Press Release:
Robin L. Washington Named “Financial Woman of the Year”
Gilead Executive VP and CFO Recognized by the Financial Women of San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, C.A., April 17, 2017 – Robin L. Washington, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Gilead Sciences, Inc., has been named the 2017 Financial Woman of the Year by the Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF), a 400-member organization of professionals in finance and financial services. This award is the organization’s highest honor.
“Robin Washington was selected based on her dedication to the advancement of women in finance and because she serves as an inspiring role model for women who strive to achieve senior leadership positions,” said Paige Venable, president of the Financial Women of San Francisco. “Robin’s professional success and her commitment to helping other women travel along their personal and professional journeys made her our unanimous choice to receive this award, our highest tribute, in 2017.”
At Gilead, Washington established the Women’s Leadership Forum for the CFO organization, which helps female leaders develop their leadership skills and facilitates discussions with female leaders throughout the organization and broader business community. She is also the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including being named one of Black Enterprise’s “Most Powerful Women in Corporate America”; ranking sixth on the Wall Street Journal’s 2014 list of top-performing CFOs on the S&P 500; being awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management; as well as being honored with the 2017 Bay Area CFO of the Year Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I am passionate about ensuring the advancement of women in leadership roles and careers in finance. As a senior female leader, it is an honor and responsibility to support and encourage women along their career and life journeys in the same way that my mentors and sponsors have supported me,” said Washington. “I am deeply honored to receive this award, and grateful to the Financial Women of San Francisco for their sustained commitment to helping women advance their careers.”
Washington will deliver a keynote address at the 22nd annual Financial Woman of the Year luncheon on October 6, 2017, an annual event that provides funding for scholarships for Bay Area women pursuing careers in finance and financial services.
A certified public accountant, Washington joined Gilead in 2008 as senior vice president and CFO, overseeing the global finance and information technology organizations. She was promoted to executive vice president in 2014. Prior to this she held executive and management positions with major Bay Area technology companies. She is a member of the board of directors of Honeywell International, Salesforce.com and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Washington holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Last year’s Financial Woman of the Year event raised a record $418,000 in corporate in-kind and cash contributions. All proceeds benefit the FWSF Scholarship Fund, which directly funds scholarships for women in the San Francisco Bay Area pursuing a career in finance or financial services. FWSF has awarded over $2 million in scholarships over the past 30 years to more than 200 Bay Area women.
The Financial Woman of the Year award and celebratory luncheon was established in 1996 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the organization. Past FWSF Presidents Leslie Miller and Shelly Porges created the Financial Woman of the Year event with a triple purpose: to raise funds for FWSF’s scholarship program, to create greater awareness of the FWSF, and to celebrate and promote careers of the most senior women in finance. Since then it has provided a platform for high-achieving honorees to share their professional experience with others, inspiring them in their own careers and ambitions. Washington joins a distinguished list of previous honorees, including Debbie Messemer, managing partner of KPMG’s Bay Area Market; Carrie Dolan, former chief financial officer (CFO) of Lending Club; Sarah Friar, CFO of Square, and Pat Yarrington, CFO of Chevron.
For more information about the Financial Woman of the Year program, scholarship programs or to become a sponsor, click here.
About The Financial Women of San Francisco
The Financial Women of San Francisco seeks to advance the success of women in finance and financial services and to be a source of insight and inspiration to financial women executives and managers throughout the Bay Area.
The organization’s membership includes women in positions of influence within the financial services sector and women who hold senior level positions within non-finance companies, government agencies and the non-profit sector. Members include CEOs, CFOs, corporate treasurers, CPAs, attorneys, commercial and private bankers, investment advisors, fund managers, securities analysts, administrators, financial planners, consultants, recruiters and marketers.