ManifestoOperational CharterGuidelines
The Leading Women Circle is not a network. It is a circle of people who have chosen to meet differently.
I am Marina Montalto, founder of this beautiful project that is The Leading Women Circle. Welcome. You have chosen to apply to become part of our Circle, and that already says something about you.
As you will understand, for me this is a bit like opening the doors of my home and granting access to something that is both very beautiful and deeply fragile. It must therefore be preserved, which is why I would like to share with you, before going any further, who we are, what we do and above all, why we do it. It will take about 10 minutes to read — I think that is the minimum to decide whether it is worth investing time in getting to know each other.
I laid the first foundations of this project in 2019. I was 26, a young entrepreneur who dreamed of experiencing the fascinating world of Luxury, having moved to Milan a few years earlier like many from the south of Italy who venture into these metropolises full of shining prospects.
I used to hear senior managers speak of humility, respect, substance. I would ask myself: what if there really were a space where these words became practice? Reality seemed like one long, dreary snob cliché that led no one beyond “Nice to meet you, what do you do?” It was like living in a masterpiece film such as The Devil Wears Prada — but the real-life version with budget cuts on the cast. Sad, right?
Jokes aside, I suffered because of it, and perhaps for a time I assumed the ambition to conform. I began using LinkedIn daily as a showcase, and I can assure you it worked — the confident attitude, a good way with words and the occasional random English buzzword were enough. So much so that I organised my first small online aperitifs among women “MANAGERS”. Cool, right?
Well, six years have passed, and I can tell you that from that very first virtual aperitif I understood that no — what I had experienced was merely part of a system. And that those people, when placed in a setting where they could be themselves, where their role became secondary to the person — well, they simply changed. And so did I.
Today, we are more than 2,800 people across Italy, London, Paris, Madrid and Dubai.
The essence is that we all need connections. Companies need people who engage in genuine dialogue. We are all someone's contacts and we want someone else's contacts — it is a “circle” in the most traditional sense.
But personally, I would like us to try changing perspective. Why not try to be curious? After all, it is curiosity that as children leads us to ask questions and grow. Perhaps we lose the desire to do so — we are caught up in ourselves, short of time — but just like you, the other person is not merely a manager. Perhaps you do not share the same role, you have different hobbies, or perhaps you will discover you have something in common.
After all, what is born within TLWC does not depend on me. It depends on you.
Your application is the first step. If accepted, it will be the beginning of a mutual choice that renews itself over time.
Welcome
The Leading Women Circle is founded on two core values: open-mindedness and intellectual humility. These values transcend gender, industry and hierarchy. They are precisely what distinguishes those who enter the Circle and those who remain.
The project was born as a women-led initiative — today approximately 90% of our members are women — but we welcome professionals of every gender who share our principles. Some events are reserved for women, others are mixed. The composition is always indicated in the invitations.
Within The Leading Women Circle you will find some of the most influential figures in the national and international professional landscape. But the Circle is not built around a hierarchy of titles: we welcome all types of managers with the same consideration and enthusiasm, regardless of seniority or sector.
We come predominantly from the world of Luxury and Lifestyle, but the network embraces all industries. This variety is not accidental: we believe the most interesting exchanges are born from the intersection of diverse perspectives.
Every event, every experience, every opportunity we create exists thanks to the brand sponsors who have chosen to support The Leading Women Circle. We are not speaking of simple financiers. We are speaking of companies — and the people who lead them — who have understood the value of a new way of networking. Brands that believe in the quality of connections rather than the quantity of contacts.
Fundamental principle: membership in The Leading Women Circle is completely free. This is only possible thanks to the partners who believe in the project and accompany us.
One thing is clear from the outset: the last thing we want is to find ourselves at a meeting disguised as a dinner or aperitif. We organise gatherings exclusively in convivial settings: dinners, aperitifs, breakfasts, masterclasses, immersive experiences, trips. The goal is the pleasure of discovering, getting to know one another, being together.
Each experience typically hosts between 7 and 10 guests. This size allows for balanced conversations with every participant.
When was the last time you introduced yourself without saying what you do?
At almost all of our events we apply a distinctive convention: participants do not immediately reveal their company or role. You converse freely, listen attentively, observe. At a certain point during the evening, everyone plays a collective game of guessing who does what, reading clues that have emerged naturally in conversation. Once hypotheses are formed, each person introduces themselves and nominates who will go next.
