Stephanie Morris

Early on I was fortunate to find a space that leveraged my strengths and interests at the intersection of people and business. Aligning corporate priorities with talent strategy to help individuals perform to the best of their ability at work and businesses to achieve optimal outcomes was a space that spoke to my heart. In my early 20s in a male-dominated environment, I established a deep sense of perseverance, resilience, and can-do attitude. It was a high 'churn and burn' consulting environment and when others around or above me left, I capitalized on the opportunity to expand into new areas to prove my abilities and value and change perceptions that were held about young female talent. I learned to trust my intuition and abilities, even before proving them. In hindsight, this now sounds somewhat naive, but it helped me build unwavering confidence that sits at the root of my professional success.

Build your credibility through consistent performance, invest in meaningful relationships, and don't be afraid to stay visible—seek out the resources, mentors, and conversations that will help you grow, expand your influence, and create new opportunities throughout your career.

I'm seeing a mass exodus of senior female leaders from corporate roles for a variety of reasons - glass ceiling, lack of clarity and true understanding and empathy from above, as well as the personal wellness and health challenges many women face late in their career. Some are leaving to pursue a simpler life or better balance, others are investing in themselves and growing something new. The impact on corporations is significant and not even fully recognized yet. Research shows us that companies with equity balance at the executive levels outperform their peers on the metrics that matter most: revenue, innovation, and culture. And what about the impact on the next generation of women in business? If we don't address the concerns and make work a place that women want to be, the systemic impact will be profound.

That's why I'm pivoting to focus this next phase of my own career on senior female leaders and the companies where they work, to provide options and allow them to intentionally choose what the next phase looks like, rather than feeling stuck, burned out, or pressured to leave.

At the top of my own personal values list that guides both my professional and personal life is relationships. The relationships we have with others, as we build and reciprocate trust and demonstrate empathy, as well as the relationship we have with ourselves. I know first-hand the tendency to withdraw, shrink and lose that trust during challenging life transitions; I am committed to supporting and amplifying women's voices and choices as my own choice for this next phase of life.