About WOMN
WOMN was started in 2014 to help women succeed in the business of law. Over the years, WOMN’s product offering has changed to meet the ever-evolving needs of the legal marketplace and increasing pressures on CLOs and GCs. Today, WOMN offers executive coaching services targeted to CLOs and GCs who are going through transitions at all stages of their careers – from first-time GCs grappling with how to do the job to those ready to move beyond the CLO/GC role but are not interested in retirement. For instance, WOMN helps GCs evaluate interest and readiness to serve on corporate boards.
About Marla Persky
Marla Persky is CEO and President of WOMN LLC, a company dedicated to helping women succeed in the business of law by increasing their knowledge of and acuity with financial drivers, client development, and leadership. Throughout her professional life, Ms. Persky has had the opportunity to understand and practice business principles that lead to personal and company success.
Ms. Persky currently serves as Chairperson of the Board of Directors and is a member of the Audit and Governance Committees of Xeris BioPharma Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: XERS), a growth-oriented biopharmaceutical company committed to improving patients’ lives by developing and commercializing innovative products across a range of therapies.
Additionally, she is on the Board of Directors of REVOLO Biotherapeutics which develops therapies to reset the immune system to achieve long-term remission for patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases. Previously, she served on the Board of Directors of Cytyc Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTYC), a device and diagnostics company and Panavance Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biopharma company that developed a novel compound to disrupt cancer cell metabolism in pancreatic cancer. She was also on the Board of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, the world’s largest privately owned pharmaceutical company and a director of Watermark, Inc, a private publisher and broker of children’s literature.
In addition to her for-profit corporate activities, Ms. Persky serves on the Boards of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee) and Primary Stages, an Off-Broadway Theater Company (Chairperson of the Board).
Ms. Persky retired in 2013 as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Boehringer Ingelheim Inc. She was a member of Boehringer’s executive management team and a director of the company and several of its subsidiaries. Prior to joining Boehringer Ingelheim, Ms. Persky spent 19 years at Baxter International Inc. where she held numerous business and legal positions, the most recent of which was Acting General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. During her career at Baxter, Ms. Persky managed global legal services, was General Manager of an international dialysis medical device business, led international crisis management teams, acquired, and integrated international businesses, and designed/implemented strategies to manage global mass torts.
Ms. Persky is a frequent speaker on a variety of subjects including leadership principles, career development, networking, board service, crisis management, and negotiation techniques. She is a graduate of Washington University School of Law and Northwestern University.
Throughout her career, Ms. Persky has focused on improving career success, satisfaction and advancement opportunities. She has been recognized for her contributions by elite organizations such as Madam Chair, the Lawyer’s Collaborative for Diversity and the Connecticut Appleseed Foundation. She received organizational innovation (Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law 2021) and impact (Board Prospects 2025) awards. She also was the 2024 Einhorn Mentorship Award recipient.