BoardAgender 2016 Year in Review

Thank you for supporting BoardAgender in 2016! We hope you have enjoyed our many events through the year.

This year, BoardAgender aimed to be at the core of an ecosystem enabling the acceleration of more women on boards; we aimed to work closely with the Diversity Action Committee (DAC), engage our SG50 Champions of Change and do an in depth analysis on the diversity landscape in the region with an establish research body.

Here are some highlights through the year:

  • Women’s representation on boards has improved to 9.7% as at end June 2016 as reported by the Diversity Action Committee (DAC) from 6.9% since the BoardAgender-CGIO diversity report in 2011. Despite the improvements, the pace of change is too slow and Singapore is falling behind, ranking third from the last, behind Malaysia and Hong Kong. As part of the DAC, five recommendations were made to hasten the pace of change
  • Following the SG50 Champions of Change initiative launched in September last year, BoardAgender partnered DAC in engaging some of our Champions to a networking luncheon with potential women directors, brought together by DAC and recommended by corporate leaders and governance expert as board-ready. This is part of an effort to increase the active pool of women board director candidates and raise the profile of these potential women directors.
  • Together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), BoardAgender hosted an exclusive gathering of accomplished Singaporean and East Asian Women executives that was attended by a few of our Champions. IFC aims to learn from the experiences of these female executives and gain insight on how IFC and its clients can further promote diversity within their workplaces.
  • We celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD) by partnering the Young Women Leadership Connection and Twitter Singapore in an event featuring speeches by influential Singaporean leaders on communicating from a #PositionofStrength and striving for a more empowered and equal society. The spirit of IWD continues as we celebrated the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women in Pledging for Parity with the National Australia Bank, Save the Children and CFA Society.
  • BoardAgender held dialogue sessions with dynamic and inspiring individuals such as Magdalena N. Mook, CEO of the International Coach Federation, Winifred Loh, the Managing Director of the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership and went up close and personal with Ambassador Linda Tsao Yang who shared her pearls of wisdom on tackling the issue of women on boards from her wealth of experiences in the public and private sector interaction.
  • We collaborated with one of our corporate members, Willis Towers Watson on the Leading Women Through the Glass Ceiling event featuring  two of our SG50 Champions, Madam Halimah Yacob as the Guest of Honor and Dr Audrey Chin as one of the panelist of senior executives discussing the existence of a glass ceiling in the workplace and solutions that individuals/organisations are able to take action on.
  • BoardAgender has finalised the collaboration with the Human Capital Leadership Institute to undertake a deep analysis research report of Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards in Singapore, which is scheduled to be launched in 2017.

Moving forward into 2017, BoardAgender’s vision is for Singapore listed companies to have at least 20% female directors on boards by 2020. The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s suggestion to review the Code of Corporate Governance in September which include issues on board diversity brings us a step closer to accelerating the pace of change for women’s representation on boards; BoardAgender would be submitting recommendations for consideration in the review process in hopes that changes in the corporate governance code with requirements for more disclosure would spur companies to diversify their boards at a faster pace.

We will continue to champion the cause to have more gender-diverse boards in Singapore by advocacy and raising awareness, facilitating the advancement of more women into leadership roles and providing more avenues for high quality networking.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Subscribe to our Corporate Membership

BoardAgender collaborates with corporates as partners and sponsors on a wide range of programmes. Opportunities for corporate involvement ranges from hosting one of our Champions luncheon or dialogue sessions to providing BoardAgender with a venue, being a lead sponsor for our research initiative, and other support.

Corporate membership is available at $1000 per year and benefits both the organisation and your employees:

  • Organisation representatives are invited to our corporate engagement lunches providing opportunities to explore collaboration with BoardAgender and/or other corporate members.
  • BoardAgender events and dialogue sessions equip, inform and inspire your employees as well as support their career aspirations. Five employees are entitled to enjoy preferential member rates at events and gain access to exclusive member-only events.
  • Opportunities for employees to have exposure and high quality interactions with our SG50 Champions of Change through our Champions luncheons.

Subscribe to our Individual Membership

BoardAgender is fortunate to continue our collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) once again in 2017. Besides the $100 annual membership subscription, additional options are available to renew or subscribe to BoardAgender for three to five years (total of $300, $400 or $500) and benefit from our collaboration with SID. Details on membership subscription and the special scheme with SID can be found by clicking here.

Benefits of subscribing as an individual member:

  • Enjoy up to 30% preferential member rates at events and gain access to exclusive member-only events; BoardAgender events and dialogue sessions will inform, equip and further inspire your career aspirations and board goals.
  • Opportunities to have exposure and high quality interactions with our SG50 Champions of Change through our Champions luncheons.
  • SID membership discount and complimentary attendance to its entry-level course “So you want to be a director?” for aspiring and new directors if you subscribe to BoardAgender for three or more years (valid only for first time SID subscriber). More details here.

We aim to continue being at the core of an ecosystem enabling the acceleration of more women to be on boards and we will not be able to do this without your support. BoardAgender invites you to be at the core of that ecosystem with us and help drive the BoardAgender vision and mission by subscribing or renewing your membership.

We trust that your active involvement would make a difference to the landscape of board diversity in Singapore.

Do renew your corporate membership for 2017, and if you are not a member currently, this is the time to join us!

Please get in touch with Elizabeth at contact@boardagender.org should you have any questions or require further clarification.

We are honoured to have you along with us on this journey.

Thank you once again for your support.

Have a blessed new year ahead!

Sincerely
BoardAgender Committee 2016

MORE MEDIA