Global Women on Boards

The Global Women on Boards (GWOB) programme is designed to equip new, aspiring, and existing women directors with the competencies and knowledge required to participate effectively on boards. Being a women-only programme, it provides a safe platform for women to openly share experiences, ask questions and learn in a closed conducive environment.

The 6-month programme provides targeted development and mentorship to help women understand the skills required and gain practical insights in preparing and equipping them for their board journey. Each participant is assigned to a mentor, with board experience, who will share experience, provide guidance and advice to support the mentee to successfully navigate the board environment.

By increasing the diversity of corporate leadership through greater representation of women on boards, companies can benefit from a wider range of perspectives, experiences, and skills, leading to better decision-making and improved business outcomes. The journey culminates in Board Simulations, allowing delegates to apply their knowledge and learning, and at the same time receive feedback from qualified observers.

Phase 1 & 2 of the 2023 programme will be delivered virtually. Phase 3, Graduation & Board Simulations, will be conducted in-person to celebrate the delegates achievements and provide them the opportunity to network with facilitators, mentors and invited guests.

Programme Details

Audience

Current, newly-appointed or aspiring women board directors (C-level Executives, Entrepreneurs, Senior Civil Servants, NGO Senior Executives)

Duration

6 months

Delivery Mode

Virtual sessions & In-person Board Simulation and Graduation Ceremony

Programme Purpose

Provide a global outlook and exposure to new markets.
Open regional or international board opportunities for women.
Surface the unconscious bias on diversity and merit at board levels.
Extend the network circles.
Tap into a global board mentoring platform.
Develop a board profile that is tailored to what boards are looking for today

Programme Focus

Learn about the different types of board cultures, key roles and responsibilities for board service
Explore ways to enhance your board leadership impact, visibility and networks
Participate in group and one-on-one mentoring sessions to develop your board readiness
Interact with experienced board directors and corporate governance experts to understand the board appointment process and expectations
Learn about the different components of being an effective board directors – Corporate Governance, Risk Management, Strategic Thinking & Financial Management and Oversight

Women Leaders Impacted

cohorts

number of women

countries

Hear from our GWOB Alumni

Great learnings from all members and tutors and having a mentor guide me throughout the programme gave me significant learnings in building my competence from a board level perspective. #Driving the Shift

The GWOB programme provided me the opportunity to refresh on the governace principles and concepts, reflect on what my value would and legacy would be and got to interact and network with well-establised leaders in Kenya and Malaysia.

I've attended the 2018 Global Women on Boards (GWOB) program and found it most useful. I was also happy to be a mentor this year [2021] on GWOB.

Come ready to learn, attend all sessions, make the global connections through friendships and the international trip. The Board Simulation helped me appreciate the amount of preparation that goes into allowing a board member to actively participate at the board. The visit to The Authorité des Marchés Financiers in Paris showed an appreciation on how global institutional diversity helps to reduce risk exposure of International firms. Excellent speakers on sustainability on boards showed that firms also can no longer continue to think about their bottom line only but Environmental, Social and Governance goals become critical.