Connie Collingsworth
Former COO | Experienced Board Member | International | Executive Compensation | Risk Management | Regulatory Compliance | M&A and Financial Transactions Value-Added Experience for Boards Experienced board member and
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 closed. Please 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
Barbara Finigan Fitzgerald
Barbara Finigan is a corporate director, strategic advisor, and retired C-Suite executive, with extensive corporate governance, global business, and legal expertise. Barbara’s collaborative leadership at Hasbro, Inc., a $5B publicly
Arleas Upton Kea
Arleas Upton Kea is currently an Independent Director nominee for Thrivent Mutual Funds. She recently retired from the Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation, an independent government corporation (the “FDIC”), where she