Women on the Board - token or totem?

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of joining a panel discussion at the WoMEn in Finance Summit, expertly facilitated by Vivienne Artz. Alongside my fellow panelists, Denis Jackson and Sarah Connaughton we tackled the topic: “Women on the Board – Token or Totem? Building on the Outcome of the FTSE Women Leaders Review.”

We had a lively and insightful discussion. While progress has been made in increasing female representation on boards and senior leadership teams in the FTSE 350, there is still much work to be done.

Here are my key takeaways:

• Elevate Gender Equity: Organisations must re-prioritise gender equity, especially as the focus has shifted to ethnicity equity in recent years.
• Business Priority: Gender equity should be seen as a core business priority, not just a DEIB initiative. This topic needs to be back on the board agenda.
• Female Talent Mobility: Businesses must prioritise the mobility of female talent and understand the barriers preventing women from advancing at the same rate as their male counterparts.
• Inclusive Hiring: It's crucial to ensure that all aspects of the recruitment process support the hiring of female talent and actively work to eliminate biases.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can further elevate the focus on gender equity across all businesses.