Breaking barriers, building leaders: Deborah Corn on the mission of Girls Who Print
Since its founding in 2009, Girls Who Print has grown into the world’s largest professional network for women in print, packaging, publishing, and graphic communications, with more than 12,000 members worldwide.
Now operating as a woman-owned non-profit, the organisation continues to expand its mission of helping women learn, grow, and lead through education, mentorship, networking, and professional development.
In this interview, Corn reflects on the barriers that still limit women’s progression into leadership, explains why workplaces need to rethink traditional pathways to advancement, and offers practical advice for women seeking to build influence and lead with confidence.
She also shares her vision for the future of Girls Who Print, highlighting the importance of measurable career impact, industry collaboration, and creating opportunities that empower more women to shape the future of print.
WAN-IFRA: For readers hearing about Girls Who Print for the first time, how would you describe the organisation and its mission?
Deborah Corn: Girls Who Print is the largest global professional network for women in the print and graphic communications industry, with more than 12,000 members worldwide.
We support women across print, packaging, and publishing through education, mentorship, networking, professional development, industry events, regional communities, sponsorship initiatives, and our Advancement Resource Center (ARC), the cornerstone of our membership program.
We serve women at every stage of their careers, from those entering the industry to those leading teams, companies, and organisations.
In 2025, Girls Who Print became a woman-owned 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation, expanding our ability to serve women throughout the industry.
Our primary mission is to help women learn, grow, and lead.
What are the biggest barriers women in print still face today, especially in leadership and decision-making roles?
Women in the workplace frequently face a “broken rung” at the first step up to management. Historically, this has created an early delay in their careers, as women are promoted at significantly lower rates than men, often requiring up to 5 years longer, on average, to leap from entry-level to manager.
The impact of that delay compounds over time. According to LinkedIn’s 2025 global leadership report, women occupy just 30.6 percent of leadership positions worldwide, despite representing a much larger share of the workforce.
“Printing remains a male-dominated industry. While the industry has made significant progress, conscious and unconscious bias still influence perceptions of leadership, authority, expertise, and advancement.”
In my view, the biggest challenge is not being a leader once you get there, but getting there in the first place.
Women often must be intentional about creating those opportunities for themselves. They must advocate for their ideas, build professional networks, develop expertise, and pursue leadership roles rather than waiting to be invited into them.
What practical changes should companies make to create more inclusive workplaces and stronger pathways for women to advance?
Career advancement opportunities are not always aligned with the realities many women face. While workplaces have evolved, many expectations around career progression have not.
Women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities, yet many of the informal pathways to advancement still assume a level of availability that is not always realistic.
If important client meetings happen after hours, networking opportunities are built around events that are difficult to attend, or advancement requires schedules that leave little room for responsibilities outside of work, talented women can find themselves excluded from opportunities that influence career growth and leadership consideration.
Companies can address this by offering greater flexibility in how work gets done. Remote work options, adjusted schedules, and a focus on performance rather than physical presence can help ensure employees are evaluated on the quality of their contributions rather than where or when the work is performed.
“Qualified women should have the same opportunity to demonstrate their value, compete for leadership roles, and be recognised for their contributions.”
What advice would you give to women aspiring to leadership roles in print, publishing, and media technology?
Leadership starts long before someone gives you authority. It starts when you become the person people trust for answers, ideas, and solutions.
Take ownership of your career. Develop your skills, expand your knowledge, build relationships, and pursue opportunities that align with your goals.
Learn the business, not just your job. Understand the technology, workflow, customer experience, and financial drivers. The broader your understanding, the greater your ability to contribute and influence decisions.
Most importantly, don’t wait for permission to lead. If you see an opportunity to contribute, contribute. If you have an idea, share it. Leadership is earned through contribution, credibility, and results.
Finally, what does success look like for Girls Who Print over the next five years?
We measure success by how many women can point to a moment, resource, mentor, connection, or program that helped them advance their careers.
We also measure success by the role Girls Who Print plays in helping women achieve the goals they set for themselves. Whether that means moving into leadership positions, building businesses, influencing decisions, expanding their expertise, or taking on greater responsibility, those outcomes reflect the impact Girls Who Print can have on women’s careers.
The future of our organisation also depends on continued industry support. Companies that sponsor Girls Who Print are investing in the people who power their businesses and the strength of our industry.
Partnerships with organisations like WAN-IFRA help us expand our global reach, increase awareness, and provide access to valuable publishing resources, education, and thought leadership that benefit our members and network.
