Women on Boards

Driving Gender Diversity in the Boardroom

Forté Foundation, in partnership with its sponsoring business schools and companies, supports the advancement of women into corporate board positions. Forté is the only organization in the US that connects the leading business schools around the topic of women in business. Tapping this network of highly successful women who have corporate board potential will increase access and provide transparency into the selection process. Our goal is to build a list of board-ready women and bring attention to the lack of women on corporate boards.

30% Club
SAIS
ION

Intrabond's Board Bona Fide
Watermark Institute Board Access

Boyden
Spencer Stuart

Quantitative Criteria

All women on the list should have at least five years’ experience in one or a combination of the following roles:

• Chair and/or non-executive director of listed or private corporations
• Chief Executive Officer, COO, CFO and other C-suite executive or director level appointments in listed or private corporations
• Family member and controlling shareholder of boards of large family companies
• Director of government agencies
• Director of non-profit organizations
• Institutional investment community senior professional
• Professional firms senior partner serving boards and their committees as clients
• Entrepreneur

The women on the list should be able to demonstrate that they are financially literate. Profit & Loss experience is advantageous, given that some large companies have this as a pre-requisite for board roles.

Qualitative Criteria

In addition, the Task Force believes that candidates on the list should be practitioners of excellence in corporate governance. This suggests the following qualities:

• Articulate communicator and good listener
• High level of emotional intelligence ability to understand the dynamics of the boardroom, how to deal with conflict when it arises
• Ability to self-assess
• Can enhance contribution through feedback
• Can lead when appropriate, but aware of collective responsibility and engagement
• Can challenge constructively and be supportive when necessary
• Sharp mind and good judgment
• Self-confident without being dogmatic
• Understand the importance of independence
• Courage to stand up for that which is in the best interests of the company
• Understand how to add value to a board
• Team player

Women on the list will also be expected to have made a conscious commitment to assume the role and responsibility of corporate governance in a publicly quoted company.

Wall Street Journal
Financial Times
Bloomberg BusinessWeek
The Glass Hammer

European Business Schools have joined force with the European Commission, led by Vice President Vivian Reding and supported by McKinsey research, to play a prominent role in identifying and promoting qualified senior female leadership and enabling women to tap into professional networks to increase the flow of women in business schools and focus on capability building. The initiative was launched with a Call to Action on 5 December 2011 and the European Business Schools produced their first list on 7 March 2012 (http://www.edhec.com/html/Communication/doc-womenboard/BoardReadyWomen.pdf).