The annual Board Institute is a key way in which DirectWomen fulfills its mission. The goal of this annual two-day program is to position an elite group of exceptional senior women lawyers for service as directors of major corporations.
Each year, DirectWomen identifies a small group of leading women lawyers from around the country to participate in the Board Institute based on an assessment of their ability to provide the experience, independence, and business judgment required for board effectiveness. The Institute is Chaired by Professor Hillary A. Sale. The Board Institute provides working sessions designed to help participants develop their value proposition and personal board-search strategies. At the Board Institute, the class meets with an extraordinary faculty comprised of CEOs, C-suite executives, and directors of public companies, to discuss key issues facing corporate directors such as the board’s nominating and governance role, ESG, and other relevant topics. The class also meets with DirectWomen honorees and alumnae, many of whom have extensive board experience. The Board Institute also provides opportunities to learn from senior search firm executives.
The application for the 2023 Board Institute is now closed. Please email [email protected] to be notified when the application opens for the 2024 Board Institute.
More than 250 women have participated in the Board Institute over the past 15 years and provide a rich pool of director candidates. Past Board Institute classes have been comprised of General Counsel of Fortune 500 companies, partners at top law firms, and leading lawyers from government and academia. These distinguished women lawyers represent a wide range of business knowledge and experience in their industries, which include finance, energy, retail, media, and pharmaceuticals, among others. To learn more about DirectWomen’s Board Institute alumnae, visit our alumnae biography and resume database.
The 2022 Board Institute was held from October 12 to 14, 2022, in New York City. Click here to view the press release announcing the Board Institute Class of 2022.
The 2020-2021 Board Institute was held virtually from October 6 to 8, 2021. Click here to view our 2020-2021 Board Institute agenda.
Christina Ibrahim is an accomplished corporate board member and global C-suite executive with diverse experience in general management, corporate structure, culture, governance, ethics and compliance, crisis management, Assurance (internal audit),
Kelly McNamara Corley served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Discover Financial Services, a leading consumer credit, payments and online banking company from 2007 to 2019.
Ann Harlan has extensive business and legal experience in consumer products and manufacturing business segments and has a reputation as a trusted advisor in the Boardroom. In her board appointments
