Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Sharon Delaney McCloud, who now runs a 35-person video production and marketing firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, gave an audience at the Global Gaming Expo three elements to help with their executive presence.
The message was directed to women, but her comments also resonated with many of the men listening Monday morning at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Gravitas, communications and appearance are the three key elements of executive presence, Delaney McCloud told the audience. She went on to further break down each category and highlighted the fact that women “have to walk a tightrope” in all three areas.
“Appearance does matter,” she said, “but having the ability to command a room is the key to building a professional presence.”
Delaney McCloud was the keynote speaker at G2E’s opening session of the Global Gaming Women educational conference. Her talk came at a time when the presence of women – or lack thereof – in the C-suites and board rooms of gaming companies is being heavily scrutinized.
The Global Gaming Women organization seeks to engage more women and introduce them into leadership positions within the industry. A study produced in 2017 found that out of 21 casino and gaming companies headquartered in Las Vegas, none had a female CEO, chairwoman or president. At only three corporations did women hold one-third or more executive board seats.
Changes, however, seem to be brewing. Earlier this year, for example, the Wynn Resorts company board’s make-up changed dramatically following the departure of Steve Wynn, who stepped down as chairman and CEO in February following multiple sexual harassment allegations.
Wynn Resorts added three women to its board in April: former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers, three-time CEO Betsy Atkins, and Kestrel Advisors CEO Winifred “Wendy” Webb. They joined extant board member Pat Mulroy, immediately making Wynn among the top 40 S&P 500 companies when measured by female board representation.
But woman still have ground to make up nationally, Delany McCloud told the audience. Only 24 of Fortune 500 companies have a woman as CEO, and women hold only 21 percent of all board seats and 21 percent of all executive officer positions.
She added that a survey found the biggest challenge women say they face in the workplace is the promotion to leadership – far ahead of work/life balance, equal pay and respect from colleagues.
Delany McCloud, who handles media training, presentation/public speaking coaching, workplace communication and executive presence workshops for her firm’s clients, provided several speaking tips during her talk. She said body language and vocal delivery weigh higher than actual words or content.
Delany McCloud was a last-minute replacement at the GGW panel for the originally scheduled speaker, former Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) president Lisa Borders. Borders resigned from the WNBA last week to become president and CEO of Time’s Up, an organization that insists on safe, fair and dignified work for women.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
