2013 - the year for women to be in the boardroom?

Happy New Year to all! 2013 has come around quick and whilst we are busy working on the event details it seems to be that women in the boardroom is hitting the news…

On twitter there were a number of posts relating to this guardian article.

Jane Scott, a director at the Professional Boards Forum, says:

“2012 brought sustained progress in the number of women non-executive directors appointed to UK boards. Half of new non-executive appointments in the FTSE 100 since March last year went to women, and 45% in the FTSE 250. In 2008, the rate had been hovering around 10% to 12% of new appointments, so this represents a very significant uplift.”

Ann Francke, the chief executive of the CMI, says:

“It’s disappointing to learn that the track record for the UK’s top private companies is even worse than it is for the FTSE 250. Again, this underscores the endemic nature of the issue – and highlights that the UK’s firms are missing out on the potential growth benefits of a more diverse management culture at a time when we need it most.”

Helena Morrissey, chief executive of Newton Investment Management and a founder of the 30% Club, which promotes hiring more women to boards, says:

“You need to have worked 10, 20 or 30 years to become a chief executive. The level of women in the top executive roles largely reflects the mistakes of years ago. This is a problem that is not going to be solved overnight.”

But this isn’t just news over here in the UK; it’s international. The New York Times posted an article at the end of 2012 about how U.A.E promotes women in the boardroom.

What’s your thoughts on this subject? Are you a woman with a desire to progress in a career, maybe even into a boardroom? The Gender Agenda is this year’s International Women’s Day theme and our event reflects gender equality and with the infusion of speakers and workshops it is an event to celebrate the progression of women.

If you haven’t booked your place yet there is no need to worry, there’s still time! Click here to book your place now!

And don’t forget you can join us on both Twitter and Facebook for discussions on subjects around the area, and also updates on the event itself!