8 Strategies for Women from Warren Buffett, the Feminist Capitalist

3) Surround yourself with smart women and trust their advice. Since the death of his first wife, Susan, whom he always credited for making him a success, the most influential woman in Buffett’s personal life is his daughter, Susie. Number two is Debbie Bosanek, his secretary since 1993. No one gets past Ms. Bosanek without her approval, and anyone who treats her poorly will never get his approval. Number three is his wife, Astrid, who was a close friend for nearly 30 years before their marriage in 2006. These are the three most influential women of the many he relies on. Carol Loomis, his long-time friend, editor and occasional bridge partner, is another. When they team up at cards, he says Loomis is “the strongest part of my game.”

Buffett trusts women just as much for their business acumen. Berkshire Hathaway’s board has ten outside members, typical for a Fortune 500 company. What’s not typical is that three of the ten are women: Charlotte Guyman, a retired manager at Microsoft, Susan Decker, former president of Yahoo and the most recent nominee, Meryl Witmer, principal of Eagle Capital Partners. Most Fortune 500 corporations only have one female member.