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Gender Initiative
Kaisa Snellman
Academic Director of INSEAD Gender Initiative
Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour
Vinika Rao
Executive Director of INSEAD Gender Initiative
Our Vision and Mission
Gender imbalance and the resultant experience of women in business and society have consequences for both organisations and the communities they serve. Yet the dynamics, causes, and consequences of gender imbalance are not yet fully understood, limiting our ability to enhance gender balance. Built on INSEAD’s core organisational value of diversity and decades of gender diversity efforts, the Gender Initiative integrates research, business, and pedagogy to engage the full potential of both women and men.
Our community of gender researchers includes psychologists, sociologists, economists, and management and finance scholars who conduct cutting-edge research on the experiences and impact of women in business and society. We are building relationships with organisations to enhance their commitment to gender balance and their ability to fulfil this goal. By striving to create a pipeline of future business leaders who are passionate and equipped to drive gender balance within their existing and future organisations, we aim to empower women leaders to positively impact business and society.
Our mission is to create and disseminate knowledge that advances women leaders and optimises their contributions within and beyond their organisations. We strive to engage both men and women in this effort, inspiring all to take action.
In the Spotlight
Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Economics, Finance, and Central Banking, 14 November 2022
"Retaining Talent in Organizations: Masculinity, Inclusion and Norms".
Click here for webcast.
Paper by Guadalupe M., Pollenne D., Snellman K.
Business Insider - Kaisa Snellman
Why productivity scores don’t effectively measure Employee Performance
INSEAD Knowledge
Can Zoom Be a Tool for Teaching Anti-racism?
Zoe Kinias, Associate Professor of INSEAD Organization Behaviour and Academic Director of INSEAD Gender Initiative; Modupe Akinola, Associate Professor of Management of Columbia Business School; Erin Kelly, Sloan Distinguished Professor of Work and Organization Studies at MIT Sloan and Michael I.Norton, the Harold M.Brierley Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, co-authored this article bringing DEI-related topics into sharper focus leveraging today's technology.
CNA938 Radio Interview
Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on gender balance
Prof. Zoe Kinias shares insight on the impact of the pandemic on gender balance
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Business Schools Can Help ‘Break the Bias’ for Women
Institutions like INSEAD are uniquely equipped to address systemic biases.
INSEAD In the News
Dr. Zoe Kinias: Expert at the Warner Music Group (WMG)'s Global DEI Institute
WMG’s Global DEI Institute is a hub of innovation, learning, growth, and action to drive impactful change at WMG and beyond.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
New Case Study
Turning the Tide in Mozambique: Developing Gender Inclusion at a Major Transport Hub
Friday 26 November 2021 at 12-1 pm SGT, Singapore campus. Register here.
Wednesday 1 December 2021 at 8:30-9:30 am CET, virtual discussion. Register here.
Wednesday 9 February 2022 at 12:30-1:30pm, CET, Europe campus. Tuesday 5 April 2022 at 4-5pm Singapore.
Hosted by IGI and HGIBS.
INSEAD In the News
Why Allyship is Key to Gender Balance
Ilian Mihov and Zoe Kinias discuss how both men and women are key in the efforts to achieving equity.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Developing Quality Conversations About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Organisations – including business schools – are increasingly focused on expanding their DEI capabilities. Consider these best practices for productive conversations around DEI.
INSEAD Knowledge
Strategy and Leadership Lessons From the ‘Notorious RBG’
As the business world increasingly strives to be a catalyst for social justice and societal progress, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s work provides many valuable lessons for leaders.
INSEAD Knowledge
Making the “New Normal” Better for Women
How individuals and organisations can keep progressing towards gender balance, in our profoundly disrupted world.
2020 Outstanding Case Writer Hot Topic Winner
This case won the Outstanding Case Writer Competition: Hot Topic 'Diversity and Discrimination' at The Case Centre Awards and Competitions 2020.
INSEAD Knowledge
Unearthing the Roots of Systemic Racism
Dislodging deep-seated racism will require a comprehensive long-term strategy on the part of leaders, organisations and business schools.
INSEAD Knowledge
Putting More Women at the Helm of Corporate Boards
Women make great board chairs. If only there were more of them.
INSEAD Knowledge
How the Daily Commute Contributes to the Gender Wage Gap
Women’s aversion for commuting motivates them to look for closer and not-so-well paid jobs compared to men.
INSEAD Knowledge
'Pink Silos' in Start-up Funding and How to Avoid Them
Female entrepreneurs and female investors risk being boxed in if they seek only each other’s company.
INSEAD Knowledge
With more women as board chairs, business can better serve society. equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Building Gender Balance Against the Odds
To enable women’s advancement where it’s needed most, individual, interpersonal and institutional changes are required.
INSEAD Knowledge
Creating More Economic Equality for Women
Insights from INSEAD’s 2nd annual Women at Work conference on how to address resource-based gender gaps across a wide variety of contexts.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
How PE and VC Are Closing the Gender Gap in Emerging Markets
If including women in senior private equity and venture capital leadership teams improves returns, why is the gender gap still so pervasive?
INSEAD Knowledge
Promoting Gender Balance is Everyone's Business
Progressive companies are moving from awareness to action, and systemic challenges must be overcome.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
What Women on the Board Need to Know
Three INSEAD alumnae share their wisdom as board directors.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Lessons in Women's Empowerment from India's Female Village Leaders
Samir Sathe, EMCCC'18, discusses the relationships and factors that influence the performance of elected representatives.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge Blog
How These Leading CEOs Are Tackling Gender Inequality
Persistently setting new norms helps organisations battle stubborn gender imbalances.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
Salamander - INSEAD Alumni Magazine
Starting a Global Movement with iW50
iW50 is ending, but INSEAD’s work to advance gender balance has just begun.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge Blog
Social Support Sets Women Up for Success at Work
Organisations are investing heavily to level the playing field for professional women, but they often lack a systematic approach.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Gender Balance: Moving from Awareness to Action
A clear-eyed, nuanced organisational perspective can strengthen employee engagement and galvanise change.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
How to Get More Women to Work in Tech
Role models and reassurance about potential success can impact women’s career decisions.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Having a Social Mission Benefits Women Entrepreneurs
Highlighting a venture’s social impact can help female entrepreneurs overcome gender bias.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD In the News
Gender Equality in Asian Corporate Leadership - Emerging Markets Report
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
The Slow and Steady Progress Towards Gender-Balanced Boards
In conservative societies, awareness and discussion of gender diversity issues pave the way for progress.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
Nudging Your Staff to Healthier Habits
Wendy Wood, Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at the University of Southern California and INSEAD-Sorbonne Université Behavioural Lab Distinguished Visiting Chair in Behavioural Sciences, discusses how adequate cues and a dash of rewards can go a long way towards persuading employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD In the News
Zoe Kinias, INSEAD Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Academic Director of the Gender Initiative, discusses why the inclusion of diverse case protagonists is so important in business education.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD In the News
Women Matter: Ten Years of Insights on Gender Diversity
Dean Ilian Mihov contributes his perspective on gender diversity in McKinsey's Women Matter October 2017 report.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
How Boards Will Look in Ten Years
More women and a wider array of professionals are likely to fill future boards, while technology will play a bigger role in their work.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
INSEAD Knowledge
The Role of Language in the Gender Gap
Selin Kesebir, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour (London Business School) discusses how our use of language reflects and influences perceptions of gender roles.
INSEAD Knowledge
Tackling the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship
The right combination of message and methods would help level the playing field.
INSEAD Knowledge
Stop Blaming Women for Gender Inequality
Henrich Greve, INSEAD Professor of Entrepreneurship, discusses how unfair treatment in the business environment causes potential female leaders to "lean out."
INSEAD In the News
A Simple Exercise Can Help Women Overcome Self-Doubt to Succeed
Zoe Kinias, INSEAD Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour, discusses how reflecting on core personal values may be beneficial for women in competitive business settings.
Mastering Private Equity and Private equity in action
Our Team
Kaisa Snellman
Academic Director
Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour
Kaisa Snellman is an Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD where she teaches courses in organizational behavior and organizational theory, she is the Academic Director of the INSEAD Gender Initiative.
