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NEWS RELEASE
Webcast urges women across Highlands and Islands to consider
board places
Women across the Highlands and Islands are being urged to think
positively about applying to join boards of businesses, public bodies and
third sector organisations.
Changing the Chemistry – an independent organisation with charitable
status which promotes diversity on boards – is running a live webcast
from Inverness on Thursday 14 May at 6.30pm to encourage more
women to consider putting themselves forward for board membership.
‘Women on Board – Quality through Diversity’ has been organised
by Changing the Chemistry in collaboration with Women on Boards UK
and the Institute of Directors, and with support from Highlands and
Islands Enterprise (HIE)
Women in the Inverness area will be able to attend the one-hour event in
person at the city’s Kingsmills Hotel, Culcabock Road. Admission is
free.
Across the region, others can link in from their own computers, where
they’ll be able to see and hear all the participants and submit questions
and comments.
Those taking part include HIE Chairman, Professor Lorne Crerar; Tanya
Castell, who is on the Advisory board of Women on Boards UK and
Chair of Changing the Chemistry; Jennifer Stevenson from Changing the
Chemistry, and Sheila Campbell-Lloyd from the Institute of Directors.
Said Tanya Castell, Chair of Changing the Chemistry,
‘This is a great opportunity for women to find out more about the range
of opportunities which exist to join boards, and we hope that as many as
possible will come along or join us online.
‘There’s a great deal of evidence to show that increasing board diversity
improves the performance of organisations and thereby benefits the
wider economy.’
‘In 2015, women remain under-represented on boards across Scotland,
which is why organisations like HIE have signed up to the Scottish
Government’s ’50:50 by 2020’ initiative, committing themselves to
gender equality on their boards within five years.
‘Through this event, we aim to reach women who could make a
contribution to a wide variety of organisations, including those who
would perhaps not previously have considered applying.
‘We’ll show why more women should be considering board roles, how
their experience could be relevant, what the benefits are, and why
diversity matters. We’ll also cover the range of board opportunities which
are available, and outline different sources of support available to
women who wish to be considered for these positions.’
Although the event is free, places are limited and must be booked in
advance. Details are on the HIE website: www.hie.co.uk/womenonboard
Further information: Jane Richardson, CtC Trustee 07803 855424
Notes to editors:
Changing the Chemistry (CtC) is a Scottish-based voluntary peer support network that
seeks to improve board effectiveness and quality through diversity of thought Evidence
shows that increasing board diversity improves the performance of organisations and can
thereby also benefit the wider economy.
Founded in 2011, Changing the Chemistry is a charitable organisation which offers
guidance and development opportunities to individuals from currently under-represented
groups in the boardroom who aspire to secure non-executive/trustee board positions. Its
unique approach is that members help each other, volunteering their time and skills in a
peer-to-peer support network that provides targeted advice, coaching, 1-2-1 help and other
support. The group helps members develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to secure
non-executive/trustee board positions; ensuring that they are an asset to the boards they sit
on, and organisations they represent.
With a growing membership of over 130, CtC has so far helped fill more than 35 board roles
across all three sectors and wide ranging in size and reach.
https://changingthechemistry.co.uk/changing-chemistry
Final @ 4 May 2015
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