Laying the Foundation for Generations of Female Leaders

As a single mother who at one time had four children under the age of six, IAC Chief Administrative Officer Iwona Niec Villaire has plenty of experience juggling responsibilities and prioritizing her own mental health. She recalled seasons in life where her personal well-being took last place behind her career and living up to perfect ideals of motherhood. Niec Villaire noted she found balance when she finally set her own expectations, left behind the image of perfection and recognized that asking for help wasn’t a sign of weakness.?

Niec Villaire encouraged women to ask for what they need instead of carrying the burden alone – noting that she had questioned passing opportunities due to the overwhelming weight of those responsibilities when held alone. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘How can I handle anything else?’” she recalled. “When I should have been asking, ‘What support do I need so I can take on this exciting challenge?'”

And when she did take on those additional responsibilities, with support, she found those stretch challenges were important milestones in her career – giving her the exposure within organizations to grow, as well as building her confidence along the way.?

If she were to go back and give her younger self a piece of advice before embarking on her career, Niec Villaire said firmly: lose the guilt.?

“When I think about my whole life, there’s a lot of guilt from not being a good enough mother, not staying at the office long enough, not moving fast enough. All of that guilt just impedes progress and takes a toll on you emotionally.”

With an image of the Fearless Girl statue hanging above her desk, Niec Villaire indicated that for her personally, International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month was about reflecting on how far women have come and setting the right path so that the next generation can be successful. As a single mother raising three boys and one daughter, she hopes her boys will grow up to be the mentors she had throughout her career.?

“And I hope my daughter feels like she can conquer anything.”