Advancing Women to the Boardroom
Inforum: Women’s Leadership in Michigan Companies Stagnates
Inforum Center for Leadership released its 2015 Michigan Women’s Leadership Report, a snapshot of the leadership role of women in Michigan’s top 100 public companies. The findings include:
- Women occupy 11.5 percent of boardroom seats in the state’s top 100 public companies – their share down slightly from 11.6 percent since 2013.
- Women’s representation among the top earners in their companies has declined from 9.6 percent two years ago to 8 percent in 2015.
- And women today hold 13 percent of executive officer positions – exactly their share in 2013.
- Women are entirely absent as executive officers, board Full Article
Executive Women of New Jersey Updates Leadership Numbers
Executive Women of New Jersey recently released updated numbers for women in leadership in the 99 New Jersey companies on the Russell 3000. Top findings from the report include the following.
- Of 942 board seats in 99 companies, 141, or 15%, were held by women. This is an increase over 2013, when women in these companies held only 13.7% of seats.
- The 18 NJ Fortune 500 companies within the NJ Russell 3000 did slightly better, with 45 of 202 board seats, or 22.3%, filled by women. This is an increase over 2013, when women in these Full Article
Forum of Executive Women: Little Change in Philadelphia
The Forum of Executive Women in Philadelphia has updated its “Women on Boards” report for 2015. Key findings from the report, which includes the 100 largest public companies in the region include:
- 35 companies had no women on their boards
- 49 companies had no women in their top executive ranks
- 60 companies had no women among their top earners
- 94 companies were headed by a male CEO
Overall, women hold only 13 percent of board seats and 13 percent of executive positions these companies.
The Forum also reports on women in leadership roles in Full Article
Network 2000 to Feature Sheila C. Johnson at Annual Women of Excellence Event
Network 2000 has announced that entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson will be the featured speaker at their Women of Excellence event on November 5, 2015. Johnson’s long list of professional roles and accomplishments includes serving as CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, which she founded in 2005, and serving as president and managing partner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. She is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams, including the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
Central Exchange Celebrates 35 Years of Service
Central Exchange Celebrates 35 Years of Service with “35 for 35” Project
ION member organization, the Central Exchange, celebrated its 35th anniversary in June by kicking off the “35 for 35” Project, which encourages Central Exchange members to volunteer their time to the community. Central Exchange has identified 35 area nonprofit organizations and is scheduling specific days for volunteering at each organization.
Central Exchange chief executive CiCi Rojas noted that the “35 for 35” project has two goals – to create networking opportunities for its members and to support community organizations. Dates have Full Article
How to Find a Board Seat, More on Pay Gap
In this update:
Boards of energy companies at risk for group-think, HP announces boards for post-split companies, the number of proxy access proposals increases from 15 to over 100, and strategies for women who want to be direct and assertive without the backlash. Also, one association proves that diversity in conference speakers just takes a little more work, advocating for pay transparency in the UK, and advice for laying the groundwork to secure a board appointment. Read more.
Silicon Valley 150, Mercer Research Highlights
In this update:
Updates on research from McKinsey, Catalyst, Nike, Mercer, Deloitte and PwC. New numbers for corporate boards, CED calls for boards to replace every other seat with a woman, and what we know about the executive ranks. Also six great questions men can ask themselves about their gender lens, and venture capital funds only add one female senior exec in past year. Read more.
ION Reveals Low Number of Women Board of Directors
ION Report Reveals Low Number of Women Board Directors, Executives in Top US Public Companies: Search Firms, Investors, Governance Chairs Urged to Cast Wider Net in Search for Qualified Candidates
Annual Status Report of Russell 3000 Companies Shows Only 13 Percent of Board Members, Executive Officers Are Women NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — ION has released its 10th Annual Census of women board directors and executive officers of public companies (http://ionwomen.org/ion-reports). The report includes 2014 data from 2,827 US corporations in the Russell 3000 (R3000). Key Full Article
When You Can Count on a Correlation
Numerous studies have documented the direct, positive correlation between the participation of women on the boards and senior management teams and overall organizational performance (see: http://instituteonwomen.org/central-ohio-leadership-census/).
Many of these studies acknowledge that this research does not prove causation; such is difficult in any situation outside of randomized, controlled experimentation. The strength of the correlation, however, is reinforced by a number of factors that are evident from the scope of research I’ve tracked over the years.
When is Correlation Enough?
A Harvard Business Review blog from earlier this year attempted to address the issue of when a correlation can be Full Article
ION Comments on Joint Standards for Assessing Diversity Policies, Urges Emphasis on Outcomes
ION Comments on Proposed Joint Standards for Assessing Diversity Policies, Urges Regulating Agencies to Emphasize Actual Impact of Initiatives
Disclosure of Outcomes will Promote Stakeholder Transparency, Accountability Regarding Diversity and Inclusion Policies
Nashville, Tenn. – March 6, 2014 – ION has commented on the Proposed Interagency Policy Statement authored by the OCC, BGFRS, FDIC, NCUA, CFPB, and SEC,1 which would assess the diversity policies and practices of the entities these agencies regulate. While ION welcomes the development of the joint standards, it is concerned with the emphasis placed on assessment and disclosure of the existence of diversity and Full Article