Bringing More Women Into the Boardroom - Building Gender Balanced Business

BY ELIN HURVENES, PROFESSIONAL BOARDS FORUM

Getting one FTSE chairman to give up significant time for a networking event is something of an achievement. But the hunt for female candidates for non-executive directorships (NEDs) has managed to bring out as many as 25 of them.

They came to the second UK event held by the Professional Boards Forum, a concept I originally designed for Norway following the government quota for listed companies to have 40% women on their boards. The Forum helped chairmen to find the talented women they would otherwise have missed. Then, with my business partner Jane Scott, I brought the idea to the UK, both of us feeling that the time was ripe for something similar.

The response has been incredibly encouraging. At our first event in May, 25 chairmen attended, then followed by 24 chairmen at the second event in November. (A full list of attending chairmen can be seen on our website).

In November, keynote speakers included Sir Mike Rake, Chairman of BT Group plc, Baroness Hogg, Chairman of 3i Group plc and Glen Moreno, Chairman of Pearson plc – all of whom pointed out that UK boards will benefit from more women in the boardroom.

“How do we know it works? We know that raising the profiles of our women candidates with leading chairmen gives them an extra edge in appointment processes or as one chairman said: ‘Next time our headhunter puts an all-male shortlist in front of us I know what to say!’”

Already, we have enough interest and support to plan another Forum in London on May 19, 2010. Bob Cowell of Makinson Cowell, the leading capital markets advisory firm, and Lesley Knox, Chairman of Alliance Trust, currently the only FTSE 100 Company to have a woman chair and a woman CEO, will be keynote speakers. Chairmen have already put their name down to attend the next event. To quote a couple of them:

• “I enjoyed the event very much and thought the case study was excellent. There was a lot of energy in the room which is always a good sign. I would be delighted to attend another forum.”

• “I was impressed by the many talented candidates and the diverse solutions they brought to the challenging case issues.”

How do we know it works? We know that raising the profiles of our women candidates with leading chairmen gives them an extra edge in appointment processes or as one chairman said: ‘Next time our headhunter puts an all-male shortlist in front of us I know what to say!’

Elin Hurvenes and Jane Scott will hold their first candidate selection conference in early February 2010 for the next Professional Boards Forum in the UK. Experienced women executives wishing to attend may contact Jane or Elin via their website.