2025 Leadership Breakfast Recap
Women, Wealth, and Power: Preparing for the Wealth Transfer
At The Forum of Executive Women’s 2025 Leadership Breakfast, leaders from across the region gathered to explore how the coming Great Wealth Transfer will redefine women’s influence in business, philanthropy, and civic life.
Setting the Stage: Women Leading Through Change
Board Chair Kate Shields opened the morning by welcoming more than 600 attendees and celebrating the shared belief that drives the organization’s mission — advancing women into positions of power and influence across Greater Philadelphia.
Forum President & CEO Meg Pierce followed, grounding the morning in both reflection and resolve:
“While we’re here to celebrate women’s progress, we must also recognize the persistent pay gaps and barriers that still hold women back,” Pierce shared. “And yet, despite it all, women continue to lead, innovate, and reshape industries. That resilience is what brings us together today.”
The 2025 Women in Leadership Report: Progress
Now in its 24th year, The Forum’s Women in Leadership Report remains the only study of its kind dedicated to tracking women’s professional advancement in the Philadelphia region.
This year’s findings revealed continued momentum:
- Women now hold 30% of board seats, up two percentage points from last year.
- 22% of executive roles and 19% of top-earning positions are now held by women.
- The number of women CEOs more than doubled, rising from four to nine.
The Forum also celebrated a record 54 companies named Champions of Board Diversity—the first time a majority of companies surveyed have reached at least 30% women representation on their boards.
“Gender parity in leadership should be the norm, not the exception,” Pierce said. “These numbers only move when leaders act with intention—by championing women, mentoring rising leaders, and calling for accountability.”
Keynote: The Great Wealth Transfer
The morning’s keynote, delivered by Arunima Sinha, Vice President of Global and U.S. Economic Research at Morgan Stanley, examined the coming decade’s massive shift in assets and influence.
As of mid-2025, Americans aged 55 and older hold approximately $123 trillion in net worth, more than five times the total at the start of the millennium. With women comprising nearly 60% of those over 75, Sinha highlighted that women will play a pivotal role in shaping the flow of wealth and power in the years ahead.
“Women’s influence—both direct and indirect—on household financial decisions positions them as key architects of how this transition will shape the economy,” she explained. “This generational shift can serve as a catalyst for more inclusive growth across sectors.”
Panel Discussion: Women, Wealth, and Power
Moderated by Deepti Nagulapalli, Vice President at J.P. Morgan Private Advisory’s Behavioral Science team, the panel brought together four experts who explored the implications of women’s financial leadership—from markets and entrepreneurship to politics and philanthropy.
Nagulapalli framed the conversation with a challenge:
“In a world where wealth so often equates to power, women are poised to step into a moment of unprecedented influence. This is a time to act with intention—to decide how we will use both our wealth and our power.”
- Women Driving the Future of the Economy: Arunima Sinha emphasized that as the Great Wealth Transfer unfolds, women’s investment and consumption choices will increasingly shape economic direction, influencing everything from housing trends to asset allocation.
- Expanding Influence Through Political Giving: Debbie Walsh, Director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, urged women to embrace political giving as an extension of leadership.
- “When women direct resources toward candidates and causes that align with their values, they shape who holds power and what policies move forward,” Walsh said. “Political giving is another way to live our values and expand our civic influence.”
- Investing in Women-Led Businesses to Close Wealth Gaps: Tanya Morris, Founder and CEO of Mom Your Business, underscored the need for intentional investment in women- and minority-owned enterprises.
- “When women lead, wealth doesn’t just get transferred—it gets transformed,” Morris said. “But without equitable access to funding, land, and digital tools, this wealth transfer could deepen divides rather than close them.”
- Women’s Role in the Next Generation of Assets: Lydia Holiat, Vice President and Portfolio Manager at The Haverford Trust Company, focused on stewardship, urging women to prepare to receive and direct wealth with purpose.
- “For self, family, and community—we are all called to action,” she said. “How we prepare, decide, and act will determine the legacy we leave behind.”
A Call to Action: The Great Wealth Transfer Demands Bold Leadership
The conversations throughout the morning made one truth clear: women are not just participants in this moment—they are the architects of its impact. The Forum calls on every attendee and reader to turn insight into action.
For Women Leaders:
- Claim Your Seat: Pursue board positions, executive roles, and investment opportunities. Your presence at decision-making tables is systemic change in motion.
- Invest Intentionally: Use your economic influence to support women-led businesses, civic leaders, and equity-driven initiatives.
- Mentor Strategically: Create formal pathways for emerging women leaders. Share not only your wisdom but your access and networks.
For Organizations:
- Accelerate Board Diversity: Make gender parity an organizational value and commit to achieving it by 2027. P
- artner with Purpose: Collaborate with organizations like The Forum that are building the next generation of women leaders.
- Measure and Report: Track and share your progress publicly—accountability drives results.
For The Forum Community:
- Leverage Your Networks: Open doors and make introductions for other women.
- Champion Visibility: Nominate women for awards, speaking engagements, and leadership roles.
- Shape the Narrative: Use your platforms to highlight women’s economic power and leadership impact.
Share The Forum’s 2025 Women in Leadership Report with your network—and commit to action. Click here for the report.
