Sector News

The key to more female CEOs: More female board members

June 11, 2018
Diversity & Inclusion

You’ve seen the headlines about the lack of female leadership, the challenges women overcome to reach the C-suite and the dwindling numbers of women at the top.

Some companies are testing out structured mentoring, empowerment programs and ambition summits to fix the problem and correct gender imbalances. But other experts say this may not be a bottom-up problem as much as a top-down one, which begins with a startling lack of diversity on company boards.

A majority of companies in the S&P 500 have at least one woman on their boards, but only 25% have two, according to a recent study from PwC.

In order for boards to appoint more female CEOs, there first have to be more female board members to vote for them, says Anna Beninger, senior director of research and corporate engagement partner at Catalyst, a non-profit studying women and work.

“It’s complicated when you look at the board, but we have to appreciate the incredible influence that they have in determining who is going to be that CEO-level role, and notably, if they stay and how successful they are,” she says.

There’s a direct line between diversity on boards and diversity in the C-suite, says Paula Loop, a leader at PwC’s governance insights center.

“If you have more diversity on the board, it’ll help the talent management oversight role that the board is responsible for,” she says. “You’ll start to see more push around gender diversity.”

Women may be the most vocal advocates for diversity sitting on those boards, according to the PwC study. Women were “notably more likely” than men to consider different factors that could help recruit more minorities and women.

Term limits could also help increase board turnover and free up seats for younger, more diverse candidates, Beninger says.

Loop serves on the board of PwC, her first board appointment. She credits the power of her network with connecting her to the position.

“I think the challenge is that you do have some very talented female executives that would do well on a board, but one of the key enablers to finding a board position is your network,” she says. “If you don’t have a robust or deep personal network that you can leverage to get onto a board, that’ll be a hurdle you have to figure out how to get over.”

By Julia Carpenter

Source: CNNMoney (New York)

comments closed

Related News

March 24, 2024

Majority of US workers say they lack awareness of workplace neurodiversity

Diversity & Inclusion

About 68% of U.S. employees say they’re unfamiliar with the term “neurodiversity,” and only 22% are aware of working with a neurodivergent colleague, according to a March 18 report from Eagle Hill Consulting. Although 72% said they would hire a neurodivergent employee, few receive formal training on working with or managing neurodivergent workers.

March 17, 2024

Beyond Flowers and Platitudes: Reclaiming the Essence of International Women’s Day

Diversity & Inclusion

Every year on March 8th, social media blossoms with celebratory messages for International Women’s Day (IWD). Amidst a sea of congratulations, one might pause to reflect: What exactly are we being congratulated for? Being women? Our gender identity isn’t a matter of achievement or choice—it’s a facet of our being.

March 15, 2024

It’s time to highlight the business opportunity of DEI initiatives

Diversity & Inclusion

Right now, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under growing scrutiny. Some companies are pulling back from DEI initiatives amid nervousness around shareholder activism and possible investor or customer pushback. Highlighting the benefits of DEI to an organization’s performance and the wellbeing of employees is the best way to address this negativity.

How can we help you?

We're easy to reach