WBL FAQ

WBL List of Frequently Asked Questions

Click a link below to be taken to that section or question and its corresponding answer.

Board Searches

Q: How does WBL help with board searches?

A: WBL works closely with board search firms in pursuit of diverse pools of board candidates. Most often, board search firms or nominating committees inform WBL of potential opportunities. WBL then works confidentially with them to approve opportunity descriptions, which are sent out via the WBL listserv to all WBL Foundation associates. Interested associates then send their résumés to the WBL. WBL does not edit or screen the résumés. Rather, WBL passes all résumés received to the board search firms for review. WBL is not always aware of the companies for which we perform the searches. If you have submitted a résumé for a WBL board opportunity and are interested in the results, please contact a WBL staff member at any time.

If you know of an available board seat for which WBL could supply résumés, please let us know. Similarly, if you gain a new board seat for yourself, please let WBL know so that we can recognize you in an upcoming “Here’s to Us!” e-mail announcement.

Q: Who can be included in a WBL board search?

A: When WBL broadcasts a board opportunity, Foundation Associates can apply and invite other qualified colleagues regardless of gender to submit their cover letters and résumés. The board search e-mail from WBL can be forwarded as WBL Foundation Associates deem appropriate. As a result, our male colleagues may be submitting their résumés for consideration.

Q: Why does WBL include men’s resumes in their board searches?

A: Sharing the opportunity is part of WBL’s mission to increase our visibility as board candidates and to increase WBL’s visibility among current and potential board members. Including male résumés is part of our mission. If a man is invited to join a board, he will be familiar with WBL, and hopefully he will return the favor in the future the next time the board recruits new candidates.

Summits

Q: How many people attend the annual WBL Summits?

A: WBL limits its Summits to approximately 150 attendees to make the events more intimate and more meaningful to the participants. The 2009 WBL Summit was an exception to our usual attendance standard, however, as fifty colleagues had the opportunity to bring colleagues who are midlevel executives to participate in a separate program track. This was the result of the 2009 program’s focus on building human capital and ensuring a next generation of talent.

Q: How long does a WBL Summit last?

A: Summits are typically three-day, all-inclusive events. We encourage our Foundation Associates to attend all three days and our full program.

Q: Who can attend the WBL Summits?

A: Only WBL Foundation Associates can attend the Summits. If you are interested in attending and you are not a WBL Foundation Associate, please contact a WBL staff member for more information.

Q: What is the content like at the WBL Summits?

A: The content varies from year to year. In the past, the Summits have focused on the following topics: increasing professional visibility, crisis management and media preparedness, marketing your company’s reputation and relationships, and communicating with the government and gaining governmental appointments. We invite qualified and cutting-edge speakers and executive education institutions to provide programming. Many past attendees have praised the Summit’s ample networking time and the opportunities to meet one-on-one with each other and with board search consultants.

BYOCCs

Q: Does WBL have chapters?

A: No, WBL does not have chapters. We are a national organization with our headquarters in Washington, D.C. Our local events, or BYOCCs, provide informal opportunities for WBL Foundation Associates to meet other WBL women who live in their areas and to communicate in-person in between the WBL Summits.

Q: What does BYOCC stand for and how does it work?

A: BYOCC stands for “Bring Your Own Credit Card”™. These are dinners we host at various restaurants nationwide to provide a forum for networking and increase knowledge about the Foundation. This allows Foundation Associates to expand knowledge in their field and learn about other health care companies in their regions. As WBL is a non-profit organization, at BYOCCs, WBL splits the bill evenly among all attendees so that the cost does not fall on the Foundation.

Q: Where are BYOCCs located? What cities?

A: BYOCCs are held in restaurants in various cities across the country. Past BYOCCs have been held places such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Nashville, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Louisville, San Diego, New Orleans, and Tel Aviv, Israel. Event Calendar to see the schedule of upcoming BYOCC events.

Q: Who can attend BYOCCs?

