Diversity on boards urged
The Calgary chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization has joined an international campaign aimed at increasing diversity on corporate boards.
Internationally, the YPO — a global organization of corporate leaders under the age of 45 — as well as its graduate organization, the World Presidents’ Organization, have joined in the 2020 Women on Boards campaign. The campaign, taking place across the U.S. and in Europe, aims to raise the percentage of women on corporate boards to 20 per cent or greater by 2020.
Here in Calgary, the local YPO chapter has taken the concept and put its own spin on it. At a breakfast event Wednesday, the YPO and WPO will be encouraging local business leaders to think about diversity in all aspects, not just gender.
“We’ll be talking about what key characteristics we need around the board table in Alberta to make us competitive around the world,” said Beth Reimer-Heck, a corporate lawyer with
BLG and a member of the Calgary WPO chapter. “A more diverseboard makes a better decision.”
Debby Carreau, CEO of Inspired HR and a member of the Calgary YPO chapter, said the demographic breakdown of corporate boards in Alberta is less diverse than in the rest of Canada.
“When you look at female seats on boards, in Canada, approximately 15 per cent of boards include women. In Alberta, it’s only eight per cent. We’re almost half of the national average,” Carreau said. “We see this an opportunity to get out in front of this issue and look at all the characteristics of effective board members, not just gender.”
Carreau said it’s time for business leaders to look at ways of expanding the talent pool on boards, whether that involves setting up an advisory board that can encompass different skills and talents than the traditional corporate governance board, or improving sponsorship programs so that people with unique talents can be brought to the forefront.
More information about the Young Presidents’ Organization is available at www. ypo.org