Inaugural BR Advance Women of Color Leadership Development Program
In September , we launched our BR Advance Women of Color Leadership Development Program , a multipronged program designed to develop new and emerging leaders at the firm while addressing the needs and intersectional challenges of women of color in the legal industry .
The program kicked off with a retreat in our New York office , facilitated by author , executive coach , and professional development expert Cornelia Shipley and our director of diversity & inclusion ,
Krystal Studavent Ramsey . Twelve partners who identify as women of color attended the retreat to engage in intimate conversations about branding , problem solving , effective leadership , and leading in a remote world , followed by a dinner at Avra Madison . •
International Maritime Organization ’ s Inaugural International Day for Women in Maritime
The International Maritime Organization ’ s (“ IMO ”) inaugural International Day for Women in Maritime was held on May 18 , 2022 , providing a platform to highlight and celebrate the achievements of women in the industry and identify areas of improvement for gender balance . IMO marked the occasion with a virtual symposium themed “ Training-Visibility-Recognition : Supporting a Barrier-Free Working Environment for Women in Maritime ,” the release of a women in maritime report , and a social media campaign .
IMO ’ s inaugural IMO-Women ’ s International Shipping and Trading Association (“ WISTA ”) survey results contained information about the proportion and distribution of women working in the maritime sector . The survey used data from IMO
Member States and the industry to benchmark the current gender balance of the maritime workforce , indicate areas of success , and highlight those areas where more progress is needed .
WISTA International is a network of more than 3,800 female professionals from all sectors of the maritime industry , boasting 56 member countries including WISTA USA with 11 chapters and more than 700 members . Blank Rome ’ s
Lauren B . Wilgus is the co-president of the New York / New Jersey Chapter of WISTA . Lauren says of WISTA , “ We celebrate women in maritime every single day ( not just May 18 ) by supporting women colleagues in the industry through networking , social events , advocacy , and other resources .” •
Donna Branca Leads Women Partner ’ s Leadership Roundtable
During the summer , Blank Rome ’ s director of strategic leadership and firm secretary , Donna Branca , led women partners of the firm in a leadership roundtable , sponsored by the BR Women affinity group . The roundtable was intended to provoke individual and collective thoughts around what leadership might look like for each participant . Donna shared the saying “ Leadership is action not a position ”— a concept that emphasizes that people are leaders by virtue of what they do more than any formal role they might hold in an organization . It is the “ action ” piece that is critical to good leadership .
“ I see leadership , first and foremost , as a decision you make to be all in on who you are , what you want , your values , your vision , what the team needs , and you step fully into that ,” said Donna .
Donna used the “ ASPIRE ” acronym developed by Ida Abbott , lawyer and author of the book “ Women on Top – The Women ’ s Guide to Leadership and Power in Law Firms ,” to guide small-group and then collective discussion around the following areas : ambition , strategies , personal power , interpersonal dynamics , resilience , and empowering others . •
8 • PERSPECTIVES