PM @Convention - Labyrinth to the Top: Women in Design Firm Leadership

Program Code: SA208
Speaker(s): Rena M. Klein, FAIA
Event Type: Seminars
Location: Washington Convention Center, Room 146A
Area of Interest: Diversity and Inclusion
Learning Units: 1.50 LU

Description:
In Fortune 500 companies, only 2 percent of CEOs are women. Statistics are scarce, but one can assume that in prominent architecture firms the numbers are similar, despite the gender equity present in most schools of architecture. Why? Anecdotal evidence and published research on employment in technical fields supports the existence of a female “brain drain” as nearly half the women between the ages of 35 and 45 leave for more promising alternatives. Many women in architecture exit their employment to start their own firms instead of leaving the profession completely—in search of more flexibility, more opportunity, and more control of their work schedules. For the firms left behind, the loss of skilled and experienced women represents a loss of intelligence, training, and most important, potential leadership for the firm. As expressed by the researchers on women in science, “Stop for a moment and let these statistics sink in. Can you imagine the dustup in the boardroom if 50 percent of a company’s most promising products were abandoned midstream? And yet companies routinely invest large sums of money in developing female talent, only to see half of that talent walk out. The scale of the loss is enormous.” In this highly interactive seminar, participants will be introduced to the current research on women in professional employment, particularly in knowledge-based, technical industries. Participants will learn about proven strategies that firms can use to retain and provide advancement opportunities to valued women employees. The business case for gender diversity will be discussed, including the competitive advantage to be gained by retaining experienced women employees. Participants will have ample opportunities to share knowledge and learn from each other’s experiences in the architectural workplace.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize patterns in their own firms as part of larger trends relating to the employment of women in professional and technical fields
2. Explore proven strategies for retaining valued women employees and providing opportunities for their advancement to firm leadership
3. Examine and evaluate the business case for gender diversity
4. Share knowledge and experience with colleagues from around the nation