WOMEN CORPORATE DIRECTORS, WOMEN'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS, MAR. 2017

PUBLICATION: WOMEN'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS

PUBLISHING DATE: MARCH 2017

WOMEN CORPORATE DIRECTORS: DIVERSIFYING THE CORPORATE FIELD

Diversity: it’s a common word heard throughout our generation. It encompasses inclusion and collaboration and the influence such aspects hold. Women Corporate Directors (WCD) a global organization who are powered by the world’s influential women and business elite, believes in the capacity of this word for worldwide corporations. “We saw the need to push for gender diversity in the boards of companies. Studies have shown that companies with diversified membership in its board of directors do better in business and we think that it is time to push for increased representation of women in corporate boards,” says Sharon Dayoan, KPMG R.G. Manabat & Co. Vice Chair and Head of Audit, and WCD Philippines’ Co Chair.

KPMG, one of the global founding partners of WCD, thought it was fitting to form a Philippine chapter in 2013 with 60% of members from top 1000 Philippine corporations. The Philippine SEC’s ‘The Code of Corporate Governance For Publicly Listed Companies’ carried out in January 2017 explains how diversity is a move to “avoid groupthink and ensure that optimal decision-making is achieved.” Dayoan adds, “We think that with this development, now is the most opportune time for WCD to be active and gain momentum to tap the women business leaders in the Philippines and increase the representation of women in corporate boards.”

With 75 chapters worldwide, WCD’s mission is to build communities globally. According to Chairman and CEO Ms. Stautberg, WCD aims to utilize leadership and best practices in corporate governance to expand the organization’s community. The goals are to secure worldwide board positions for deserving women, eliminate stereotyping, and address today’s corporate issues. With these in mind, WCD conducts studies to identify dilemmas and form solutions, provides platforms of turning ideas into actions, and holds worldwide trainings and conferences.

To date, the global effort has helped place more than 500 women on large public and private company boards and advisory boards. WCD Philippines, as an active chapter, will join the Global Institute in New York and the Asia Institute in India.

For more information, contact WCD at http://www.womenbiz.ph/contact-us/.