• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWBroadsheet

Lis Smith Buttigieg, Marimekko, Stephen Moore: Broadsheet April 30

By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 30, 2019, 7:06 AM ET

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Women are working a record proportion of blue-collar jobs, we meet the media mastermind behind Pete Buttigieg, and, yes, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is still a thing. Have a terrific Tuesday.

EVERYONE'S TALKING

• Time to say so long to the Swimsuit Issue? There are some sights you just never forget. For me, those lasting images include the splendor of Patagonia’s Perito Moreno Glacier, the first time I laid eyes on my wedding dress, and the day I walked into my old midtown office, only to be confronted by a sea of women’s butts.

I was working for Fortune sister publication Money at the time, and the butts in question—three of them, belonging to topless models with their backs to the camera—were courtesy of another Time Inc. magazine, Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue. One perk of working at the company was the access to free magazines, which were piled throughout the building. But for some reason—maybe hoarders?—the annual SI Swimsuit Issue was the only one that was personally delivered to our office door.

That hallway of tanned cheeks is on my mind today because of news that Somali-American model Halima Aden will become the first woman to wear a hijab and burkini in the upcoming issue. She looks amazing—and surely it counts as progress to see a young Muslim woman represented in the pages of the popular, mainstream publication.

Yet it also makes me wonder—as I did that morning many years ago—what the swimsuit issue really represents, and to what extent we should really celebrate the 'firsts' it achieves. (There have been plenty of others, including Ashley Graham as the first plus-size cover model, snowboarder Brenna Huckaby as the first featured amputee, and last year's disastrously ill-conceived #MeToo-themed shoot, in which women painted phrases like "more than my appearance" onto their otherwise naked bodies.)

Sure, it's a fashion mag and a great way to sell ads. But it's also a remnant of an old world where "we" all agreed on what was sexy—a skinny white woman with large breasts wearing as little clothing as possible. And even as the magazine leans on women like Aden—who, like so many of us, fall outside of that teeny, tiny box—to provide them with a sprinkle of wokeness, the majority of previous issues have been more of the same.

Maybe that will change this year. (The new issue comes out in May.) Or maybe our ideas of sexiness and desirability have finally evolved beyond something that can be contained in a single package and put on the newsstand—or delivered to your office door.

Kristen Bellstrom
@kayelbee
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

• Blue-collar boom. A record number of women are working blue-collar jobs traditionally held by men, from delivery people to warehouse workers. While women still make up a small fraction of these workforces—9% of truck drivers, for example—the growth is attributed to broadened recruitment efforts, the tight labor market, and women feeling like they won't be alone on the job. Wall Street Journal

• The lowdown on NDAs. Fortune's Jeff John Roberts writes in our latest issue about how non-disclosure agreements have taken over the tech industry. It's a worrying trend, as NDAs—often a reason victims of sexual harassment are scared to speak out—developed into "an all-purpose cudgel to control employees and suppress criticism." Fortune

• Syndio's software. The startup Syndio offers software that helps companies crunch their gender pay gap numbers in minutes; this week, Syndio and the National Women's Law Center released a set of pay equity standards that Slack and Match Group have pledged to follow. But what really jumps out are the ways companies have minimized the appearance of their pay gaps: "They will say, well, so-and-so is Senior Vice President of Brown Leaf Tracking in America," CEO Maria Colacurcio says, "and there is no female counterpart so we’re going to exclude that role." Bloomberg

• He was no angel. After Trump's pick for the Federal Reserve Board Stephen Moore was found to have written offensive commentary about women (to recap—as if you could forget—he said that women who aren't "attractive" shouldn't be allowed to work in men's sports and that women earning more than men "could be disruptive to family stability"), the White House now says it is "reviewing" his past writings. At the same time, National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow maintains that Moore still has the administration's "full support." Moore apologized for the columns on Sunday—"I’m not saying I’m an angel."—but argued that the comments don't disqualify him for the job. Washington Post

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Tracy Faber was named EVP and chief human resources officer for McKesson Corporation. Smartsheet hired Anna Griffin as CMO. Margie Lee-Johnson joins Checkr as VP of People. Instawork has hired Deb Sharkey as SVP, Growth and Operations.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Reforms that work. During apartheid, black women were effectively locked out of the workforce in South Africa by laws requiring black South Africans to show they had accommodations before entering cities, coupled with a lack of accommodations available to women. Reforms in the post-apartheid era have benefitted women, narrowing the gender pay gap for low-paying jobs from 21% to 7% and doubling the percentage of working women with post-secondary education from 10% to 20%. Bloomberg

• Mayor's media mastermind. If you've been seeing Mayor Pete Buttigieg everywhere, thank (or blame?) Lis Smith. A New York Democratic operative, she masterminded the strategy that got Buttigieg from a little-known mayor to a presidential contender. She understands the rhythms of the political press and tabloids after being followed by the latter when she dated Eliot Spitzer; her plan for Buttigieg was to get him "on everything." Politico Magazine

• More Marimekko. The Finnish brand Marimekko has expanded its classic patterns to hoodies and scrunchies and is focusing on growth, thanks to Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko. "Now we are playing the global game," the 37-year-old CEO says. Financial Times

Today's Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe. Share it with a friend. Looking for previous Broadsheets? Click here.

ON MY RADAR

Out of the office: Wedding planning made (somewhat) easier with Zola CEO Shan-lyn Ma Fortune

How to start a company, according to female founders who did just that Marie Claire

Meet the lawyer behind Kim Kardashian's legal education Refinery29

The 2019 Women's Fiction Prize shortlist has been announced, so here's what to add to your summer reading list Bustle

QUOTE

My mom is the first female rapper I’ve ever known. I’m thinking, 'This is normal. Everybody’s doing this.'
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion on how her mom, rapper Holly-Wood, influenced her career
About the Authors
Kristen Bellstrom
By Kristen Bellstrom
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

fudd
CommentarySports
Azzi Fudd: how I learned to use NIL for transformation, not just transactions
By Azzi FuddApril 15, 2026
8 hours ago
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
SuccessBillionaires
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she’s just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Emma BurleighApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Two women on a rooftop taking photos of cans of soda
C-SuiteFood and drink
This TikTok sensation sold her startup for $2 billion. Now Pepsi is letting ‘Poppi be Poppi’
By Eva RoytburgApril 12, 2026
3 days ago
takaichi
Arts & EntertainmentJapan
Japan’s Prime Minister welcomes Deep Purple, capping 50-year love affair with heavy metal: ‘You’re my god’
By Mari Yamaguchi and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
5 days ago
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 10, 2026
6 days ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gained and lost power this week, March 28–April 3, 2026
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gained and lost power this week, March 28–April 3, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
12 days ago

Most Popular

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
Success
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
Commentary
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Palantir CEO says working at his $316 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff’
Success
Palantir CEO says working at his $316 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff’
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Warren Buffett’s first tax return showed $7 owed to the IRS. The then paperboy and former Berkshire Hathaway CEO is now worth $143 billion
Success
Warren Buffett’s first tax return showed $7 owed to the IRS. The then paperboy and former Berkshire Hathaway CEO is now worth $143 billion
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
AI
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
Success
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.