Executive Women’s Roundtable: How to Advance Women
By Neela Babu, WTS-DC
November 2025
On November 6, WTS-DC hosted an in-person Executive Women’s Roundtable (EWR) to discuss the topic, “How to Advance Women.” The transportation industry is still predominantly dominated by men, especially in leadership roles at many organizations. As women who have reached an executive level, the experiences of the attendees exemplify what it takes for women to build their careers and share how they were able to promote themselves to succeed in this industry. This session provided the attendees the opportunity to interact with one another, reflect on their career journeys, and discuss ways to continue to share knowledge and work together to advance the next generation of women in transportation.
There were four rounds of questions and participants were placed in groups of 5-6 people for 15 minutes at a time to discuss a given question. Groups were shuffled each round to allow attendees to meet new people and hear differing experiences and views. The questions posed in the four rounds were:
- What are some of the less-discussed, subtle barriers you feel might be impacting women from reaching the highest levels of leadership, and what’s a small, tangible step we can take to dismantle one of them?
- What specific leadership competencies might be underappreciated or overlooked when it comes to advancing women in transportation? How can we highlight and value those skills?
- What’s one double-standard you’ve personally witnessed or experienced, and what was your strategy for navigating or challenging it?
- Think about the young women you mentor or work with. What’s the single most pressing concern they’ve shared with you about their career path? What can we do to make sure that the next generation can avoid some of the hurdles you have had to face?
The attendees included women from the public and private sectors, and from non-profits/associations. Organizations ranged from academic organizations to construction contractors which allowed for a broad spectrum of experiences and an opportunity to build expansive camaraderie.
This was the second time the EWR used this type of format after feedback indicated participants enjoyed the opportunity to discuss important and timely topics.
If you are interested in learning more about the EWRs, please email the WTS-DC President.
WTS-DC thanks Emily Feenstra and Michelin for hosting us in their wonderful space!
