Dear Chairwoman,: Letters from Today's Trailblazing Women Board Leaders to the Fearless Directors of Tomorrow

"This book is wonderful because it enables young women to understand the story behind the stories. The 40 very different stories showcase just how many paths to success there are and what drives the women behind the stories. It affords every reader the opportunity to see themselves in someone’s story and restore their faith and confidence in their own story."
- Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft

Dear Chairwoman illuminates the road taken by women on their way to today's boardrooms. Everyone's path is a bit different. It's the similarities that reveal how the road is paved.
- Gillian Muessig, Managing Director, Mastersfund™

" When we work together to improve board effectiveness thru diversity. .. WE ALL WIN! This board shines the light on today's trailblazers with guidance for NextGen."
- Dr. Cheemin Bo-Linn, CEO, Peritus Partners

“Post Lean-in, post #MeToo, COVID, the stay-at-home economy...Dear Chairwoman courageously calls on tribal elders with engaging folklore to guide leaders through a rite of passage, in a time like no other.”
- Lisa Hammit, EVP AI, Davidson Technologies

“This truly is an absolutely wonderful book. I know my daughters will thank you, the women and men who are supporters, sponsors, mentors – you are making a huge difference to the future of all.”
- Susan St Amanda, President & CEO, The Sirius Group

"This is amazing what you have created, and I am thrilled to be included in this exciting book."
- Tara Singh, Founding Chairwoman, NEXUS

"Rika Nakazawa lives and leads by grand example. Her work is so valuable, and her standards, so high. She never fails to hit the mark – both personally and professionally. Her words as written in 'Dear Chairwoman' are words by which to live. You will see a glimpse of her greatness – and perhaps your own -- as you read this powerful book."
- Susan Freeman, CEO Conscious Inclusion Company

"This chorus of women’s voices is the grand musical symphony we need to lead us through the 21st century. Rika and her colleagues have compiled a diverse set of trails for our daughters, sisters, and colleagues to embark upon!"
- Margo Weisz, Partner, City Lights Group

DEDICATED TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN BOARD LEADERS

In 2018, California passed a senate bill (SB 826) to require publicly held companies headquartered in CA to have at least one woman on their board by 2020. In 2020, Nasdaq proposed a mandate that would require listed companies to have at least two diverse board members with one member who identifies as female. Initiatives like these are helping advance gender parity on boards in many regions, not just the U.S. In late 2020, women held 22.6% of the board seats on the Russell 3000 for the first time, a 6.5 point jump over the past 4 years.

Zooming out to the global scale, the picture is similarly improving. In 2020, about 23% of board seats globally were held by women, compared to 20% in 2018. Yet...at the time of this writing, 10% of large global companies do not have a single woman on their board. And the percent of women who chair boards is dramatically smaller. Among the largest 500 public U.S. companies by revenue the share of women who chaired boards remained stagnant at 7.4%. Notably, of those women who chair boards, few of them use the term Chairwoman in their bios or LinkedIn profiles—opting for monikers Chairman, or Board Chair, or occasionally Chairperson.

This book features the extraordinary voices and stories of women leaders from around the world who have trailblazed to the board room, as letters to the next generation of women in business and government. With the salutation “Dear Chairwoman,” these letters are infused with the energy to inspire young women to both pursue board governance early, and to claim the 'Chairwoman' title in taking the senior-most seat in the Board Room.

Credits:
Editors: Jenn LeBlanc, Sylviane Grant, Monik MIddleton, Arna Gupta
Illustrator: Yuiko Sugino