This mechanism, seemingly playful, completely transforms the dynamics. Guests break the ice, laugh together and get to know each other better — before they even learn about the brand someone represents.
The Circle is lived. Every time it is different. The team behind The Leading Women Circle works constantly to create ever-new experiences, and our partners are fundamental in all of this — opening the doors of their most beautiful spaces, sharing their vision, building together with us moments that are remembered by our guests across an ever-growing number of countries.
Topics are never predetermined. We range from the personal to the professional, from current affairs to long-term vision. We address business strategy and work-life balance reflections, market trends and team management in moments of change with equal attention.
The Leading Women Circle is built on trust, respect and dialogue.
What is shared during events belongs to the group. Confidentiality is not merely a formal rule — it is an integral part of the trust upon which the Circle is founded.
When you receive an invitation, all we ask is a response — yes or no, either is perfectly fine. Silence, however, we interpret as disinterest. If an invitation goes unanswered, we assume this space may not be right for you at this time. After a second consecutive unanswered invitation, your participation in the Circle naturally comes to a close.
When you confirm your presence, we count on you. Our events host between 7 and 10 people. A last-minute vacancy disrupts the balance of the evening, disappoints those who have invested in creating the experience, and takes the opportunity from someone else who could have been there.
We understand that life is unpredictable. A serious unforeseen event can happen to anyone, and that is absolutely fine. But if cancellations or absences become a pattern — twice within a short period — we prefer to make room for other guests, and the relationship with the Circle concludes.
Your application will be evaluated by our team with the same care and attention we dedicate to direct scouting. There are no shortcuts and no automatisms: every profile is analysed individually.
Being welcomed into the Circle is not a right acquired through application. It is the result of a compatibility we assess with respect and transparency. A possible “not now” is not a judgement on the person, but a choice of coherence with the balance of the community.
We look at posture: open-mindedness, curiosity, the ability to listen, intellectual humility. We seek people who add value to conversations, not who dominate them. People who are willing to put themselves out there, to listen before speaking, to be before appearing.
If your application is accepted, you will receive a personal QR code. This is your portal to The Circle Card, the digital tool that formalises your belonging to the network.
The Circle Card reflects your level of engagement with the Circle. Your consistent participation is recognised and valued. Conversely, cancellations or absences have a visible impact. The Circle Card opens the door to services offered by TLWC partners: curated experiences, preferential conditions, opportunities reserved for members. Your presence and consistency over time progressively unlock new possibilities.
The Leading Women Circle is and will remain a free circle. This is a conviction we hold deeply, and it will never change.
We have often had to turn down extraordinary experiences — Michelin-starred restaurants, artisan workshops, magnificent venues — because they did not have the budget to host us. TLWC has costs, and we have had to make choices. This is why TLWC Builder was created: a voluntary membership for those who wish to actively contribute to the growth of the Circle. It is not an obligation, nor a requirement — it is the choice to be part of what the Circle will become.
There will be two membership plans, with the option to choose between a monthly and an annual formula. Each plan will offer different benefits, designed to genuinely thank those who support us. Your support will allow us to multiply experiences, explore new formats, and bring the Circle to ever more extraordinary places and contexts — including small, niche establishments that deserve to be discovered.
Beyond that, the Circle will remain open to all, as it always has been. The membership will not be a constraint and will not change the way we organise — it will only change what we can build together.
Since I started this project, I have learned something fundamental: people have a deep hunger for real connections. Not networking. Connections.
I have seen professionals confide private matters, I have seen influential people who had just arrived in Milan with overflowing address books but no one to share a glass of wine with in the evening. I have seen friendships form, but also professional collaborations emerge — not because they were sought, but because they were inevitable when you bring together people who truly talk to one another.
But I have also seen how fragile all of this is. How easily quantity dilutes quality. How tempting it is to yield to the pressure to grow quickly. How difficult it is to preserve the soul of a project as the numbers increase.
I myself say no and set limits with sponsors and guests in order to remain faithful to the project — and believe me, I know that saying no hurts. It is a necessary risk.
This is why every new person who enters carries a responsibility. You are not just a member. You are a custodian of this space. Your presence, your contribution, your care will determine whether the Circle remains what it is or becomes yet another indistinguishable professional club.
The question is not whether a quiet movement can be powerful. I know now: it can.
The question is: how far can we take it without betraying who we are?
I do not know yet. But every event, every sponsor, every person who chooses to be here brings me closer to the answer.
If you recognise yourself in these words, we will be delighted to consider your application.
Welcome to The Leading Women Circle.