The Salt Lake Business Journal will honor six Utah leaders at this year’s Companies Championing Women recognition luncheon, celebrating individuals whose work has helped advance women in the workplace, in business and across the state.
The luncheon takes place Aug. 27 at the Grand America in Salt Lake City, with registration beginning at 11 a.m. and the program running from 12:10-12:50 p.m. Tickets are available now through the event registration page.
Companies Championing Women is a research-based recognition and engagement program created through a partnership between the Utah Women & Leadership Project, Sego Leadership (formerly the Women’s Leadership Institute), PowerHouse Events and the Salt Lake Business Journal. The program identifies Utah organizations making measurable progress in developing, retaining and advancing women in the workplace, combining data-driven benchmarking with year-round leadership development. Utah has ranked among the nation’s leaders in economic growth while ranking last in the nation for women's equality for more than a decade — a gap the program’s partners say is a business imperative to close.
This Year’s Honorees
 | Sharlene Wells, chief public affairs officer for Mountain America Credit Union, has spent decades in broadcasting, public relations and advocacy — from her years as an ESPN sportscaster to her work supporting military families through the Department of Defense and the Miss America Organization. |
 | Ally Isom, chief corporate affairs officer for Clyde Cos., brings deep experience at the intersection of brand, policy and public engagement, shaped by her service as deputy chief of staff to former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and her broad civic leadership across the state. |
 | Patricia Jones founded and led the Women’s Leadership Institute for over a decade before retiring in 2025. A former state senator and longtime market researcher, she became the first woman to lead either party in either chamber of the Utah Legislature. |
 | Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera made history in 2017 as the first woman elected sheriff in Utah. She oversees the state’s largest jail and has championed alternatives to incarceration alongside a lifelong commitment to supporting domestic violence victims. |
 | Jeff Weber, chief people officer for Breeze Airways, has built people-first cultures across multiple industries and has long championed women’s advancement in the workplace through his board service with the Women’s Leadership Institute. |
 | Jonathan O. Hafen, a shareholder at Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, is one of Utah’s most respected trial lawyers and a dedicated mentor to women in the legal profession, recognized with the Utah State Bar’s inaugural Charlotte Miller Mentoring Award. |
About the Program
Organizations interested in the Companies Championing Women program can complete a free assessment developed with the Utah Women & Leadership Project, evaluating leadership representation, recruitment practices, professional development and workplace culture. Participating organizations gain access to Sego Leadership events, benchmarking insights and recognition opportunities throughout the year.
For more information or to purchase tickets to the Aug. 27 luncheon, visit saltlakebusinessjournal.com/events/companies-championing-women.
