Women in Leadership
“The Massachusetts High Technology Council’s Women in Leadership Initiative is a strong example of impactful collaboration among leaders from Massachusetts businesses, professional services and academic centers. Its ‘leaders helping leaders’ model to identify and expand effective employer practices presents a uniquely promising opportunity for employers to participate in helping solve an important challenge: closing the leadership gap between men and women in the workplace, and I encourage organizations across the Commonwealth to participate in this initiative.”
— Massachusetts Lt. Governor Karyn Polito
Guiding Successful Efforts in Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting Women into Leadership Responsibilities Across Our Organizations
For more than 41 years, the High Tech Council has successfully advocated in support of a variety of education and talent development policies and programs that support the workforce requirements of our tech and innovation economy. Since 2016, the Council has partnered with McKinsey & Company and ReacHire to discuss the implications of research that tracks changes in the number of women represented at various points along the career path.
In early 2019, Council directors launched the Women in Leadership Initiative to guide successful efforts in recruiting, retaining, and promoting women into leadership responsibilities across our organizations by building a menu of specific practices and/or recommendations in the following categories:
- Data, framing the business case and measuring success
- Best employee recruiting, retaining, and promoting practices
- Workplace culture, organization’s leadership engagement
- Off-the-record “Best Practice” round table discussions
Since 2020, Council member PTC has served as the Annual Sponsor of the Women in Leadership Initiative and to date over 100 organizations have participated in WIL Initiative events and roundtables.
Unlocking the Potential of Women
In 2020, more than 165 participants from 25 Council member organizations participated in “Unlocking the Potential of Women”, a six-week virtual learning experience to empower leaders to recognize and deliver the full potential of women in the workplace. The Council’s Women in Leadership Initiative, together with knowledge partner, McKinsey & Co., have come together to provide this special free offer exclusively to Council members.
Get Involved
We invite you to join us and become engaged in the Women in Leadership Initiative. Please contact Mark Gallagher for more information. Vistit the Council’s Events page to learn more about upcoming WIL events.
March 27, 2019: Dave Krupinski (Care.com), Kathleen Mitford (PTC), Chris Anderson (MHTC), Laurie Leshin (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), and Jacquie Moloney (UMASS Lowell)
2021 Annual Sponsor
Founding Sponsors
Knowledge and Content Partners
Women in the Workplace 2020: A Critical Crossroads
Co-hosted by: The Women in Leadership Initiative, McKinsey & Co, reacHIRE and PTC
December 3, 2020
Featuring:
- Key Findings and Themes from the Women in the Workplace 2020 Report: Presented by Megan Greenfield, Partner, McKinsey & Company
- Building Blocks To Success: Remarks from Ann Klee, Executive Vice President of Business Development, Suffolk Construction
- Deterring the Downshift: An executive-level discussion led by Addie Swartz, CEO of reacHIRE with panelists:
- Scott Couto, EVP & Head of North America, Columbia Threadneedle Investments
- Kristen Robinson Darcy, Chief Operating Officer, Fidelity Charitable
- Jennifer Reilly, Chief Human Resources Officer, MKS Instruments
- Jane Steinmetz, Boston Office Managing Principal, EY
Women in Leadership Roundtable: Unconscious Bias- Advancing an Inclusive Workplace Hosted by PTC Programming led by Bentley University September 23, 2020
Featuring:
- Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO, PTC
- Kathleen Mitford, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, PTC
- Stephen Denny, Head of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, Putnam Investments
- Nellie Borrero, Managing Director-Senior Global Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Accenture
Women in Leadership Roundtable: Managing It All-Career, Family & Community Hosted by MilliporeSigma Led by McKinsey & Co.
July 27, 2020
Featuring:
- Moderator Renee Connolly, Head of Communications for MilliporeSigma :
- Jill Zucker, Managing Partner of McKinsey’s New York Office and leader of McKinsey’s North American Women’s Initiative
- Kathryn Vasel, Senior Writer, CNN Business