Catalyst Names Class Members To The Catalyst Women On Board Initiative

Ten board-ready senior executive women were announced today by Catalyst as the second US class of the Catalyst Women On Board initiative. The sponsorship program matches exceptional candidates with leading CEOs and board chairs to help advance more women onto corporate boards in the United States. Its goal is to address the fact that current boards do not reflect the diversity of our country as women only hold around 20 percent of all S&P 500 board seats and women of color hold about 3 percent.

“When it comes to impacting almost every aspect of our lives, boards matter. And not nearly enough women have voices on the boards of the world’s biggest, most powerful companies,” said Deborah Gillis, President and CEO, Catalyst. “The Catalyst Women On BoardTM program is an amazing game changer—placing exceptional women on an accelerated path to the  boardroom thanks to the generous support of global leaders who are willing  to  make  a difference and really ‘walk the talk’ about diversity in the boardroom.”

The latest Catalyst Women On Board US initiative participating pairs include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Catalyst Women On Board launched in Canada in 2007 and expanded to the United  States in 2015. Nearly 60 percent of its alumnae have already been appointed to corporate boards — including more than 130 board appointments—and 68 senior executive women have been selected as participants. Sponsors and board-ready candidates are global leaders at some of the largest companies and professional service firms.

“Diverse boards are good for business and the community. It’s not only a matter of fairness, but rather having women on boards allows companies to tap into a wider talent pool and gives them a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said Brande Stellings, Senior Vice President, Advisory Services, Catalyst. “The bottom line is change has been taking a really long time, but we know that deliberate sponsorship sparks change faster. And our initiative makes sponsorship a reality.”