Ilene Fischer

29 March 2012

WEST: ADVANCING WOMEN IN

STEM CAREERS

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WEST: Foundation and Background Information

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Founded 2000

• Founders: physicists and astrophysicists

• Committed to develop women in Science, Engineering as leaders in their careers

• Branches in Boston and Madison, WI

• Programs in the greater Boston area

Today

• Including women from life sciences, engineering, technology and industry service providers.

• Expanded across the career spectrum

• Programs offered in throughout the state of Massachusetts

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Mid-History

• Strong life-sciences focus

• One-third post docs

• Programs primarily held in Cambridge

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WEST’s vision is to promote, advance, and develop women in Science, Engineering,

and Technology as leaders, advocates, C-level executives, and thought leaders; that make a profound difference in the

communities they serve.

About WEST

WEST is a community, a forum, for early, mid-career, executive and entrepreneurial women in STEM careers.

WEST members are committed to developing themselves as leaders through education, mentorship, networking, and information sharing.

WEST encourages women to cultivate entrepreneurial thinking and creative risk-taking.

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Through participation members:

Distinguish their passion and unique contribution to their work.

Build their talent.

Become inspirational leaders and role models for their teams, organizations, and businesses.

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“Profession without passion is just a job.”

Anne Mulcahy, Former CEO of Xerox, Inc.

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380 Members We serve our membership and a broader audience.

5000+ Person Database Weekly communication through our newsletter

35 Programs a Year Main science, technology and engineering hubs in Massachusetts

Photo courtesy of Veni Markovski

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Gender

Career Stage

Women 97%

Post-Doc or Graduate Students 10%

Early Career 15%

Men 3%

Mid - Career 60%

Executive Women 10%

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WEST’s Model For Successful Women

In STEM

WEST’s career development strategy is based on research that Catalyst released in October of 2011 on The Myth of the Ideal Worker: Does Doing All the Right Things Really Get Women Ahead?

12 Photo provided by Catalyst

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No. Women advance less rapidly than their male counterparts and

have slower pay growth.

If men and women follow the same career advancement strategy, do

they get the same results?

Findings From The Study

Four areas for women to focus on to ensure success in their careers:

Performance

Visibility

Leadership Experience

Sponsorship

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Catalyst Research is reinforced by the findings of the Harvard Business School: The Athena Factor: Why women leave their STEM careers, along with Studies

on Success for Women by the Anita Borg Institute.

Performance Performance is

the ticket in the

door.

Women must

produce

extraordinary

results- out

perform men- to

succeed in their

careers

Visibility On work

assignments

With senior

executives

For achievement

In industry

Visibility Performance

Leadership

Experience Women need to be

developed as

leaders

They need to have

leadership

experiences that

enhance their

visibility.

Leadership

Experience Visibility

Sponsorship

Women need sponsors, not just mentors.

Sponsors are in key executive positions and advocate for the people they sponsor.

Sponsors ensure the success of the people they sponsor, they elevate them in their careers.

21 Photo courtesy of Veni Markovski

Mentors vs. Sponsors

• Can sit at any level in hierarchy

• Provide emotional support and feedback

• Serves as a role model • Helps mentees learn to

navigate corporate politics • Strives to increase mentees

sense of self- worth • Focus on mentees

professional & personal development

• Senior managers with influence

• Give protégés exposure to other executives

• Ensure their people are considered for promising opportunities and assignments

• Protect protégés from negative contact with senior executives

• Fight for their people to get promoted

Visibility Sponsorship

Checking the Pulse of Women in Bioscience

Data revealed that gender inequities were present from the moment women sought degrees in sciences and continued throughout their career.

Success for women is predicated on having advocates (sponsors) to help them in their career.

Their accomplishments need to be visible.

Producing extraordinary results is critical to success.

Opportunities to lead in their organization and be recognized for their leadership is a critical component for success.

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Catalyst research

Barriers To Advancement And Retention

• Isolation

• Lack of access to influential social networks and mentors

• Unwelcoming cultures

• Work-family conflict

Culture does not reward employee development

Hidden bias and stereotyping that became embedded in organizational processes.

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Anita Borg Institute Study

Women in STEM

• 41% of highly qualified early career scientist, engineers, and technologist in the US are women.

• Two-thirds of women scientist choose their fields to contribute to the well-being of society.

• 55% of women scientist, compared with 45% of male scientist said they entered their career to make a difference and to help humankind.

• 90% of women in science,75% engineering and 74% technology love their work yet 52% leave their careers.

HBS Research

Characteristics Of Success In Technology

Analytical

Innovator

Questioning

Risk-taking

Collaborative

Working long hours

Entrepreneurial

Assertive

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Women in STEM have had to overcome significant cultural hurdles to be able to realize their commitment to making a difference. We must find ways to create environments for Women in STEM to succeed.

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WEST offers specific leadership programs addressing:

Innovation leadership

Networking skills

Entrepreneurial Thinking and Risk-taking

Negotiation – Learning How to Ask

In addition the four areas of focus:

Performance

Visibility

Leadership Experience

Sponsorship

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Program Career Level Performance Visibility Leadership Sponsorship

Get on Board: Leadership Opportunities

Mid-Level, Executive, Entrepreneurs

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ A Tale of Two Industries: Alliance Partnership

Mid-Level, Executive ✖ ✖ ✖

Program Management 101 and 102

Early, Mid-Level ✖ ✖ To MBA or Not to MBA

Early, Mid-Level ✖ ✖ ✖ Career Possibilities: Speed Mentoring

Early, Mid-Level ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖

Executive Women’s Dinner

Executive, Entrepreneur ✖ ✖ ✖

Leadership Awards and Giving Back Awards

Early, Mid-Level, Executive, Entrepreneurs

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖

WEST’s Program Offering

Workshops

Skill building

Panel Discussions

Different topics, different perspectives

Signature Events:

Leadership Awards

Giving Back Awards

Mentoring

Peer mentoring circles

Volunteer program

Advisory board, executive peer mentoring

Executive Women’s Dinner:

Director Level and above

Great speakers and panels

Networking

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Women on Boards

Women on Boards

• In Europe: – In 2010, women made up 51.2% of the population,

compared with 48.8% men

– 58.2% of women were employed

• In Italy – 2011- 3.7% women on boards

– Women in the work force 40.3%

• In the US: – 2001- 12.1% women on boards

– 2012- 16.1% women on boards

– US women in the workplace 46.7 %

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Definitions

• Return on Sales (ROS): The pre-tax net profit divided by revenue.

• Return on Invested Capital (ROIC): The ratio of after-tax net operating profit to invested capital.

• Return on Equity (ROE): The ratio of after-tax net profit to stockholders’ equity.

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How can WEST support you Italy?

Bibliography

Catalyst Research:

The Myth of the Ideal Worker: Does Doing All The Right Things Really Get Women Ahead?

Author: Nancy M. Carter and Christine Silva

Published: October 2011

Checking the Pulse of Women in Bioscience: What Organizations Need to Know

Author: Anika K. Warren

Published: August 2011

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Bibliography

Anita Borg Institute Research Senior Technical Women: A Profile of Success Authors: Caroline Simard, Phd Shannon K. Gilmartin, Phd Published: 2010 Harvard Business School Research The Athena Factor : Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering, and Technology Authors: Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, Lisa J. Servon,Laura Sherbin, Peggy Shiller, Eytan Sosnovich, and Karen Sumberg Published: June 2008

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