Chief

Big news: Wharton Executive Education is now Chief’s official academic partner. The Wharton School’s world-class business academics ?? the largest network of women executives. With new Executive Education courses, in-person panels, and more, Wharton's renowned faculty will bring their cutting-edge research and practical learnings directly to the Chief community starting in 2025. First up? The Emotionally Savvy Executive: Cultivating Leadership and Your Personal Brand, led by deputy dean Nancy Rothbard, marketing professor Americus Reed II, and organizational psychologist Stew Friedman. Chief Members, what other topics do you want to explore? Let us know in the comments.

Supporting your employees’ mental health and well-being takes more than closing emails with, “I’m here if you need anything.” To create an infrastructure of care in your organization, consider the following recommendations from human-centered work expert Vivianne Castillo of HmntyCntrd?: ?? Develop a personal care plan It’s essential that leaders care for themselves before they can create infrastructures of care for their employees. Take 15 minutes to note a few strategies that will help you to prepare for the work day, cope with obstacles, and restore your well-being. ?? Aim for authentic recognition Create channels where employees and teams can communicate their feelings during distressing times. This could include team-specific rituals for rest and protocols for processing grief. ?? Embrace transparency Intentional transparency grants people meaningful insights into the business and the opportunity to give actionable feedback. When employees offer feedback, act on it. This?transparency and action can inspire trust and collaboration. Castillo’s final piece of advice? “Choose courage over comfort so that you can not only have a sustainable work experience, but so that you don’t lose yourself.”

Many of us — leaders and teams alike — are still navigating conversations on the election results. It’s important that we all have the space to do so. For Chief, our mission remains the same and is more important than ever. We are driven by our unshakable belief that women belong at the highest levels of leadership and are reminded of the strength of community. For those leaders navigating how to support their teams during this time, we've included some resources in comments and will continue to share more in the coming days and weeks.

Carolyn Childers and I founded Chief because we believe women belong at the highest levels of leadership. Today, we find ourselves in yet another critical moment in history — where the representation of women and diversity of leadership at the highest ranks feels unattainable.? ? On a personal note, today is challenging for both of us?— as founders, as politically active individuals, as parents and caregivers, as women, as friends.?We know many of you feel the same.? ? But, in the midst of this struggle, we must continue to strive for a society where women can thrive, where our children see opportunity, and where a woman can one day lead not just her company — but the country.? ?? These moments are a call to action to continue to build a community that allows women leaders to band together, navigate challenges, and champion one another to reach the top.?We remain steadfast in our belief in the power of women in business and beyond.

Civic engagement is core to our mission at Chief. We believe advocacy is best paired with action — that’s why our team is OOO this Election Day. Our team is using the time to vote, volunteer, and get involved in ways that matter to them. It’s also why we’re a longstanding partner of Civic Alliance. This community of more than 1,300 companies is united by a shared belief that an active democracy is good for business, and an engaged business community is good for democracy.

There’s no doubt election-driven turmoil is top of mind for executives this week. At ChiefX DC, members weighed in on how they’re taking care of themselves in order to better show up for their teams. Their most popular answers? - Having a strong personal support network - Spending time in supportive, non-political spaces? - Daily movement or mindfulness practices - Focusing on actionable tasks, not lingering emotions

In times of uncertainty, especially with tomorrow’s election, leadership is more than making tough decisions — it's showing up authentically. When the stakes are high, how you lead becomes even more visible. Here are four key takeaways from a recent Chief Roundtable discussion on navigating these turbulent times as a executive. ?? Lead with your values: The principles that guide you should be your North Star. ??? Have brave conversations: Open dialogue is crucial. ?? Find common ground: There’s always space for mutual respect and understanding. ?? Set boundaries: Creating safe spaces for dialogue means establishing clear verbal agreements. Thank you to our Roundtable panelists, Floss Aggrey (Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Randstad North America), Natalie Tran (Executive Director, CAA FOUNDATION INC), and Sonja Mustiful, MHR, PCC, CDTLF (Chief People Officer, Essence of Coaching), for their insightful conversation. By centering your values, fostering meaningful dialogue, and leading with intentionality, you can guide your team through whatever comes next.

New positions, new recognition, new ventures: Congratulations to leaders in the Chief community celebrating hard work paid off this week. — Tracey Hinkle was hired as Chief Operating Officer at SilverStone Health — Jude Davies was hired as Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Member at Mirá — Christine Marchuska, CAIA was hired as Vice President, Investor Relations at Alliance Advisors IR — Tenley Zinke was hired as Vice President, Corporate Communications and Community Engagement at Kering — Tamar Cohen launched HaloEffect — Maryam Meseha, Esq. (CIPP/US) was named one of The Mecklenburg Times’ 50 Most Influential Women

ChiefX days are our favorite days. This week, Chief Members gathered in DC to talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, and even menopause. Favorite moments are already pouring in from attendees: “Loved spending the day with so many incredible women” “Moments like these remind me of the importance of collaboration and self-care.” “A highlight for me was catching up with my Core Guide IRL.” “Fawn Weaver shared many profound perspectives on thriving and winning in every aspect of life. INVALUABLE!” Did you connect with your Core Group in-person at ChiefX DC? Have a favorite speaker? Shout them out in the comments!

Despite a media environment filled with shrinking attention spans, misinformation, and AI-generated content, Axios CRO Jacquelyn L. Cameron developed a revenue strategy that yielded 60% growth in a single year. Given this incredible work, Cameron is among the inaugural class of winners for Chief’s The New Era of Leadership Awards. Swipe to discover the tactics she employed to double the number of local advertisers, increase paid membership by 200%+ in just one year, and achieve an astounding 30% year-over-year growth in 30 cities.