Catalyst Inc. is a global
nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
founded
by feminist writer and advocate
Felice Schwartz in 1962. Schwartz also served as Catalyst's president for 31 years.
Catalyst's stated mission is to "accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion."
Recent topics of focus include:
board diversity;
gender, race and ethnicity;
inclusive cultures;
LGBTQ
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is ...
; men and equality;
the
gender pay gap;
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
;
and
unconscious bias
In social identity theory, an implicit bias or implicit stereotype, is the pre-reflective attribution of particular qualities by an individual to a member of some social out group.
Implicit stereotypes are thought to be shaped by experience and b ...
.
Catalyst also offers consulting services to supporter organizations seeking to improve
workplace culture,
diversity and inclusion
The business case for diversity stems from the progression of the models of diversity within the workplace since the 1960s. In the United States, the original model for diversity was situated around affirmative action drawing from equal opportunit ...
initiative outcomes, and representation of women in their organizations.
In addition to research activities, Catalyst has launched targeted initiatives to increase the number of women in leadership positions. These initiatives include Catalyst CEO Champions For Change,
Catalyst Women on Board,
Enlist Men's Support For Gender Equality, Men Advocating Real Change/MARC
), and celebrate individuals and organizations that are positive role models for change (Catalyst Awards, Catalyst Canada Honours).
History
Founding
In 1951, after her father died,
Felice Schwartz joined her brother
Theodore Nierenberg to help turn around their father's failing business. Married and a mother, Schwartz worked as the vice president of production until they sold the business for a small profit three-and-a-half years later.
The experiences Schwartz gained while working and raising a family spurred her to found Catalyst in 1962 with the stated mission, "to bring to our country's needs the unused abilities of intelligent women who want to combine work and family."
The Early Years: 1960s
The 1960s saw Catalyst focused on promoting
job-sharing programs and collecting and disseminating information to women who were interested in pursuing a career.
In 1966, Catalyst partnered with the
Department of Public Welfare to launch a pilot job-sharing program for women. Twenty-five jobs as a
welfare case worker were opened for 50 women. In 1971, ''Part-Time Social Workers in Public Welfare'' was published showing that the 50 part-time women were 89% as productive as full-time case workers and had one-third less
turnover as full-time case workers.
The 1970s & 1980s
As more women entered the workforce, Catalyst shifted its focus to topics such as dual career families,
child care
Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...
and women on corporate boards. Catalyst branched out from the
public sector
The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...
into the
private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The ...
, gaining corporate supporters.
Schwartz became a more prominent voice in the
women's movement
The feminist movement (also known as the women's movement, or feminism) refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for radical and liberal reforms on women's issues created by the inequality between men and women. Such is ...
. She authored numerous articles, was interviewed by the media and co-authored her first book, ''How to Go to Work When Your Husband Is Against It, Your Children Aren't Old Enough, and There's Nothing You Can Do Anyhow'', along with her Catalyst colleagues Margaret H. Schifter and Susan S. Gillotti. She launched the Catalyst Awards to recognize women board directors.
And, Catalyst established the Corporate Child Care Resource to monitor child care activities around the country and report on best practices.
The Mommy Track Controversy
Schwartz was a prolific writer but is most known for her 1989 article, ''Management Women and the New Facts of Life''
published in ''
Harvard Business Review
''Harvard Business Review'' (''HBR'') is a general management magazine published by Harvard Business Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard University. ''HBR'' is published six times a year and is headquartered in Brighton, Massach ...
''. Schwartz sparked a national debate by stating that "the cost of employing women in management is greater than the cost of employing men," and suggesting that employers create two tracks for women, one for the career focused and one for the family focused.
In response to Schwartz's article, the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' published ''
'Mommy Career Track' Sets Off a Furor,'' and branded Schwartz as the "
mommy track
A mommy track is a path in a woman's life that puts priority to being a mother. It can also specifically refer to work arrangements for women in the workforce that facilitate motherhood, such as flexible hours, but at the same time usually provide ...
" creator. The ''Times'' article quoted prominent feminists who called the idea of two career paths "horrifying" and "damaging to women's advancement." Critics claimed the article validated the idea that women could have a family or a career but not both. Adding to the controversy was the lack of corroborating evidence for Schwartz's assertions. Her critics stated,
''If this is such hot stuff, where's the documentation?''
Schwartz claimed that her article was misinterpreted, saying, "I violated the politically correct thing by saying that women are not just like men. What I said then and still say is that women face many, many obstacles in the workplace that men do not face. I was saying to that group of men at the top, 'Rather than let women's talents go to waste, do something about it.'"
In 1992, Schwartz published the book, ''Breaking with Tradition: Women and Work, The New Facts of Life,''
a response and expansion of the "mommy track" idea.
Ten years after the original article was published, Schwartz's son Tony revisited the debate and offered up some insights from the controversy. In his article, Tony Schwartz argues that his mother's idea of dividing women into two categories was misguided, but her argument that to retain women companies need to give them more flexibility to manage a career and family, was on point.
