Women on Boards Dinner 2017
In light of the recent statistic that in 2016 female representation on UK plc boards declined from 32.1% in 2014 to 29%, the need for discussion around increasing the number of women on boards is more important than ever. We gathered thirty senior female leaders at London’s Ivy City Garden restaurant for an evening of networking and provoking thought around what can be done to combat the issue. We heard from Helen Stevenson, NED at Trinity Mirror Plc, about the benefits of female leadership for organisations, and what can be done to improve the lack of diversity.
Of the themes discussed, the danger of groupthink proved particularly widespread from startups through to incumbents. Crucially, the best interests of women are not always being voiced in the meetings that matter the most. A non-diverse senior leadership team is unrepresentative of both the wider company and the company’s customer base. It is argued that the value of an organisation is increased by simply diversifying the workplace; particularly the board and executive leaders. This is supported by McKinsey & Co., who believe that advancing women’s equality could add as much as $2.1 trillion to Western Europe’s GDP by 2025.
Networking and mentorship schemes have proved beneficial to the career progression of women, and facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas and practices between various companies and industries. Giving women a platform on which to voice the concerns of their gender is also fundamental. Current boards must make a concerted effort to develop women within their organisation, at all levels, to pave the way for the next generation of female leaders.
We hope that by running events like these, we can help to shine a light on this key issue and help to foster valuable connections between senior female business leaders.
A big thank you to all who attended. Companies represented included:
83North, AllBright, AutoTrader, Amadeus Capital Partners, Bain Capital, Beringea, Camelot Group, Cooley, Countrywide, Dentsu Aegis Network , EY, Good Energy Group, GSV Acceleration, HelloFresh, Michael Kors, Mumsnet, Permira, Post Office, Scottish Equity Partners, Silicon Valley Bank, SoundCloud, Sussex Place Ventures, Trinity Mirror and Uber.
