There is a lot of interesting talk about “board quotas” right now, and as I am an advocate for optimal board composition, board diversity is a topic I care deeply about. I want to add my voice to the conversation. It occurred to me to ask the women in my network (and beyond) whether they’ve ever served on a private or public board, and why (or why not).
If you’re a woman who wishes to contribute to this valuable discourse, please answer the poll questions below:
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I would be so grateful to have comments from all visitors in the comment section. Some things I’m especially interested in knowing:
– Women, if you have served on a board, what kind of board(s)? How many? What did you get out of it? How was your experience overall?
– Women, if you haven’t served on a board, why not? Did it not seem important? Do you not know how to go about it, or which board to choose?
– Women, if you have tried to serve on a board but were not selected, what happened? Did you understand why you weren’t chosen?
I’ll share the results of this poll (and a follow-up for men) soon!
Hello, Johanne – thank you for seeking input from us. Yes, I am currently on a board of a non-profit. I was selected due to my business acumen, a talent lacking because the other members were (and still are primarily) focused on the arts. I joined in 2013. I would like enough experience to join a for-profit board, a different animal, entirely, I’m sure. Looking forward to the results – SP Petersson, USA
Susanne, thank you for responding and commenting. If you haven’t yet, I invite you to download my first ebook about Board Basics, complimentary download. The results of the poll will be posted tomorrow, April 14 2015. Check my current blog about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now”.
Thanks for asking these questions. It’s a worthwhile conversation.
Thank you Leona! Glad you agree and I am grateful for your support, always!
I am mixed on quotas: I know they are not a good solution to issues, but at the same time quotas get things moving in the right direction. For once I am not unhappy to be part of the population profiting from a quota!
I am currently on the board of one non profit and one private (soon to be public) company.
Cheers,
Liz Musch
Paris, France
Liz, Merci! I appreciate your views which greatly contribute to the global perspectives that I always am very sensitive about. Congratulations for your opportunities. It is wonderful!
I have been on many non-profit boards where women seem to be in demand (because we work hard for FREE?) but not so much on private boards, where men tend to dominate. I hope you get a cross section of answers.
Maureen, thank you for your prompt response to the poll and for commenting. I appreciate it. I am getting a cross-section of comments. I invite you to read my blog posted this morning about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now.” and for the blog tomorrow April 14 2015 to be about the poll results!
I served on the board of a privately held start-up and have been in the boardroom as an executive for both private and public small companies. I would do it again. I have done an advisory board for a non-profit as well.
Kathryn, thank you for taking the time to respond and comment. I invite you to read my blog posted this morning about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now.” and for the blog tomorrow April 14 2015 to be about the poll results!
I served as Executive Director of a global technology industry consortium (private, non-profit). I was the only woman on the board with 20+ men. Technology boards always seem to have far fewer women than other boards. I have also served on various non-profit boards of professional societies and those always had a mix of women and men.
Paula, thank you for taking the time to respond and to share about your experiences. I appreciate it.I invite you to read my blog posted this morning about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now.” Do read the blog tomorrow April 14 2015 about the poll results!
I have served on many not for profit boards but have never had a paid board position with the exception of my own firm. I would be interested in a paid position where my expertise could have a significant impact creating positive results.
Thank you Veronica for responding and for sharing about your experience and your wishes! I invite you to read my blog posted this morning about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now.” Read the blog tomorrow April 14 2015 about the poll results! And if you haven’t yet downloaded my first ebook about Board Basics, it is complimentary and your might find it helpful! http://www.johannebouchard.com/board-basics-ebook/
I am currently serving on a board for a nonprofit dedicated to helping pregnant and postpartum women who struggle with addiction. The board has only one man and the other eight are women. Each board member was chosen based on experience and on the particular viewpoint the individual brings to the table. We have a lawyer, a public relations director, an addiction counselor, an Ob/Gyn physician, an insurance executive, a human services director, a nutritionist, a fundraiser for the YMCA, and a business woman. I am not a fan of board quotas but perhaps my position is colored by the fact that our board is already loaded with women.
Deborah, thank you for taking the time to share about your experiences and your view on the topic. I appreciate it! I invite you to read my blog posted this morning about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now.” Read the blog tomorrow April 14 2015 about the poll results! And if you haven’t yet downloaded my first ebook about Board Basics, it is complimentary and your might find it helpful! http://www.johannebouchard.com/board-basics-ebook/
I have been on the boards of several small start-up, including my own. I’m very much interested in serving on a public board.
Hi Johanne, I currently serve on the board of a nonprofit, a cause I passionately support. I advise the CEO periodically and have helped with fund raising. I was recently approached to serve on the board of trustees of a local university but am not interested because of the complex campus politics.
