Born July 8, 1943 in St. Louis, Missouri, Faye Wattleton earned a B.S. degree in nursing from Ohio State University (in 1964) and an M.S. degree in maternal and infant care from Columbia University (1967). While pursuing her master’s degree, Wattleton became an active supporter of abortion rights. She would later state: “Reproductive freedom is critical to a whole range of issues. If we can’t take charge of this most personal aspect of our lives, we can’t take care of anything. It should not be seen as a privilege or as a benefit, but a fundamental human right.”

From 1978-92, Wattleton served as president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. In recognition of her long tenure there, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 1995 Wattleton co-founded the Center for the Advancement of Women, formerly known as the Center for Gender Equality, and served as its president for a number of years.

Today Wattleton is a managing director with Alvarez & Marsal, an independent, global, professional-services firm specializing in performance improvement, turnaround management, and business advisory.

Wattleton, who holds fourteen honorary doctoral degrees, is also a board of governors member with the Pardee Rand Graduate School; a board of trustees member at Columbia University; and a board of directors member of “Jazz at Lincoln Center.” Previously, she served on the directors’ boards of public companies such as Ehrlich-Bober Financial Services (1986-1988), Leslie Fay (1993-1998), Estée Lauder Companies (1995-2003), WellChoice Inc. (1993-2005), Quidel Corporation (1994-2006), and Savient Pharmaceuticals (1997-2007).