The End of the Schwartz Era
After 31 years at the helm of Catalyst, Schwartz retired in 1993. She was in failing health and passed away in 1996 at the age of 71.
Shortly thereafter, her final book was published, ''The Armchair Activist: Simple Yet Powerful Ways to Fight the Radical Right'', co-authored with Suzanne K. Levine.
1993 and Beyond
Since the Schwartz era and through its next three presidents, Catalyst expanded its offerings and geographic footprint.
In 1993, the Board appointed Sheila Wellington, a former secretary of
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, to become the new president and CEO. As the leader of Catalyst, Wellington instituted more rigorous research standards, expanded Catalyst studies to include non-US geographies and women of color, and launched the annual ''Census of Women Board Directors,'' which became one of Catalyst's signature studies.
Wellington resigned in 2003 to accept a position at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
's
Leonard N. Stern School of Business
The New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business (commonly referred to as NYU Stern, The Stern School of Business, or simply Stern) is the business school of New York University, a private research university based in New York City. I ...
.
In 2003, Ilene H. Lang assumed the role of president. Lang was a seasoned tech industry executive. She was the founding CEO of
AltaVista Internet Software Inc., a First Light Capital
venture
Venture may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
*The Ventures, an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958
*"A Venture", 1971 song by the band Yes
*''Venture'', a 2010 EP by AJR
Games
* ''Venture'' (video game), a 1981 arcade gam ...
partner, and a previous senior executive at
Lotus Development Corporation
Lotus Software (called Lotus Development Corporation before its acquisition by IBM) was an American software company based in Massachusetts; it was "offloaded" to India's HCL Technologies in 2018.
Lotus is most commonly known for the Lotus 1-2- ...
.
During her tenure, Lang further expanded Catalyst globally, opening offices in Europe, India, Australia and Japan.
In 2014, Lang stepped down, and Deborah Gillis was named President & CEO. A Canadian, Gillis was the first non-American President & CEO. Prior to joining Catalyst, she worked in the public sector for the governments of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
and
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
and as a consultant for
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...
and
Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton is the world's seventh-largest by revenue and sixth-largest by number of employees professional services network of independent accounting and consulting member firms which provide assurance, tax and advisory services to private ...
.
In 2018, Deborah Gillis stepped down to accept the position of President & CEO of the
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH, pronounced , french: Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale) is a psychiatric teaching hospital located in Toronto and ten community locations throughout the province of Ontario, Canada. It re ...
(CAMH) Foundation, and Ilene H. Lang resumed her former leadership role as Catalyst's Interim President & CEO. In August 2018,
Lorraine Hariton
Lorraine Hariton (born November 7, 1954) is the president and CEO of Catalyst, a New York City–based nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of women in the workplace.
Early life and education
Hariton grew up in Long Island, New ...
became President & CEO.
Organization
Leadership
Catalyst's President & CEO is Lorraine Hariton, who previously held senior-level positions in
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...
, as well as leadership roles across the private, nonprofit, and government sectors, assumed the role of President & CEO on September 1, 2018. The Board of Directors Chair is Cathy Engelbert, CEO of
Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
.
Catalyst is governed by a Board of Directors that includes 36 companies from a variety of industries including:
oil and gas
A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and combustion, burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, petroleum, oil, and natura ...
,
consumer products
A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike a intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good, but t ...
,
retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...
,
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
s,
accounting
Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...
,
consulting
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servic ...
,
business services
Corporate services or business services are activities which combine or consolidate certain enterprise-wide needed support services, provided based on specialized knowledge, best practices, and technology to serve internal (and sometimes external) ...
,
financial services
Financial services are the Service (economics), economic services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money, including credit unions, banks, credit-card companies, insurance companies, acco ...
,
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
,
travel
Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel c ...
,
aerospace and defense,
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
,
pharmaceuticals
A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and rel ...
,
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
, and
telecommunications
Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
.
Supporters
Catalyst receives funding for research and ongoing operations from more than 800 supporter organizations across the globe.
Regions
Catalyst has operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and across the globe.
Major Initiatives
Catalyst CEO Champions For Change
Launched on
International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...
in 2017, the ''Catalyst CEO Champions For Change'' initiative showcases commitments by CEOs to advancing all women, including
women of color
The term "person of color" (plural, : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "White people, white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily a ...
, into more leadership positions in their companies and on their boards. To participate, Catalyst asks CEOs to publicly declare their support, take a pledge of organizational and personal commitments, and report their company's progress each year against established diversity metrics.
The first report on the participating companies' progress was released in November 2017.
Catalyst Awards
Originally begun in 1976 to celebrate individual women board members, the Catalyst Award shifted to recognizing individual organizations in 1987.