I would be interested in serving on a paid board. I have worked on small non-profit boards due to my expertise.
I’ve served on two boards both of which called on my experience as a spa training consultant. One was for a privately owned school which developed their curriculum around technical, customer serviced based professions. The other was for a cosmetology school which wanted to ensure that real life client service situations were included in their training.
Hi Joanne, About a year ago I decided to build a portfolio career. At the time I had one pro bono trustee position with a charity. Now I have two pro bono trustee positions, one non-executive position with a public body, one advisory board position with a private company and would take on another paid position.
Janet (UK)
Janet, thank you for sharing about your commitment and interests, and for responding to the poll, also adding a global perspective. I invite you to download my first ebook about Board Basics, a complimentary download http://www.johannebouchard.com/board-basics-ebook/ and to share it with your colleagues.
I started Women2Boards in 2014 to help women who want to serve on private or public company boards. We have a Registry for board-ready women, plus educational programs to assist them on the path.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to the poll. I appreciate your support in the spirit of collaboration!I invite you to download my first ebook about Board Basics, complimentary download. The results of the poll will be posted tomorrow, April 14 2015. Check my current blog about “Diversity Quotas for Boards: What’s happening now”.
Hi Johanne, I have served on boards, but they were both companies I owned…
I am for quotas – otherwise we’ll never get there.
Elena, thank you for responding and commenting. I always welcome your views and your contribution to the global perspective!
Hi Johanne – I have served on two non-profit boards, each for a number of years. In the earlier experience, the board was composed of men and women providing service to a large inner city child care center in San Francisco, California. My addition to the board may have been based upon my broader community involvement, or perhaps my professional training and skill sets and my willingness to donate time and energies to the organization were factors in my selection. The second, more recent involvement assists a non-profit organization devoted to furthering the successes of women in business, be they established in a career or beginning a journey in the business world. That board is comprised solely of volunteers from the membership. The organization’s focus is on building connections between members and the greater business community. The investment of time, energy, and personal resources for each of these very different involvements is far outweighed by the return – an exposure to new concepts, an opportunity to develop expertise in problem-solving and the ability to be a change agent. The experiences have been positive and motivate me to seek new opportunities in service of others.
Joann, thank you for taking the time to respond to the poll, to share about your current involvement with non-profit boards and for caring to be ‘in service’. I invite you download my first ebook about Board Basics which was recently published. You and your colleagues might enjoy it. Short yet substantive!
I’ve served on the Lions Board of Directors and the Chamber of Commerce Retail board. Both experiences allowed me to see problems, situations, and ideas through a perspective I wouldn’t have had on my own. Although we are all facing the same issues, our businesses, background, and experiences allow us to bring together different perspectives into one solution that benefits the community..my experience has been very positive overall.
I currently serves on two boards that change in police department against the war on the black man.
Patricia, I appreciate your time to respond to the poll and comment.
I would love to serve and add-value to a board. Unfortunately, I believe that quotas are necessary and should be used at this time for women to even be considered. The board selection that I have seen in the southeastern U.S. for private companies is based on the executive team’s connections and are composed of 90+% white males.
I have served on a public board ( 4 years) and am now on a private Board.
Thank you Charlotte for taking the time to respond to the poll. I appreciate it. Congratulations for currently serving on a private board and for having had the experience of serving on a public board! I wish you continued success. Don’t hesitate to download my first ebook about Board Basics!
Hello Johanne. I currently serve on three boards, two public companies and one company on an IPO path for 2015. I was elected to my first board 8 years ago by a company seeking a public company Chief Financial Officer to serve as their Audit Committee Chair upon the retirement of the existing chair. I have served as a Chief Financial Officer for my entire career in industry after 7 years in public accounting. I was elected to my 2nd two boards just this year and am thrilled to have joined these two new companies!
Dear Wendy, I thank you for taking the time to respond to the poll. Congratulations for already serving on a couple of public boards and going through the IPO process where your efforts are instrumental for a successful transition from a private to public company. I myself am thrilled for you and I wish you continued success. Don’t hesitate to download my first ebook about Board Basics which is short yet substantive and complimentary to download. I wish you continued success!
I have served on a couple non-profit boards and as a Trustee for my alma mater. These have all been very rewarding experiences. Being involved and guiding organizations that make a difference to our communities and our future leaders. My current goal is to obtain a position on a public company board.
LeAnne, thank you for taking the time to respond to the poll. Don’t hesitate to reach out about your goal to serve on a public board! Follow me here and on linkedin. I invite you to read my first ebook about Board Basics and my future ebooks about boards.