Margaret Sullivan, editor-in-chief of The Buffalo News, started her career in journalism as the editor of her high school paper, and never looked back.
On Monday Sullivan discussed her road to success and the obstacles women face in the workplace in her Gender Week keynote lecture, "Is The Glass Ceiling Really Broken?"
Sullivan's lecture at the Center for the Arts marked exactly five years to the day from when she became the first woman in 120 years to run The Buffalo News - a day Sullivan said her family would never forget.
"We hear the sound of smashing glass," Sullivan said her family told her that day.
Sullivan knows all about the "glass ceiling," a term that describes the limited level of success women can never get past in a male-dominated business world. After all, Sullivan not only shattered the glass, but also became one of the most influential female journalists in Western New York.
From questioning former President Bill Clinton to interviewing Mother Theresa, to guiding the coverage of 9/11, Sullivan has experienced it all.
Her accomplishments would not have been possible, however, if in the last 30 years, women hadn't stepped up to the plate in the business world.
"It's far too late for men to put the ceiling back together," she said. "Women have a tremendous opportunity now."
By stressing the important roles women play in today's society, from UB's first female provost, Elizabeth Capaldi, to the first female New York State Senator, Hillary Clinton, Sullivan's message was clear: set realistic goals, and don't stop until you have reached them.
"We've come a long way, baby, but we still need to come further," Sullivan said.
Sullivan said her rise into the executive ranks at The Buffalo News wasn't all sugar and spice. Because she was the first female to do something in a male business, Sullivan said she experienced sexism on her way up the ladder.
Although hardball was a game the high-ranked males in the business liked to play, Sullivan said that's not her choice of business strategies. "There are subtle ways to play the game without changing who you are," she said.
According to Sullivan, top newspapers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have yet to name a woman as editor-in-chief. Only six of the Fortune 500 companies, or less than one percent, are headed by women.
Although Sullivan said women have stepped up and started to fulfill different roles, she doesn't think the drive for equality is as strong as it used to be.
"Thirty years ago, women were pushing for equality," Sullivan said. "Now the pace of chance has slowed."
Sullivan said she believes this may be the case because women today truly do want to spend more time with their families and have enough time for themselves, instead of constantly fighting for equality or always trying to make it to the top.
Sullivan said she understands the necessity of allowing her employees to have personal time to take care of their children or for family related issues, although it's not an easy feat in such a fast-paced business.
"There are 200 people in my newsroom, and many have kids," she said. "I understand that people need to take time for their families. Although sensitivity and patience don't come naturally to corporations, they need to be more aware of this."
Sullivan, who has two children of her own, said she knows what it's like being a successful female trying to keep a healthy balance between her work and home life.
"I think that you have to feel passionate about something and follow it," she said. "If you can do that, you can't go wrong."
Barbara Bono, organizer of Gender Week and associate English professor, said she was impressed with Sullivan's lecture and choice of topic.
"As an outstanding woman leader in the western community, Margaret Sullivan was an excellent choice to headline this year's Gender Week," Bono said. "Her talk was informed, incisive, and engagingly accessible. It highlighted how even as women advance to positions of power, they continue to face structural and personal challenges in everything they do. We were lucky to have her."
