It all begins with an idea. The Path to Success Need Not Be Linear

In this episode, Leilani Latimer, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Fair Trade USA and a Board Member at Rayont and Black Diamond Group, reflects back on how being adventurous and taking big risks led to the fulfillment of her dreams. After graduating from college, Lelani put law school on hold and went to Europe because she felt like it. Little did she know that she would end up living in Italy for 15 years and rising to the top of a major technology provider for the travel industry, Sabre Corporation. Along the way, she gained experience in sustainable management which she brought back with her to the States. As a result, she was sought after for many high-level positions, including prestigious board memberships. Here, she shares her insights on how to stay curious, find growth opportunities and use them as a springboard for success.

Boards with more women have better ESG performance

But it’s not just design, operations, or sales and marketing leadership that matters. Greater female board representation leads to more robust and active ESG programs and better performance. In fact, in a study led by Bloomberg NEF and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, a direct correlation was determined between gender diversity, climate performance and innovation in business.

Amongst the many dramatic challenges global businesses face today, one that had been simmering for years bubbled up in 2022, and promises to stay at a high boil in 2023 is ESG: Environment, Social, Governance.

Signs that ESG expectations were becoming more ubiquitous included the establishment of global ESG standards published by the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council and BlackRock’s call for a globally recognized framework for investors to understand individual company risks.

Despite years of progress by leading corporations toward ESG, corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental health and safety (EHS) and sustainability goals, the reality is that board members overseeing these companies are still trying to discern how all of this applies to them.