A: Only WBL Associates can attend BYOCCs. If a WBL Foundation Associate would like to invite a senior executive female friend or colleague, please contact a WBL staff member.

Q: My city is not listed – how can I help plan a BYOCC in my area?

A: If you are interested in holding a BYOCC in your city and your city is not listed, please ask a WBL staff member. We will consider holding a BYOCC in your city or will introduce you to some of the WBL women who are geographically close to you.

General

Q: How does WBL make a difference?

A: The goals of the WBL Foundation are to help senior executive women in the health care industry improve their businesses and continue to grow professionally. We achieve this goal by helping facilitate networking opportunities for senior executive women and women board members in the health care industry, increasing the visibility of senior executive women and women board members, expanding the number of senior executive women in the health care industry, and expanding the number of senior executive women from the health care industry who serve as members of board of directors in any industry.

One of the reasons we believe that increasing the number of women on corporate boards of directors is that research has shown that having three or more women on a corporate board affects the company’s return on investments, return on sales, and return on equity.

Research conducted by the Wellesley Centers for Women shows that “while even one woman can make a positive contribution, and having two women is generally an improvement, corporations with three or more women on their boards tend to benefit the most from women’s contributions. Women directors make three distinctive types of contributions that men are less likely to make. They broaden boards’ discussions to include the concerns of a wider set of stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and the community at large; they are more persistent than male directors in pursuing answers to difficult questions; and they often bring a more collaborative approach to leadership, which improves communication among directors and between the board and management.”

Our Foundation Associates have discovered they have much in common. By using the network, they are able to establish business contacts they would not otherwise have had access to, and they have made new friendships and connected with each other on many different levels.

Q: Can WBL post my job announcement? Can I learn about job postings through WBL?

A: WBL does not post job announcements, and we do not broadcast job announcements to our Foundation Associates. Our mission focuses on “horizontal advancement”™ (career growth through board opportunities without leaving your current job) as opposed to vertical career advancement. If you have a board opportunity that you would like to share with the WBL network, please contact a WBL staff member.

Q: Where can I order one of WBL’s books, “Answering the Call” or “Advancing Women in Business”?

A: WBL books can be ordered on our website and at Amazon.com (“Answering the Call” and “Advancing Women in Business”).

Q: How do I join WBL or nominate a friend?

A: WBL Foundation Associate status is limited to senior executive women and women board members who do business with the U.S. health care industry. Foundation membership is by invitation only, but you can nominate yourself if you meet the criteria (generally, senior vice president title or higher, or a level of profit and loss responsibility). Please go to our Nomination Forms if you wish to nominate yourself or a friend.

Q: How do I join WBL’s advisory board?

A: At each WBL Summit, forms are available for you to indicate your interest in being a part of the WBL Advisory Board.

Q: What is the best way to network with other WBL Foundation Associates?

A: Attend WBL BYOCCs, Summits, and receptions. If you are currently a WBL Foundation Associate, you can nominate a friend, colleague, or business associate who meets the criteria of being an executive woman in the health care industry.

Q: Can I look up names in the WBL database? How do I know if a certain company has women who participate in WBL?

A: As a WBL Foundation Associate, you should never have to make a cold call in the health care industry again. However, to maintain the privacy of our associates, WBL does not publish our database. If you are interested in contacting a senior woman or key company in the health care industry, you can contact a WBL staff member at any time to facilitate an introduction.

Q: Where’s the database online?

A:The database is not available on-line. To inquire about a certain woman or company in the health care industry, please contact a WBL staff member. We can look up the person or company for you and facilitate an introduction and assist you with any other kind of support you may need regarding the foundation database.

Q: Who are WBL’s corporate sponsors?

A: Our corporate sponsors for 2009 include the following:

Platinum:

Gold:

Silver:

Bronze:

Contributing Sponsors:

Supporters:

Q: How is WBL funded?

A: WBL relies on its annual Summit and various sponsorships to fund its activities.

Q: How many members are in WBL?

A: We currently have more than 2,300 Foundation Associates in the WBL database.