Andy, you're saying we no. And it is the bold that we do with each other. And I think when as we look at from our partners to everybody here and to look at whether it's Goldenseed or Catalyst and everybody in the room and all the companies. Robert Reese, you've been following us. And as a man you stepped up with Balaji and others. We of all talk the men in the room. We can't do it without you. So, Gwen, I just think we're totally grateful, but this has re energized us to accelerate everything we're doing. Do you?

I think it absolutely has. And I took away the words, you know, intention, action, transparency, and allyship. And for those of you that know me and work with me. Right. I'm always like, we're there. What do we need to do? And let's start it now. Do we have a marketing plan? Yes, we do. Right. But I want to build on what Edie said, so I want to thank and just kind of acknowledge who's in the room and who we've been with today. So if you are a WBC board member, please stand up, please. Thank you all. And what I love about this board is they're not only here in the audience, they're up on stage. And we're really working to drive this, to drive and make this happen quicker than it's ever been. The next group is. Of these 73 partner organizations. Can we please stand up, all of you, from Catalyst to Wit Network, the Diligent Institute, Rosina, Nerene, this is fantastic. And people we work with every day today would not have happened without our staff. Mahin, Dana, Robin, please stand up. Give them a warm and wonderful applause. Elizabeth, Clay Doherty, please stand up. And I want to thank all of our corporate sponsors and those companies and organizations that we work with every day. And we did this with Diligent. Where is the Diligent team? Dottie, are you. Behalf of the Diligent team. There we are. There's Kira in the back there. You know, in Diligent, in this true spirit of collaboration, we released our board report in April looking at board diversity in companies. And Diligent in September released a global board diversity report. So we're all here, we're all doing action, and we're all doing it together. I have one final thank you. And then I want to invite everybody together to let's go and network, have a drink, celebrate, because that is what the WBC does. But first, I want to give these flowers to Judith Goldcrant and Wells Fargo for hosting us in this beautiful space. Judith, thank you.