Women in governance series - Global Network of Director Institutes

Overview

We are pleased to be partnering with the Global Network of Director Institutes to deliver a three-part event series on women in governance.

• 29 July 10pm – 1am, Corporate governance and why gender matters
• 5 August 7pm – 10pm, Women on boards
• 11 August 7pm – 10pm, Corporate governance policies that support women

This is an international event series running live across multiple time zones, a recording of each session will also be made available to registered delegates.

This registration entitles you to attend all three events in the series.

For details on keynote speakers and panellists see brochure

Event one: Corporate governance and why gender matters

29 July 10pm – 1am NZT

Women aspire to leadership positions in various sectors of the economy, including government, public and private companies. However, they often face many challenges which prevent them from taking on leadership positions.

Unconscious bias, barriers related to work-family role balance, and persistence of exclusionary networks and opportunities are among some of the common barriers that women face today.

We know from all the research that increasing women’s voice and participation in the boardroom has clear positive impacts on the quality of governance, transparency and accountability, as well as on the bottom line. So how can we better support women in their leadership development, career advancement and access to board seats.

Join us for this women in governance series where we discuss the crucial roles that women play in governance positions, the value they add and how we can support more women in leadership roles, especially access to the boardroom.

Event two: Women on boards

5 August 7pm – 10pm NZT

Good corporate governance helps firms improve performance, drive growth, manage risks, attract and retain investors, and weather financial crises. To be truly effective, a board requires a diversity of skills, cultures, and views to make smart decisions with lasting impact.

A growing body of research shows a range of business benefits associated with gender diversity on boards and in senior leadership—and with a robust pipeline of female management talent. Benefits include improved financial performance and shareholder value, reduced risk of fraud and corruption, increased customer and employee satisfaction, greater investor confidence, and enhanced market knowledge and reputation. Studies also point to the positive influence of gender-diverse management and boards on a company’s sustainability profile.

So why are some boards still reluctant to appoint women and what are the key issues for women to access the boardroom. Join us as we look at the success stories, the challenges and we share ideas about how to improve diversity on boards.

Event three: Corporate governance policies that support women

Hosted by the IoD NZ in partnership with the Hong Kong Institute of Directors.

11 August 7pm – 10pm

Board diversity is one element that contributes to board effectiveness. Gender diversity is one important factor in building board diversity on boards.

Diversity in all its forms should be a feature of good corporate culture and is inspired by the tone from the top and driven by policies and strategies set by the board. To build board diversity and inclusivity, policies that support board, management and workforce diversity contribute to building a balance and can help positively influence corporate performance.

Building gender diversity can start with establishing approaches that build access and opportunity to board roles and to other leadership positions in organisations, and ensuring these are balances with appointing for the right skills and experience.