Since then, the award has recognized corporations and the specific programs they've created to recruit, develop, and advance women. Company initiatives are evaluated on seven criteria: strategy and rationale, senior leadership activities, accountability and transparency, communication, employee engagement, innovation, and measurable results.
Catalyst has recognized 94 initiatives at 85 organizations from around the world since 1987.
To be considered for the award, companies must submit an application. For each applicant, the Catalyst Award Evaluation Committee conducts research and phone interviews before narrowing the field to a few organizations. For the selected companies, the Committee conducts further research via onsite visits. The Committee and Catalyst executive leadership determine the winners.
Initiatives are publicly celebrated at the annual Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner held in New York City. The 2018 awards dinner had more than 2,000 attendees, including executives from global corporations, professional firms, governments, NGOs, and educational institutions.
Award Winners, 2011-2020
:2011 —
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente (; KP), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser P ...
,
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
,
Time Warner
Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States.
It was originally established in 1972 by ...
:2012 —
Commonwealth Bank
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), or CommBank, is an Australian multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Asia, the United States and the United Kingdom. It provides a variety of financial services including retail, busines ...
,
Sodexo
:2013 —
Alcoa
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...
,
Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups ...
,
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...
:2014 —
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand n ...
,
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
:2015 —
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...
,
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
:2016 —
Gap
:2017 —
3M,
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company.
The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...
,
Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. is an American provider of industrial automation whose brands include Allen-Bradley, FactoryTalk software and LifecycleIQ Services.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 ...
:2018 —
Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group, Inc. (BCG) is an American global management consulting firm founded in 1963 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the Big Three (or MBB, the world’s three largest management consulting firms by rev ...
,
IBM,
Nationwide,
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...
:2019 —
Bank of America
The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank w ...
,
Deutsche Post DHL Group,
Eli Lilly & Company
Eli Lilly and Company is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in 18 countries. Its products are sold in approximately 125 countries. The company was founded in 1876 by, and named after, Colonel ...
,
Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric SE is a French multinational company that specializes in digital automation and energy management. It addresses homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries, by combining energy technologies, real-time automation ...
:2020 —
Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
,
Medtronic,
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...
Publications
Catalyst publishes across a wide range of topics, including: board diversity;
gender, race, and ethnicity;
inclusive cultures;
LGBTQ men and equality;
the gender pay gap;
sexual harassment;
and unconscious bias.
Below is a list of some of their publications. Please consult the Catalyst website for a complete list:
* 1992: ''Women in Engineering: An Untapped Resource''
* 1993: ''Creating Successful Mentoring Programs: A Catalyst Guide''
* 1994: ''Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Strategies for Success''
* 1995: ''The CEO View: Women On Corporate Boards''
* 1996: ''Women In Corporate Leadership: Progress & Prospects''
* 1997: ''A New Approach to Flexibility: Managing the Work/Time Equation''
* 1998: ''Women of Color in Corporate Management: Dynamics of Career Advancement''
* 1999: ''Women Scientists in Industry: A Winning Formula for Companies''
* 2000: ''Breaking the Barriers: Women in Senior Management in the UK''
* 2001: ''Women of Color Executives: Their Voices, Their Journeys''
* 2002: ''Europe, Women in Leadership: A European Business Imperative''
* 2003: ''Bit By Bit: A Catalyst Guide To Advancing Women In High Tech Companies''
* 2004: ''The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity''
* 2005: ''Women "Take Care," Men "Take Charge:" Stereotyping Of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed''
* 2006: ''Different Cultures, Similar Perceptions: Stereotyping of Western European Business Leaders''
* 2007: ''Making Change: LGBT Inclusion – Understanding the Challenges''
* 2008: ''Unwritten Rules: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Your Career''
* 2009: ''Opportunity or Setback? High Potential Women and Men During Economic Crisis''
* 2010: ''Pipeline's Broken Promise''
* 2011: ''Sponsoring Women to Success''
* 2012: ''Good Intentions, Imperfect Execution? Women Get Fewer Of the "Hot Jobs" Needed To Advance''
* 2013: ''High Potentials in the Pipeline: On Their Way to the Boardroom''
* 2014: ''Inclusive Leadership: The View from Six Countries''
* 2015: ''Think People, Not Just Programs, to Build Inclusive Workplaces''
* 2016: ''Emotional Tax: How Black Women and Men Pay More at Work and How Leaders Can Take Action''
* 2017: ''The Journey to Inclusion: Building Workplaces That Work for Women In Japan''
* 2018: ''Day-To-Day Experiences of Emotional Tax Among Women and Men of Color in the Workplace''
See also
*
List of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies
This is a list of Women CEOs of the Fortune 500, based on the magazine's 2022 list (updated yearly). As of Dec 7, 2022, women were CEOs at 9.4 percent of Fortune 500 companies.
Fortune 500 women CEOs as of 2021 (47 women)
Fortune 500 CEOs by ...
References
{{Authority control
Non-profit organizations based in New York City
Organizations established in 1962