Women Leaders in College Sports and NCAA Partner for 6th Annual President/Search Firm Roundtable Event
A powerhouse virtual event connecting senior-level women and hiring influencers in collegiate athletics and sports
PRESS RELEASE
February 18, 2022
Contacts:
Christina Turner
Women Leaders in College Sports
christina@womenleadersincollegesports.org
816.389.8200
Kansas City, Mo.— Women Leaders in College Sports (Women Leaders) and the NCAA hosted the 6th annual President/Search Firm Roundtable event on February 17, 2022, in a virtual format.
The event included 50 senior-level women from all three NCAA divisions, 36% of whom were women of color. The participants are Women Leaders members with executive profiles in Women Leaders’ Career Connect platform. They were identified for the President/Search Firm Roundtable program based on their level and years of experience in the industry and an expressed desire to step into an athletic director or commissioner role within the next one to three years.
The roundtable event connected these women to a diverse and influential group of industry experts and leaders who are deeply linked to collegiate athletics and have a strong understanding of the hiring landscape and processes.
Among the experts engaged were 13 university presidents and chancellors and 28 industry experts, including search firm representatives, consultants, and sitting athletic directors and commissioners.
"This important event provides a platform for executive-level women to connect with hiring influencers," said Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. "The women gain access to information that helps them prepare, position themselves, and ultimately win executive-level jobs. Connecting hirers and influencers with these talented and ready female leaders resulted in 24% of participants from last year's event advancing into leadership roles. The time to move the needle on more diverse and inclusive hires is now."
The President/Search Firm Roundtable event consisted of two main components:
- Small group roundtable discussions led by the university presidents and chancellors
- One-on-one coaching sessions between candidates and industry experts
Women Leaders and the NCAA have partnered on the President/Search Firm Roundtable event for the past six years. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event occurred in-person at the annual Women Leaders in College Sports National Convention. The PSFR was created in support of
The NCAA Presidential Pledge and reflects the NCAA’s and Women Leaders’ joint commitment to promoting diversity and gender equity in intercollegiate athletics. The program has engaged over 270 women executives from across all three NCAA divisions. The virtual format, which also occurred in 2021, allows the program to include a higher number of women and presidents, chancellors and industry experts.
“We are proud to support the roundtable event with Women Leaders in College Sports, as it promotes the NCAA values of diversity, inclusion and gender equity within leadership,” said NCAA president Mark Emmert. “This event brings together some of the most talented senior-level women in intercollegiate athletics to learn from industry leaders how to best position themselves for the future.”
The 2022 President/Search Firm Roundtable included (but was not limited to) the following participants: