In the summer of 2013, InsideCounsel debuted the first R3-100 list, honoring 100 women who have the potential to become general counsel of a Fortune 500 company within three years. That list was an outgrowth of existing initiatives, including the Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) network. The WIPL network comprises an active group of women attorneys who gather at a yearly conference to network and discuss legal and career matters. In addition to the WIPL conference, to be held this year in October in Washington, DC, the network boasts a website, weekly newsletter and active social media conversations about the issues that matter to its members.
This year, several executive recruitment firms including Major, Lindsey & Africa; Heidrick & Struggles; BarkerGilmore; and Evers Legal, helped the InsideCounsel editorial team compile the R3-100 list. All of the women on this year’s list possess the qualities necessary to make the leap to the GC chair at a Fortune 500 company within the next three years—the same feat that has already been accomplished by several women who found their names on previous R3-100 lists.