Latricia Shepard Shares Leadership Insights on Women Executive Panel – Spencer Fane

Report on Executive Leadership Panel and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Event Summary and Context

• Event: Your Next Bold Move: A Gathering for Executives in Transition
• Organizer: Chief, a private network for senior executive women
• Date: October 23
• Location: Atlanta
• Key Contributor: Latricia Shepard, Chief Talent & Diversity Officer, Spencer Fane
• Objective: To provide insights on navigating career prospects and fostering new opportunities within organizations.

Contribution to SDG 5: Gender Equality

The initiative directly supports the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

1. Empowering Women in Leadership: The event was hosted by Chief, an organization dedicated to advancing senior executive women, directly aligning with Target 5.5 to ensure women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership.
2. Fostering Female Executive Development: The panel provided a platform for women business leaders to gain insights for career transitions, thereby strengthening the pipeline of female talent at the highest corporate levels.
3. Promoting Inclusive Cultures: Ms. Shepard’s role in creating a talent model that allows employees to engage, learn, and grow contributes to building workplace environments where women can thrive.

Alignment with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The panel’s themes and Ms. Shepard’s professional focus promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all.

• Promoting Productive Employment: The session focused on creating and navigating new career opportunities, which is fundamental to achieving full and productive employment.
• Developing a Skilled Workforce: As a leader of a Human Resources team, Ms. Shepard’s work in fostering a culture of continual development and empowerment directly contributes to a more skilled and resilient workforce.
• Nurturing Decent Work Environments: Her efforts to build a culture of autonomy and accountability are key components of creating decent work environments as outlined in SDG 8.

Addressing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The event and the work of its participants contribute to reducing inequalities within and among organizations.

• Championing Diversity and Inclusion: Ms. Shepard’s position as Chief Talent & Diversity Officer signifies an institutional commitment to reducing workplace inequalities.
• Supporting Underrepresented Groups in Leadership: By focusing on women executives, the panel directly addresses the gender inequality that persists in senior corporate roles, aligning with Target 10.2 to empower and promote the inclusion of all.

Demonstrating SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The event serves as an example of a multi-stakeholder partnership to achieve sustainable development objectives.

• Collaborative Action: The panel was a partnership between Chief, a membership organization, and corporate leaders like Ms. Shepard from Spencer Fane.
• Knowledge Sharing: This collaboration facilitated the sharing of valuable perspectives and expertise to achieve the common goals of professional development, gender equality, and inclusive economic growth.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article is centered on “Chief,” described as “the largest community of senior executive women,” and an event designed for “Executives in Transition.” This directly addresses the goal of achieving gender equality by focusing on the empowerment and professional advancement of women in leadership positions. The work of Latricia Shepard as Chief Talent & Diversity Officer, who helps “nurture a culture of continual development, empowerment, autonomy, and accountability,” further reinforces the commitment to creating equitable opportunities for women in the workplace.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article discusses fostering new career opportunities, navigating career transitions, and creating a talent model where employees can “engage, learn, and grow.” This aligns with promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The focus on executive development and creating a supportive corporate culture contributes to the “decent work” aspect of this goal.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • By specifically supporting “senior executive women,” the initiatives described in the article aim to reduce inequalities within and among countries. The existence of a professional network like Chief, which represents “77% of the Fortune 100,” works to empower a group that is historically underrepresented in top corporate leadership, thereby promoting their economic inclusion and reducing gender-based inequality in the business world.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.5 (under SDG 5): Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
   • The article directly relates to this target. The organization “Chief” is exclusively for “senior executive women,” and its purpose is to provide “executive development, educational, and networking events.” The panel discussion featuring Latricia Shepard offered insights on “fostering new opportunities at top organizations” and “paving new paths,” which are actions aimed at increasing women’s leadership and participation in economic decision-making.
2. Target 8.5 (under SDG 8): By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • Latricia Shepard’s role in creating a “talent model that ensures employees can engage, learn, and grow” and nurturing a “culture of continual development, empowerment, autonomy, and accountability” supports the goal of providing decent work. The focus on helping women executives navigate “new career prospects and transitions” contributes to achieving productive employment for women at the highest levels.
3. Target 10.2 (under SDG 10): By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • The article highlights an initiative that is explicitly designed to empower and promote the economic inclusion of women. “Chief” provides a platform for women business leaders to benefit from networking and development, directly addressing the need to overcome barriers and promote the inclusion of women in senior executive roles.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator 5.5.2 (under Target 5.5): Proportion of women in managerial positions.
   • While the article does not provide specific data points, it implicitly relates to this indicator. The very existence of “Chief” as the “largest community of senior executive women” and its representation of “more than 10,000 companies and 77% of the Fortune 100” points to the importance of this metric. The organization’s activities are designed to support and increase the number of women in these high-level managerial roles.
2. No specific indicators are mentioned for SDG 8 or SDG 10.
   • The article describes qualitative efforts, such as creating a culture of “empowerment” and “accountability,” and providing “executive development” and “networking events.” These actions contribute to the targets, but the text does not offer quantitative metrics or official indicators (like wage gaps or employment rates) to measure progress. The size of the Chief community (“more than 10,000 companies”) could be seen as a proxy indicator for the growing inclusion of women executives, but it is not a formal SDG indicator.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: spencerfane.com