Message from Our Partner D EA R BUS INE SS LEAD ER S: Watermark is delighted to partner with the Graduate School of Management to publish the ninth annual UC Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders. Once again, UC Davis has shed light on a sobering issue: the lack of substantial progress in gender diversity in the majority of California’s leading public companies. There has been significant discussion recently about women “leaning in” and an outpouring of executive leadership support for greater gender equality. This has been true particularly in Silicon Valley—one of the great innovation centers of the world—where many speak of meritocracy as a core value. However, this year has also seen several examples of local conferences where women are degraded, or excluded from nationally sourced lists of top thinkers in business and technology. What is different this year is that women are no longer sitting by and allowing these inequalities to continue without raising our voices both individually and collectively so that we are not ignored and disrespected without consequence. Momentum is gathering among women with economic power and strong voices. They are letting top companies in California, conference organizers and leading publications know that we will not be discounted or disregarded. A new women’s movement is emerging in which women advocate for one another and have the ability to influence at the highest levels. We at Watermark are advocating more actively to address imbalances that affect women as we work toward our mission to increase the representation of women in leadership roles by empowering them to make their mark in and for their companies, their careers and their communities. Advocating for Board Access through Watermark Institute’s Board Access™ Program The Watermark Institute Board Access™ Program draws from executive ranks of corporations and ensures that our participants have the background and experience to be qualified for board service. It is a one-year, personalized program for women who intend to make serving on a board of directors the next step on their career paths. Designed for nonprofit, private and/or public board participation, Board Access™ provides participants with customized access to board recruiters and key influencers in the world of boards. The program includes six elements: board readiness assessments; one-to-one coaching sessions; an interview with a professional board recruiter; meeting with influential board members of a key local business; board simulation; and additional resources and networking with top-ranking women. Our Ongoing Commitment Watermark is committed to increasing representation of women at executive levels to drive innovation, human development and economic growth. Watermark women are a unique force and are redefining what it means to be a woman in the workplace. We hold influential, executive positions at innovative and successful companies. We are the San Francisco Bay Area’s foremost senior executives, entrepreneurs and leaders in our fields. We have the highest-quality, most diverse and most connected membership that a networking organization can offer—and we are honored to have the UC Davis Graduate School of Management as our strategic partner.
Marilyn Nagel CEO, Watermark marilyn@wearewatermark.org Watermark, a community of executive women
wearewatermark.org
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2013 UC Davis Census