Board Institute

The annual Board Institute is a key way in which DirectWomen fulfills its mission.

Nearly 40% of DirectWomen alumni have been elected to serve on at least one corporate board, with alumni serving on over 210 total corporate boards, since the organization’s inception.

The application for the 2025 Board Institute is now closedPlease email yechevarria@directwomen.org to be notified when our application for 2026 opens.

More than 285 lawyers have participated in the Board Institute over the past 18 years and provide a rich pool of director candidates. Past Board Institute classes have been comprised of General Counsel of Fortune 500 companies, partners at top law firms, and leading lawyers from government and academia. These distinguished lawyers represent a wide range of business knowledge and experience in their industries, which include finance, energy, retail, media, and pharmaceuticals, among others. To learn more about DirectWomen’s Board Institute alumni, visit our alumni biography and resume database.

SUCCESS STORIES

Susan L. Blount

From 2005 to 2015, Susan Blount served as General Counsel of Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential), a leading provider of insurance, retirement and asset management products and services. In that role,

Carrie Hightman

Ms. Hightman is an experienced director and executive and has held a broad range of leadership roles in highly regarded companies such as NiSource, AT&T, and Fifth Third Bancorp. In

Jannie K. Lau

Jannie K. Lau is a former S&P 400® technology company executive who currently advises a diverse portfolio of companies on business growth and transformation, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters,