The Industry Leaders Roundtable participants are principals and partners of the nationʼs largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms, including AECOM, Perkins + Will, Weidlinger Associates Inc., HOK, S/L/A/M Collaborative, Thorton Tomasetti, WSP Flack+Kurtz, ARUP, and Buro Happold. Together they represent over 100,000 employees, including an estimated 15,000-20,000 women. Roundtable participation is limited to 20 participants.
Purpose
The Roundtable is dedicated to advancing women leaders in the building industry. Fully integrating women into the workplace can yield a significant return – one that Deloitte LLP calls the “gender dividend,” a steady benefit earned by making balanced investments in developing women as potential leaders as well as understanding women as clients and their impact on the bottom line. According to Deloitte, done right, this should be reflected in increased contracts, expanded markets, and improved recruitment and retention of key talent.
Program
The Roundtable program is a two-day annual retreat. It is designed to encourage its participants to undertake institutional change within their organizations by providing them with research, tools, and support to be change agents. The program focuses on business planning concepts and initiatives that can move women into key decision-making roles in the building industry.
Process
The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation presents research augmented by the research of selected speakers whose work makes the business case for women
and pinpoints effective initiatives. During the retreat and follow-up meetings, participants identify best practices for their organizations to retain and advance women leaders. They also suggest metrics for ongoing progress assessment.
Invited Guests
The Foundation invites clients as guests – such as Rolando Rivas-Camp, Deputy Chief Architect of GSA, Washington, DC, and Anna Franz, FAIA, Director,
Planning and Project Management for the Architect of the US Capitol – to provide views and connections from outside experts.
Results
After one retreat, a participant had this to say: “The firm began to implement some of the ideas discussed during the retreat and has modified other existing policies based on information gathered at the retreat.”
Download a pdf About the Roundtable
Read more about past Roundtable Meetings.
Contact BWAF for Roundtable information at Roundtable(at)bwaf.org
