SALT Voices: Shelley Zalis | Chief Executive Officer, The Female Quotient

TL;DR

Founder of the Female Quotient, Shelley Solace, emphasizes the importance of taking action to create progress and highlights the need to address the wage gap and parity in the c-suite.

Transcript

this is salt 2019 and I'm here with Shelley solace the founder and CEO of the female quotient so Shelley are you optimistic or pessimistic about where we are today you know what I'm always optimistic because I think that we all have to take responsibility for activating change and pessimistic means we're gonna sit back watch and wait and nothing co... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧔‍♀️ Taking action is necessary for progress in advancing women's equality.
• 🧘‍♀️ The Female Quotient aims to inspire and empower women in finance to aspire to leadership positions.
• 😚 Reports indicate that it will take several years to close the wage gap and achieve parity in the c-suite.
• 🪡 Finance and technology are considered industries that need more progress towards equality.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Shelley Solace view the current state of progress for women's equality?

Shelley is always optimistic and believes that it is necessary for everyone to take responsibility and actively work towards creating change. She emphasizes the importance of action to achieve progress.

Q: What is the mission of the Female Quotient?

The Female Quotient focuses on advancing women by raising awareness and providing solutions for change. They aim to inspire and empower women in finance to aspire to leadership positions.

Q: Which industries are considered more resistant to change?

According to Shelley, industries such as finance and technology have longer progress journeys towards achieving equality. She believes that these industries need to confront the need for change and find ways to address the existing inequalities.

Q: How does Shelley Solace feel about initiatives like California's requirement for women on boards?

While Shelley does not want to fill a seat at the table based on quotas, she recognizes the importance of representation. She believes that having at least 30 percent representation at every level will lead to a cultural transformation, as long as the best talent is selected.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Shelley Solace is optimistic about creating change and believes that taking action is essential for progress in advancing women's equality.

• The Female Quotient aims to generate awareness and inspire women in finance to rise into leadership positions.

• Reports from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum indicate that closing the wage gap and achieving parity in the c-suite will take several years, which Shelley finds unacceptable.