Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon announced a new business venture called Women’s Leadership Live (WLL), a company geared toward promoting leadership opportunities for women.
The company will help organize events for women in an effort to help them further themselves in their career paths. McMahon released an email statement to Hearst Connecticut Media yesterday, saying:
“It’s impossible not to recognize that even in 2016, women are clearly underrepresented in leadership. Women are 51 percent of the population but only 20 percent of Congress. Women earn the majority of college degrees but on average only make 78 cents on the dollar. Women make 80 percent of household spending decisions, but only 5 percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by women. Only 17 percent of corporate board members are women. This is not about setting quotas, but about having a diversity of perspectives and experiences in decision-making roles. We are making progress, but there are still glass ceilings that need to be cracked.”
There are many organizations that support women in business, but what will set WLL apart is the community and the follow-up that will emerge after our live events. Research has shown that women who had mentors usually have higher rates of success than those who didn’t. My two partners, Stacey Schieffelin and Debbie Saviano, and I have each previously mentored women in business on a more informal basis and know it’s that ongoing support that makes the difference.
“I have long had a passion for exposing young women to leadership opportunities. The ‘Women Can Have It All’ series at Sacred Heart University has been a great way for college students to hear how prominent executives forged their careers, overcame the challenges they faced and found balance in their personal and professional lives. No one has all the answers, but I find all people — especially women — learn from the experiences of others. The message is that anything is possible, but no one achieves anything without a little help along the way. We can all be catalysts for change in our lives, careers and communities.”
