RESOURCES
Organizations that provide support and training for women who want
to be corporate directors and for women who are directors
There are many organizations that provide education, networking, and more to support women aspiring to join their first corporate board as well as women currently serving on public or private boards. For your convenience, we are listing a sampling of such organizations. This is by no means a complete list and we cannot vouch for their quality.
We note that while some are nonprofit ventures, others are for profit. The organizations target different niches and provide education ranging from how to get a board seat to continuing education for existing board members. Some also offer referrals to specific board seat openings or may provide access to an executive search firm. Price ranges for their offerings vary widely.
Finally, we suggest that those seeking corporate board seats be mentally prepared for a marathon and not a sprint. Getting your first seat may come easily if you know the right person, but it more likely will take diligent effort, even if you are fully qualified. Educational programs and certificates build your credibility, but they will not, on their own, be enough if you do not work the process in a disciplined way.
MEDIA / WHITE PAPERS
How Female Directors Boost Bottom Lines This research from Kristi Minnick, Bentley University's Professor of Finance reports that when it comes to corporate decision-making in America, women are woefully underrepresented: Despite making up 58% of the nation’s workforce, they hold just 28% of C-suite positions and 29% of corporate board seats.
03/2024
How Board Diversity Can Contribute to Board Effectiveness The reported level of diversity on US corporate boards seems to have reached a plateau even before litigation challenging corporate diversity programs in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Harvard College. The current environment requires boards to have a clear consensus on how diversity and commonality among directors contribute to effectiveness. This report addresses the current state of boardroom diversity and provides insights on how to maximize the benefits of a diverse board.
03/2024
2023 Him For Her And Crunchbase Study Of Gender Diversity On Private Company Boards This fifth annual study, which characterizes the boards of the most heavily funded private companies in the U.S., reveals significant improvement in board diversity over the past five years. It also points to independent board seats as the critical lever for change when it comes to increasing cognitive diversity in the boardroom, expanding networks, and, as suggested by our latest data, even boosting funding.
01/2024
6 Trends for Board Directors Shaping 2024
Spencer Stuart’s North American Board Practice recently convened a series of breakfast discussions with board directors about the challenges facing boards today, the changes we’re seeing in the boardroom, and how boards can prepare for the 2024 proxy season. Conversations highlighted top-of-mind issues for directors and key questions for boards as they consider the issues.
01/2024
Research: How Women Improve Decision-Making on Boards This article reports on a study of women and men directors at more than 200 publicly traded companies on the major stock exchanges in the U.S. and Europe. The results provide key insights on how the presence of women influences boards. First, it turns out that women directors come to board meetings well-prepared and concerned with accountability.
12/2023
US Public Company Board Diversity in 2023: How Corporate Director Diversity Can Contribute to Board Effectiveness This Harvard Law School Forum article highlights corporate governance trends and developments including information on board composition and diversity, the profile and skill sets of directors, and policies on their election, removal, and retirement. The analysis is based on recently filed proxy statements and complemented by the review of organizational documents made available in the Investor Relations section of companies’ websites.
12/2023
Women of Color Directors Pipeline Initiative
By Alexis Muellner
Second to last place isn’t much to celebrate.That’s where Florida sits for
gender diversity on Russell 3000 company boards among the 25 states with more than 20 public companies. Nevada is last.
12/2023
BlackRock Report: Investing in women to increase their participation in the labor force leads to economic gains. The benefits go beyond higher economic output resulting from an outright increase in labor. Greater workforce diversity can boost economic output by tapping into underutilized talents and bringing different experiences and perspectives to the table.
11/2023
Change Agents
By Michael Fechter
The boards of directors at Florida’s public companies are among the nation’s most male-dominated. But a network of women who built successful C-suite careers is working to bring new talent to the table.
11/2023
