Pat Pacenta, Partner in the Akron Office, attended an invite-only event last week that focused on enhancing female leadership positions in local businesses. The event took place on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train and was hosted by Women’s Network, Athena Akron, and WUTNGA (Women Up to No Good Again), a group of local women wanting to see inclusion of more women in area company leadership.

 
Pacenta joined over 30 other business professionals in the Akron area to ride through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and brainstorm ways to get more females as leaders in businesses throughout the community.

 
On the train tables were copies of a study by McKinsey & Co. which examined the impact of women in leadership on organizations and their bottom lines. The study found “companies with more women in top management exhibit better organizational and financial performance. Likewise, companies with top-quartile representation of women on executive committees have a 47 percent higher average return on equity.”

 
The event was one of three conversations funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The previous ride-and-talk events focused on young professionals and minority leadership development.
The Akron Beacon Journal ran an article about the event on October 2nd. Read the full article here.