VANCOUVER, April 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Women On Board, a not for profit society that works to promote the appointment of women to corporate boards in Canada, today launched WomenOnBoard Source, a new, searchable, online listing featuring qualified women corporate director candidates for appointment in Canada.
WomenOnBoard Source aims to put qualified women corporate director candidates on the radar of boards of directors to help increase the number of women serving on Canadian corporate boards. It contains detailed background information of the high-calibre executive women who have been selected to participate in the WomenOnBoard Mentoring Program these past five years. As part of their participation, these women have been matched with and mentored by prominent board chairs and CEOs serving some of Canada's largest and most progressive companies.
WomenOnBoard Source also arrives at a good time in light of the recent announcement by the federal government to form an Advisory Council to promote women as corporate directors. The listing should make the new Council's job easier in terms of connecting with the talent pool of qualified women corporate director candidates. WomenOnBoard Source is available for use online now at: www.womenonboard.ca/womenonboardsource.
"The greatest challenge boards face in appointing women directors is finding and connecting with qualified women director candidates, said Carol Stephenson, Director and Co-founder of Women On Board, Dean, Richard Ivey School of Business and director of several corporate boards including General Motors and Intact Financial. "WomenOnBoard Source is our answer to this challenge. We encourage corporate directors to use WomenOnBoard Source to find the board talent they need."
Purdy Crawford, Chair, Maple Leaf Foods, who is a long standing supporter of the WomenOnBoard Mentoring Program and a mentor for the program said, "This is a practical and timely initiative that will help to raise the profile of the many accomplished women who are qualified to serve on corporate boards and will help lead to new appointments. I believe, as do my peers involved in the Women On Board program, that increased board diversity will lead to better governance."
Benita Warmbold, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, is one of the women included in WomenOnBoard Source. Commenting on the new initiative, she said, "Women On Board plays a very important role in connecting women who are ready to serve on corporate boards with business leaders. This new directory will help facilitate more connections, which is the crucial first step to increasing the number of women appointed to corporate boards. I am honoured to be featured alongside so many talented women in WomenOnBoard Source.
The women featured in WomenOnBoard Source are top executives and professionals from across Canada. They have a vast array of expertise in areas such as audit, accounting, compensation, government relations, human resources, law, marketing, risk management, technology and they work in a broad variety of industries like consumer products, energy, financial services, government, healthcare, insurance, mining, oil and gas, professional consulting and services, retail and more. In addition, these women have board experience, not only working with their own boards of directors and committees, but also, as members of corporate boards, community boards, advisory committees, government advisory councils, and more.
WomenOnBoard Source will be updated regularly and expanded annually as more high-calibre, accomplished women continue to join the WomenOnBoard Mentoring Program each year. Users can register online to receive information about updates and additions to the listing as well as notifications regarding the women's appointments to boards of directors.
About Women On Board
Women On Board promotes the appointment of women to corporate boards in Canada. A not-for-profit society established in 2007, our founders are Patrick O'Callaghan and Associates, a board governance consultancy, Richard Ivey School of Business, and executive search firm, Korn/Ferry International. Our aim is to develop a cadre of women to add to Canada's talent pool of potential director candidates, to facilitate the appointment of Women On Board mentees to Canadian corporate boards, and to reinforce the commitment of leading Canadian companies to having more Women On Boards. For more information visit: www.womenonboard.ca
Image with caption: "Available online now! (CNW Group/Women on Board)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120426_C9356_PHOTO_EN_12756.jpg
For further information:
For more information about WomenOnBoard Source and the women listed in it, contact:
Thea M. Miller, Managing Director
Tel: 604-685-5277
Email: [email protected]
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