Leading Women

Leading Women is an American consulting firm, designed to counteract gender disparity in corporate business, founded by Susan Colantuono in 2003.[1][2] Its primary aim is to reduce the gender gap in business leaders, and consulting with organisations to help them do this.[3]

The organisation researched the careers of 2,000 women and found that when selecting candidates for career advancement, organisations prioritise business and strategic acumen by a factor of 2 to 1. This contradicts traditional career advice given to women, which stresses the importance of interpersonal skills instead of knowing the business well.[4] This was publicised in a TED conference in 2014.[5] Colantuono has expressed concerns about bias in existing human resources and promotion systems, as well as a general perception that women are believed to lack business strategy and financial acumen.[6]

In October 2019, the organisation expanded to include conference services and provide their services to everyone instead of just select high-profile organisations.[7] At the same time, Colantuno announced she would step down from the organisation at the end of the year.[8] She was replaced as CEO by Kelly Lockwood Primus.[9] Primus has said diversity and inclusion help a company, as it fosters collaboration and innovation, helping a business' bottom line.[10]