Women on Boards Programme

The Women on Boards programme was primarily set up to encourage women to see their potential and recognise the transferability of their skills and backgrounds to these opportunities, both in the public and private sectors.

WOMEN ON BOARD PROGRAMME In today’s market, research continues to reveal that women’s presence on Boards is crucial to the Board’s dynamics and functioning. As there appears to be a shortage of qualified and committed directors capable of bringing experience, knowledge, and time to these important jobs, the timing for increasing qualified women’s representation on Boards is opportune.

Although women are actively sought after for Board opportunities, the reality reflects a different story. Women still continue to be under-represented and lack enormous presence on Boards across the banking and financial world and in the public sector. Is this not the right time for women to have a presence on Board? Women’s contribution and prominence on Boards is an asset because of the wealth of knowledge transfer and fresh and different perspective to Board strategy and governance. In our series of ‘Women on Boards’, we continue to provide the platform for women who are keen to widen their participation and increase their prominence on Boards.

We highlight the importance of knowing your strengths and the value of what you would bring to a Board. We have been fortunate to have prestigious speakers share their experiences of serving as a Non-Executive Director on several Boards. Speakers have included Baroness Rennie Fritchie, Barbara Stephens OBE, Beverly Hogson OBE, Susan Vinnicombe and Sir David Bell. The remit of the Programme will extend to look at working with the Appointments Commission that specialises in the recruitment, training and appraisal of people for board level public appointments to NHS bodies, ministerial advisory bodies and other arm's length bodies in England. Chaired by Anne Watts OBE (former co-founder of WIBF), the Appointments Commission is keen to work with WIBF to tap into the pool of incredibly talented women who have the expertise in the finance and commercial sector.