W O M E N W O R T H WAT C H I N G I N 2 0 0 8
“Be true to yourself and have confidence in your abilities.”
Gabrielle Toledano NUTTER McCLENNEN & FISH, LLP E / LC ER CE TW R ON NEI C TW AO RR TS K
T
he most important advice I can give to future leaders is to be
true to yourself and have confidence in your abilities. This is true for everyone but has particular importance for women. The trap that often snares women as they rise in the ranks of a male-dominated business landscape is the loss of self-confidence. They begin to question their abilities and increasingly suppress the opinions that reflect their unique perspective as
Executive Vice President, Worldwide Human Resources, Corporate Services, Real Estate and Facilities
TITLE:
EDUCATION: BA in modern thought and literature, Honors Humanities, Stanford University; MA in education, Stanford University
Spanish intern teacher in Palo Alto, Calif.
FIRST JOB: READING:
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
PHILOSOPHY:
Family and community first
women. It is difficult to achieve lasting and fulfilling success
A great husband, Kurt; two great children, Ben Gantert, 6, and Amelie Gantert, 3
when you’re playing a part that isn’t you.
INTERESTS:
It takes a great deal of self-confidence to trust that your knowledge in a given field makes your opinion an important one. It takes confidence to admit when you’ve made a mistake, to ask a question when you don’t understand and to express
FAMILY:
Hiking, camping, traveling internationally, movies, speaking Spanish or other foreign languages, and playing tennis, bowling or boxing with friends and family on the Wii games console
FAVORITE CHARITY: CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, an organization for abused, neglected and abandoned children
your point of view when you think it will further the discussion. A strong sense of confidence and the ability to listen and express your point of view clearly and concisely, but without arrogance, are central to strong leadership.
Confidence in who you are and in your role will help you acknowledge and support the team. Integrity, honesty, collabora-
Doing all of this takes practice and a continued commit-
tion, directness and instinct are recognized, valued and do make a
ment. It’s easy to doubt your abilities, especially when trying to
difference. You don’t need an agenda or to be the most important
balance work and family commitments. One of the best ways
person in the room, and often this will be a big differentiator
to overcome self-doubt is to build a network of other women
between you and your counterparts. You can be solution-oriented,
leaders who face similar issues. Together you can bolster one
looking for new ways to solve problems without being mired in
another when needed and share ways to prioritize life, not just
maintaining the status quo. A different way of thinking and oper-
prioritize work.
ating generates more ideas, and ideas lead to change and progress. Most importantly, once you are able to present your true self
COMPANY:
with confidence in the workplace, you serve as a role model for
Electronic Arts
HEADQUARTERS:
Redwood City, California
other women trying to strike the same balance, ensuring that
WEB SITE:
www.ea.com
future female leaders will be equipped and positioned to tackle the
BUSINESS:
Interactive entertainment, video games
challenges that come their way.
2006 REVENUES: EMPLOYEES:
$2.9 billion
7,900
PDJ 180
P RO F I L E S I N D I V E R S I T Y J O U R N A L
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007