Free live session:
Why boardrooms need more Women.
On Wednesday, March, 8th at 5.00 pm (CET), Impulse4Women will host Melanie Whittaker for a free live session to discuss ways on how to make boards more diverse and inclusive.
You are welcome !
Melanie is the co-founder of designation.one, a technology platform steering diverse talent to inclusive boards, a Trustee with the British American Drama Academy in London (UK), and an adviser to the Green Tech Alliance, a global network of green technology businesses.
She is a senior leader with extensive international experience in the private and public sector, with a specialization in non-governmental organizations. She has a proven track record in identifying and selecting interdisciplinary and diverse leadership talent, as well as creating and sustaining successful networks from the grassroots level to the halls of power.
Skilled in non-profit governance and management as a Board Member and as an advisor to international companies, she has a passion for achieving systemic change using an interdisciplinary approach with a particular view on the role of Corporate Citizenship in the 21st century.
Besides, Melanie has a proven record of introducing, directing, and improving major gift initiatives, individual donor cultivation; foundation and corporate relationships; and government contracts.
Description:
Evidence has shown again and again that adding more Women to governance level on boards prove beneficial to the overall performance.
“We cannot find any suitable candidates or the candidates we would like are already overcommitted” seem to be familiar statements from board chairs or nomination committees when questioned on the level’s or lack of diversity on their boards. While there is almost gender parity on US non-profit boards, the same cannot be said of private company boards where the number dwindles to 32% as in the case of S & P 500 companies. Boards claiming that there don’t seem to be enough qualified, or available candidates are incorrect in such that transparency on who gets appointed to a board and how remains one of the greatest hurdles for diverse and willing board members.
Some steps have been taken in individual countries, states or most recently in the EU to issue legislation on gender parity at board level for publicly traded companies.
In the case of California this was immediately disputed, challenged and called unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court. Policy and legislation are an important, yet not the only, tool available to make boards more inclusive, and it is worthwhile looking beyond gender and race when addressing board diversity.
However, particularly when looking beyond gender diversity, there is a strong correlation between female representation on boards and general increased levels of diversity at leadership level.
There is further evidence that adding Women to boards has a positive impact on stakeholder capitalism, adding purpose to business and on Environmental, Social and Governance ratings.
