Ian Wright, founder of NonExecutiveDirectors.com, urges women to have the confidence to go for board-level positions, because diversity improves how effective a business is.
”We all know there’s been progress when it comes to female representation on boards, but let’s not pretend it cuts the mustard – there’s still a long way to go.
This is no sweeping generalisation. I’m able to say this from a very broad perspective; looking at the data we hold, from 6,000 members, only 18 per cent are women looking for board positions.
Given they have the skills, experience and talent to bring to a board, why aren’t women going for them?
”Women are the ones that see diversity in the boardroom as a key driver to success”
Women change the dynamic of a board. As well as bringing relevant skills, they also bring cognitive diversity, different brain structures and cultural expectations, offering a diverse approach to business and making for better decisions, performance and representation of consumers.
Currently, there is a disconnection between the numbers of men and women applying for board positions.
Boardroom politics
As an executive headhunter for over ten years, I’ve spoken to hundreds of women at executive level and while it’s obvious they want the top jobs in just the same way as men do, the twist is that they are the ones that see diversity in the boardroom as a key driver to success and the board’s overall effectiveness……”
Source: http://www.high50.com/life/women-work-series-50-something-women-company-boards
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