Emily Landis Walker has spent more than thirty years in leadership roles across some of the most demanding institutions in global finance and public policy, the IMF, the EBRD, the US Treasury, Citigroup, and Barclays among them. Today, as CEO of Landis & Co., she brings that experience into Web3, a sector that advertises decentralisation yet continues to mirror many of the traditional power imbalances found elsewhere. Throughout it all, Emily has held one consistent vantage point: she has often been the only woman in the room.
Week 18 – Emily Landis Walker, CEO, Landis & Co.
This reality, she says, shaped her but never defined her.
“What I learned is to not even think about it. Just do your job and you will be fine,” she says. The challenges in her career were difficult, but not because she was a woman. “The jobs were hard. That’s all.”
It is a strikingly uncomplicated philosophy, forged in environments where hesitation carried a cost. Rather than dwell on being an outlier, Emily chose a different strategy: deliver, and keep delivering. In those decades of experience, she developed a resilience that still guides her approach to leadership today.
Yet as Web3 matures, so too do the questions around who gets to lead within it. Despite its rhetoric of meritocracy, the hierarchy often looks familiar.
Emily acknowledges as much: “Traditional power dynamics are being replicated, but that is our own fault.”
For her, the persistent gap begins at the practical level, women tend to hold the child-rearing role, and at the cultural level, where girls are still not taught early enough that they can lead.
“We need to get over it and get out and do things and take the leadership on our own.”
When asked whether her authority has ever been challenged because she is a woman, Emily considers the question and then shrugs it off. “Probably, but I didn’t even think about it. I just kept going.” She never allowed herself to be flustered. She simply pushed ahead.
Her approach to trust and communication in Web3 is similarly shaped by her long career. “It helps me be myself,” she says. People respond to the depth of her experience, regulatory, institutional, and global, and this forms the basis of her leadership style. But she notes that ageing presents its own challenges, particularly in an industry that rewards the new over the seasoned.
“People don’t really know how old I am, so it’s not that bad,” she adds.
On the perennial question of whether women need to be technical to succeed in Web3, Emily is pragmatic. The sector needs every skill set from marketing, to HR, and communications, but understanding the technology is still essential. “You need to know what blockchain and AI do. It’s not that difficult, but you do need practical experience with how Web3 works.”
Her ability to move between grassroots Web3 communities and the formal world of regulation stems directly from her past. “I was a regulator and I was regulated,” she says. Without experience in both, the transitions are far more difficult. Her advice is clear: spend meaningful time in each world if you want to shape either.
The question of AI governance, however, reveals a more urgent tone. Emily believes women must take leadership here. “Without women in the space, our children won’t be able to learn, and data could be stolen. It’s really a scary time.” Ethical frameworks, she insists, require women’s voices at the centre.
When asked what support systems nurtured her early in her career, Emily is frank. “I don’t remember any.” There were very few women anywhere she worked. Her strength came from her mother, who died young but left a foundation of confidence. Today, Emily does not believe female-only structures provide the solution. “Unless women get in with men in groups, it won’t really help.” Participation, not separation, is what moves the needle.
For the next generation of female leaders, especially those seeking a foothold in Web3, Emily’s advice is brisk, direct, and delivered without hesitation.
Three Tips for Women Who Want to Lead in Web3
1. Build the fundamentals: education, experience, and knowledge.
“You need all three. They are the foundation of leadership.”
2. Be strong, decisive, and innovative.
“Don’t rest on your laurels. Understand what’s happening in your world and take advantage of innovation.”
3. Master communication — especially listening.
“Listening is critical. Only then can you communicate to your audience.”
