The Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA), the representative body for the UK’s small and mid-cap quoted company sector, will be holding an event in the new year to explore the issue that is hitting the political agenda in Whitehall – encouraging more participation from women in the UK’s boardrooms. This follows from the Government’s call for evidence seeking views on women’s representation on boards and also the publication of Cranfield University’s School of Management’s The Female FTSE Board Report 2010, which have both further highlighted the low proportion of women holding directorships in the UK.
The QCA has teamed up with Consulting Women, a business in the promotion of women on boards, to hold the event ‘Women in the Boardroom’, for small and mid-cap quoted company directors on 6 January 2011. The event will be held at the office of Taylor Wessing, a leading international law firm.
Quoted company directors will hear from Gill Avery and Moira Siddons of Consulting Women on what makes women excel and Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Aviva who was recently listed in the ‘100 Women to Watch’ in The Female FTSE Board Report 2010, on the Government’s review on women on UK boards.
Moira Siddons, co-founder of Consulting Women and Non-Executive Board Director of MGM Advantage, commented: "We are delighted to see this event become a reality because we know, from experience that the boardroom can be an isolating and lonely place for women, knowing how best to use one's own strengths and to read and use others' makes it a more rewarding and lucrative place to be”.
Gill Avery Co-Founder of Consulting Women and Consulting People Limited added: "This event will enable women from quoted companies to have a glimpse of what is possible for each of them and to connect with other women who can truly relate to their experience."
Tim Ward, Chief Executive of the QCA, said: “We are pleased to be holding an event that tackles such an important and timely topic. Diversity on boards is especially pertinent for small and mid-cap quoted companies that usually have very low numbers of female directors. This is a great opportunity for quoted company directors to give their undivided attention to these issues and discuss how to encourage more participation from women.”
