Board Diversity From a Women’s Perspective Part 3

• I only serve on boards with diversity. It matters. I appreciate racial diversity, but I also appreciate gender diversity, industry diversity, functional diversity and age diversity. We all bring a different voice. I have attached a short piece I wrote that was published in Directors & Boards magazine from a year or two ago which speaks to age diversity.”

• On advice, I would encourage female board members who are new to boards to make sure to reach out and connect with one fellow board member between each meeting. That doubles the number of touch points you have with the board from four to six formal meetings a year to twice that and catapults forward the amount of contact you have, and therefore the impact you can have. Growing a first board into more boards is easiest if you are an engaged and impactful member of your first board. Talk about the board, your work, their work, your top priorities in helping the board. Collaborate. Collude. Bounce ideas off of one another.

Age Diversity in the Boardroom: “I believe that top corporate performance requires age diversity in the boardroom. With the average age of public corporate directors at 62, enlightened governance demands that a variety of ages are engaged for benefit of shareholders. When paired with the experience and skills of seasoned directors, directors in their 30’s and 40’s can bring strong technical savvy, an appetite for innovation, and a fresh way of thinking. As corporate boards focus on enhancing financial and strategic performance and the leadership of an evolving workplace, a multigenerational approach to governance is critical.”

Check out more information on how board diversity can help your boardroom. Also, read parts one and two of this three part series on board diversity.