May 2009 - Roadmap to the Board at the Bank of England

The Personal Development Committee organized a “Roadmap to the Board” event which was hosted by the Bank of England. Jacey Graham (a member of City Women's Network) and Peninah Thomson, the co-authors of bestseller “A Woman's Place is in the Boardroom” and 2008 follow up book “The Roadmap”, talked about the findings from their work in the UK over the past 4 years with chairmen and executive women in FTSE 100 companies, as they work to develop a talent pool of ‘board-ready' women.

In response to requests following the publication of their first book in 2005, Jacey and Peninah developed a practical ‘how to' guide in the form of a Roadmap with 8 fundamental steps that aspiring women directors and companies can take to address the lack of women in top positions. They shared their insights with us in discussion of a topic which arguably now more than ever, has become a critical one for good corporate governance. A lengthy spirited debate followed particularly around the behavioural differences between men and women at certain levels.

We had wonderful feedback from the event. Many of the participants were inspired to aspire to board roles and expressed interest in more detail on the topic. Though it is often said that supply plays more of a role in under-representation than demand, there were a number of senior women in the room who, given the opportunity are certainly a part of the supply chain.

Many thanks to Jacey and Peninah for sharing their experience and also to the Bank of England for hosting the event.

India Gary-Martin