Perspectives
Women leading the way in family enterprises
How women leaders of family enterprises are defying stereotypes and forging their own paths
Within family enterprises the world over, women leaders are breaking new ground every day, guiding their companies as they seek to fulfill their growth ambitions and their broader purpose in the communities they serve.
Celebrating women family enterprise leaders
Each year on International Women’s Day we take time to reflect on—and celebrate—the achievements of women, both inside and outside of Deloitte. But acknowledging women leaders’ achievements and contributions should not be relegated to a single day—it should be a year-round endeavor, as should the push to create more gender equality in the workplace and in society. We believe that even seemingly small changes can lead to seismic shifts over time, a phenomenon known as “the butterfly effect.”
Inspired by that idea and ambition, Deloitte Private is launching a series profiling some of the most influential women running family enterprises today. Such organizations are uniquely positioned to create opportunities for women leaders—and see them flourish. Many of the CEOs running family firms today are the daughters and granddaughters of their companies’ founders, while others are first-generation entrepreneurs who broke new ground and created a new legacy for their families.
To better understand the challenges and opportunities today’s women leaders face, we first sat down with the co-authors of Finding Her Voice & Creating a Legacy, which takes an in-depth look at pioneering women leading wealthy families. Authors Amy Hart Clyne and Dennis Jaffe interviewed 34 women to learn how their shared experiences affected their success and how they’re using their influence to redefine success and reshape leadership models.
From there, we feature a group of women leaders representing family enterprises around the world. These first-person accounts shine a light not only on the ways in which women leaders approach and break down barriers, but also the enterprising ways they have succeeded in their own right.
Our hope is that the insights they share will resonate and trigger bigger and broader change. This International Women’s Day, we invite you to join or advance the conversation. Think about what you can do to help break the bias and #BeTheButterfly.
Meet the women family enterprise leaders