Women on Boards

As more women reach senior roles within organizations, they are increasingly interested in working on boards as independent directors. Research shows having a critical mass of women on a board leads to higher quality decision making, reduced operational risk, faster innovation, and better financial results on many key metrics. This program is designed to help you launch your search for a seat on a board, understand the skills required, and develop those most needed in today’s boards, which have evolved significantly over the last decade.

Key Benefits

Becoming a board director helps women leaders in many ways, a few of which are:

• Acquire and contribute invaluable strategic perspective to prepare for success in a C-suite role
• Form important professional “mentor” relationships across industries and sectors
• Demonstrate subject matter expertise that can expedite professional advancement

Breaking into the boardroom can be challenging for anyone. Yale’s Women on Boards program gives its participants an advantage with guided preparation for the board search process. Prior to arriving you will complete pre-work, which includes pre-readings and drafting a board resume. You will develop your professional plan throughout the course and review your progress in a 3-month group coaching check-in.

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What to expect

• Learn about the different types of boards and key responsibilities for board service
• Create a plan to build experience that makes you a competitive board candidate
• Complete a self-assessment to gauge your strengths and areas of development
• Participate in group executive coaching sessions to develop your skillset
• Develop a board resume that emphasizes the skills most desired by board’s today
• Engage with executive search firms that specialize in searching for women on boards
• Get input from experienced board directors, search firms, and corporate governance experts to understand what you need to know for a board search and for the role

Curriculum

Highlights include:

• Boards in the 21st Century: Board Types and the New Directors’ Roles
• Corporate Strategy: The Board Oversight Rule
• Network Building: Mentors, Sponsors, and Peers
• The Search Strategy: Working with Board Search Firms
• Women on Corporate Boards Panel
• Communicating Your Personal Brand