Kaisa's work examines inequality based on gender, race, and class in the domains of education, employment, and health. She is interested in both the structural and the cultural-cognitive processes that contribute to inequality. More specifically, she studies how cultural beliefs about gender and race shape outcomes for individuals as well as organizations, and how organizations contribute to economic inequality through their employment practices.
Kaisa's research has been featured in a variety of news outlets, such as the Atlantic, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, The Economist, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. Her research on the diffusion of the shareholder model in Finland received the Louis R. Pondy Best Dissertation Award from the Organization and Management Theory Division of the Academy of Management in 2012. She was also a finalist for the William H. Newman Award from the Academy of Management.
Kaisa earned PhD and MA degrees in Sociology from Stanford University, and an MSc degree in Economics from Swedish School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. Prior to joining INSEAD, Kaisa was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Vinika Rao
Executive Director
Vinika started her career with an MNC bank and went on to become Managing Director of an Asian conglomerate, before making a serendipitous transition to education. Her research is in gender diversity in leadership, male allyship and intergenerational influences on the workplace. Prior to INSEAD, she was Assoc Professor of Strategy at S.P. Jain School of Global Management. She currently sits on the boards of a non-profit organization and a think tank and advises Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at global organizations. She is also Ambassador, Power Women of India; International Advisory Committee, Mody University for Women & SP Jain Return to Work Programme; Ambassador, She2030 and Advisory Board, Nine by 9. She has an MBA from IIM Bangalore and an award-winning doctorate in leadership diversity from the Singapore Management University (SMU).
Dr. Rao is passionate about supporting women managers to make fulfilling work-life decisions, aiming to do this through active sponsorship rather than mentorship alone. She strives to engage both men and women in the effort to foster gender balance in their organizations and communities.
Daisy Pollenne
Research Associate
Daisy is a Research Associate at INSEAD, working on the Equal4Europe (E4E) project. Her research examines the persistence of gendered dynamics in business institutions' working climates in Europe. She is interested in the consequences for women and men's performance and wellbeing at work, and how these shape career trajectories in business academia. Daisy also uses the E4E research to inform INSEAD's policy development on diversity, equity and inclusion. In parallel, Daisy is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford. Her research explores how wellbeing is affected by different reasons for migrating and subsequent experiences in host countries.
Felicia A. Henderson
Executive in Residence
November 2022-February 2023
Felicia A. Henderson is a Paris-based independent consultant with over 25 years of advising experience. She devoted the first twelve years of her career to practice as a corporate lawyer in the New York and Paris offices of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.
Felicia has been an Adjunct Lecturer on corporate law and governance at Sciences Po Paris since 2011. Additionally, she regularly lectures on diversity, equity, and inclusion in INSEAD Executive Education programs. Felicia has published on leadership, corporate governance, and DEI topics in INSEAD Knowledge and the Sciences Po Law Review. She is the co-author of Mirvac: Building Balance (A) and (B), a pair of business teaching cases awarded Outstanding Case Writer: Hot Topic ‘Diversity and Discrimination’ in 2020 by The Case Centre. Her current research focuses on the dynamics of racial equity and inclusion in Europe and the practical applications for anti-racism initiatives in multi-national corporations.
Felicia graduated with Distinction from INSEAD’s Executive Master in Consulting and Coaching for Change (EMCCC), and holds a BA, cum laude from Duke University and a JD, cum laude from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, Felicia served as Editor-in-Chief of Volume 20 of the Harvard Women’s Law Journal. Although she no longer practices law, Felicia remains a member of the bar of the State of New York.
Jean Lim
Administrative Assistant
Jean Lim is responsible for the overall administrative coordination of the INSEAD Gender Initiative. She manages the website, events, social media presence and related activities. Jean is the contact person for any queries you may have for IGI. Prior to joining INSEAD, Jean has held various administrative roles in the multinational environment, providing support to Directors; human resource management and taking care of secretarial and office administration management.
We gratefully acknowledge the support received from the Patrick Cescau/Unilever Endowed Fund for Research in Diversity and Leadership.
Enquiry?
If you have any questions related to the INSEAD Gender Initiative, we are here to help you.
