About

Who We Are

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The Boston Club is a community of executives and professionals invested in elevating women to leadership positions across all walks of business.
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We believe that women’s leadership has a positive effect on business results, organizational success and our communities.

Members enjoy access to like-minded successful women, the recognition of members’ accomplishments, and most importantly, the impact the Club has made in women’s careers.

Whether you’re a corporate executive, a rising star, a mentor, a board member, an independent business owner, a nonprofit leader or an educator, there is a place for you in The Boston Club. Here, you can build connections, skills, experiences and friendships. Members span many ages, races, ethnicities, and industries. Together, we represent a powerful range of skill, culture and perspective.

Founded in 1976, the Boston Club has nearly 500 members. We are a volunteer-run organization, connecting through events, peer-to-peer mentoring, and affinity groups. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by an Executive Director, with members participating on committees and task forces.

The Boston Club offers both corporate and nonprofit board placement services in which we identify and recommend qualified women candidates from our significant pool of nationwide talent.

We research the progress of gender diversity on boards: an annual Census of board and executive suite diversity in Massachusetts’ largest public companies, and a periodic report focused on leadership in the 150 largest nonprofits in the state. See our reports.

We also have significant collaborations with corporate sponsors and partners that support our mission and value the benefits we can offer to women. See our sponsors.

Diversity & Inclusion

The women who founded The Boston Club had a singular bold idea: connecting and elevating women to leadership positions. In the 40+ years since, we have made great strides in achieving improved gender equity in executive suites and boardrooms. We still have a long way to go!

The Club’s diversity and inclusion efforts continue to evolve and adapt to the community’s needs. We believe diversity and cultural competence are essential leadership skills, as is the ability to manage in an ever changing, diverse world.

We have developed a series of programs, tools, and resources designed to inform and support increasing awareness and competence, from foundational to advanced learning.

By example, in the area of unconscious bias, we recommend viewing a Video on the science of unconscious bias with an emphasis on women leaders (8 minutes).

In addition, try the Implicit Association Test (10 minutes). Learn more about your hidden biases on a host of topics.

Our diversity statement:

Within The Boston Club, diversity is the recognition of and valuing of differences amongst members, including and not limited to race, religion, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental and physical abilities, and work/life balance issues. Inclusion is the action of diversity, how we live, our respect for others and how we effectively utilize our leadership to promote the advancement of all women.

A diverse membership ensures the richness and vibrancy of ideas, topics and approaches. Ultimately, diversity and inclusion enhances the quality of experiences, promotes member engagement, and develops leadership depth.

Leadership

Lisa Prior

Chair
Principal Prior Consulting

Michele Liu Baillie

Secretary
Of Counsel and Patent Attorney Sunstein LLP

Lisa Pattinson

Treasurer
Senior Vice President SVB - A Division of FCB

Vicki Amalfitano, MBA, MSW

Director
Principal, Dalton Marketing Advisors Instructor, Harvard Chan School of Public Health

Donna Bonaparte

Director
VP of Human Resources/Chief Human Resources Officer Babson College

Kari Borroel

Director
Senior Director of Quality Learning, Documentation & Training Services, Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Åsa Fanelli

Director
Founder & and Chief Strategist IdeaLift Group LLC

Marianne Herlihy

Director
Director of Business Development and Client Service Hemenway & Barnes LLP

Terri Mock

Director
Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Rave Mobile Safety

Deniz Razon

Director
Chief Business Officer Servier Pharmaceuticals

Janet Swaysland

Director
Principal, Culture & Engagement Strategy Bluefire Partners

Barbara Hayes

Executive Director
The Boston Club

Press

The Boston Club
Amirah, Inc. and Health Care Without Walls, Inc. Receive The Boston Club’s Advancement Award - May 5, 2021

The Boston Club
The Boston Club Recognizes Alkermes plc and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts with First President’s Award - May 5, 2021

Boston Business Journal
"Viewpoint: In 2019, resolve to have more women on public boards," Jan 2019

Boston Business Journal
"Number of all-male boards in Mass. hits new low as women make gains," November 2018

Boston Globe
"Biotech convention offers exhibit A for women at the top," June 2018

Bloomberg
Baystate Business Hour, November 2017

Boston Business Journal
"Report: Mass. tech firms lag other industries in female execs, directors," November 2017

Boston Globe Magazine
"Female executives discuss how motherhood has helped them on the job," October 2017

Boston Globe
"Finally, some good news on board diversity," March 2017

Worcester Telegram
"Central Mass has stars, and nonstarters, on corporate female leadership list," December 2016

Boston Globe
"From Boston Club President, 28 ways to empower women," December 2016

Boston.com
"Charlie Baker signs law requiring equal pay for comparable work," August 2016

Worcester Telegram
"Peter S. Cohan: IPG Photonics adds a woman to its board," July 2016

Boston Globe
"Boston Foundation shakes up leadership, elects two women to lead board," June 2016

TheEstablishment.com
"Why doesn’t America have an equal rights amendment," June 2016

BU Daily Free Press
"Mayor Martin Walsh creates business opportunities for women and minorities," February 2016

For more information about our Leadership Resources, click below.

More Information