Women in the Boardroom - About - Women in the Boardroom®

Welcome to Women in the Boardroom®

For over 20 years, Women in the Boardroom has been committed to delivering actionable strategies that motivate and inspire women to secure their seat at the table. Our focus is not a conversation about diversity—it is about actionable strategies and getting results. Our comprehensive approach includes:

Strategic Guidance: Helping you define and refine your overall strategy, emphasizing your unique board qualifications.

Networking Support: Crafting a networking strategy tailored to your goals and expanding your outreach through our extensive community and open board seat opportunities.

Accountability and Insights: Acting as your accountability partner to ensure you achieve your objectives, while providing exclusive insights into boardroom trends and topics through engaging webinars and fireside chats.

Let us help you make your boardroom goals a reality.

What are the most commonly asked questions about corporate board service that we receive?

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Meet Women in the Boardroom® CEO & Founder, Sheila Ronning

Sheila Ronning is recognized for her dynamic leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence. With over three decades of experience, she has left an indelible mark as a retail executive turned entrepreneurial visionary.

In 1996, Sheila blazed a trail by founding a marketing and PR agency, serving as a beacon for small business owners seeking to amplify their voices in a crowded marketplace. Recognizing a crucial gap in the industry, she pioneered a series of networking events, providing a platform for hundreds of businesses to showcase their offerings and connect with their target audience. This initiative, spanning a decade, catalyzed unprecedented growth and collaboration within the entrepreneurial community.

In 2002, Sheila further cemented her legacy by launching an event dedicated to enabling executive women to secure seats on corporate boards. What began as a singular initiative blossomed into a 15-city tour, drawing thousands of attendees eager to learn. Leveraging her invaluable experience and expertise, she revolutionized the event into a membership platform, offering personalized guidance to aspiring leaders navigating the path to boardroom success.

As the driving force behind Women in the Boardroom™, Sheila has emerged as a visionary catalyst for change, spearheading initiatives that go beyond industries and borders. Her unparalleled dedication and transparent approach have earned her a reputation for success, with a track record of facilitating over 3,000 connections between talented professionals and prestigious boardrooms worldwide.

A globally sought-after speaker and recognized authority, Sheila’s influence extends far beyond boardrooms and conference halls. She has graced stages at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, NYU, Barnard College, and Stanford University’s Distinguished Career Institute, captivating audiences with her unparalleled insights and infectious passion. Additionally, she has been invited to share her expertise at renowned organizations including KPMG, Kirkland Ellis, Aon, NewsCorp, L’Oreal, and Thomas Reuters, as well as esteemed platforms like the United Nations, the SEC, NACD and ACG.

Sheila’s media coverage includes features in top-tier publications such as Forbes, The Washington Post, FOX News Network, and The Wall Street Journal. Her unwavering commitment to advancing gender diversity and inclusive leadership has earned her accolades and admiration from peers and professionals alike.

In her relentless pursuit of excellence, Sheila Ronning continues to inspire individuals around the globe and encourages women to “Show Up, Stand Up and Speak Up”

 

Through our network, we bring board opportunities to our VIPs.

325+

corporate board openings have been sent directly to us & passed on to members in the last five years.

1972+

That’s the number of times we’ve connected our qualified members for these openings in the last five years.

24%

of our members who applied were elected to the board of directors for these companies in the last three years!

Our VIPs are exceptionally qualified and engaged.

60%

Are experienced corporate board members

85%

Renew annually

#1

Source of new members come from VIP referrals

Our VIPs hold leadership roles in a broad cross-section of industries and organizations in:

Finance, Tech, Healthcare, Energy, Consumer Goods AIG, Citi, Hewlett Packard, IBM, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, UnitedHealthcare, Xerox

Our VIPs are diverse, exceptionally qualified board candidates.

  • 60%Experienced Corporate Board Members
  • 30%Women of Color
  • 78%Are Corporate Officers
  • 70%Have an MBA and/or Advance Degree
  • 78%Are Corporate Officers
  • 70%Have an MBA and/or Advance Degree

Bring Sheila’s Expertise to Your Organization

Since its founding, Sheila has grown Women in the Boardroom® into an organization with international outreach across multiple industries, and within countless public and private boardrooms, including Fortune 100 companies. In doing so, she has created more than 2,000+ connections for its members. As a recognized and respected thought leader on becoming a board member, gender diversity within the corporate sphere, and effective networking practices, Sheila speaks numerous times per year, both virtually and in person, and her insights have been featured in numerous news outlets including ForbesWomen, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, Fast Company, The Huffington Post, and Forbes.com, among many others.

Book Sheila

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Sheila’s Bio

Bio

Interview Requests

Contact

Our broad network of over 300 experts who have contributed to Women in the Boardroom® include:

Bethany George

Practice Lead of Board Advisory Services

Caldwell Partners

Allan Tepper

CPA/MBA, Co-Founder & Senior Managing Director

CFO Consulting Partners

Howard Brownstein

President & Founder

The Brownstein Corporation

Catherine Bromilow

Partner

PwC’s Center for Board Governance

Susan Boren

Partner

Spencer Stuart

Christie Hefner

Executive Chairman

Canyon Ranch Enterprises

Kathleen Franklin

Senior Counsel

Sony Corporation of America

Dale E. Jones

President

Diversified Search

William Langford

Global Head, Compliance Architecture & Strategy

Citigroup

Jey Tiourchi

Head of Corporate Governance Content Strategy

Thomson Reuters

Matthew Patsky

CEO

Trillium Asset Management

Angela Brock-Kyle

Founder & CEO

B.O.A.R.D.S.

Stuart Levine

Chairman & CEO

Stuart Levine & Associates LLC

Ty Francis

Former Publisher

Ethisphere, NYSE Governance Services at the New York Stock Exchange

Cynthia Fornelli

Executive Director

Center for Audit Quality

Brendan Sheehan

Managing Director

Rivel Research Group

Alan Mantel

Partner

Snow Phipps

Patricia Lizarraga

Managing Partner

Hypatia Capital Group

Lawrence Hamilton

Public & Private Board Director

Executive Coach & Consultant

Our Partners

Here at Women in the Boardroom® we believe in the importance of collaboration, and so do our partners. We work together to promote each other’s initiatives. Click below for more information.

Become a Partner

Milestones for Women in the Boardroom®

2002

Inaugural event to provide women with knowledge & connections for corporate board service is successfully launched in Minneapolis

2006

Began taking our annual event on the road

2010

Annual event engages more than 15,000 women as it expands to a 15 city tour throughout the U.S.

2011

Relocated to NYC and transitioned from an event company to a membership platform

2012

Launch proprietary networking process

2013

Inaugural Annual Board Assembly in NYC

2014

Launch proprietary Matchmaking Program®

2015

VIP Member renewals hit record 85%

2016

Membership surges +85% & 100th board opening received

2017

Record number of VIP Members serving on corporate boards +40% & we celebrate our 15th anniversary