Qualified Women Directors: Where Can Corporations Find Them?

Over the last two years, institutional investors such as BlackRock and State Street have openly expressed frustration with companies who do not have enough women on their boards and are also supporting programs like the “Fearless Girl Campaign.”  In addition, companies can be proactive and expand their search avenues by considering programs that are specifically designed to prepare women to serve on boards like Women Corporate Directors and Harvard Business School (HBS)’s Women on Boards. As HBS points out, “traditionally, the majority of board appointments are made through informal networks that are especially hard for women to break into.” Designed specifically for top women executives, using the case based method, participants explore how different types of corporate boards function, examine best practices of high-functioning boards, and gain insight into navigating the board selection process, maximizing their success as a corporate director. By strengthening links between corporations and educational institutions as well as incubating internal mentorship programs between boards and executives, progress will improve and corporations will accelerate performance through diversity in the board room.