The Glass Cliff: Opportunities or Setups for Failure?

Friday, April 4, 2025

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific

Location: EMPOW(H)ER Program, Growth Zone Stage

Moderator(s)

Jennifer A. Marshall

Marketing Manager
VGS
San Francisco, United States

Panelist(s)

Emily Foshee

VP, Core Network Products and Delivery
Discover Network
Riverwoods, Illinois, United States
Amanda Estiverne-Colas

Board Member
The National Alliance for Financial Literacy and Inclusion
Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
Laura Gibson-Lamothe

Executive Director
Georgia Fintech Academy
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The ‘Glass Cliff’ is the very real act of promoting women and BIPOC payment leaders to higher positions during times of crisis, when the chance of failure is higher. And if they fail, they fall. Protecting them from the glass cliff requires an understanding of the phenomenon, who it affects, how to navigate organizational politics around it, and what warning signs to look out for. This panel will address how biased goal-setting and empty promotions are disproportionately applied to women and BIPOC leaders, what this does to teams at an organizational level, and tactics to avoid this from happening to you. Listen in and learn how to avoid falling off that cliff.