Briefings

"Women in Business" – Women in The Boardroom: The Leadership Debate

Speakers
Susan Rice, The Lloyds Banking Group
Wendy Lamin, Marsh
Fiona Buchanan, Tods Murray

Scotland is well known for its pioneering businesses, for its strength in financial services, and for encouraging entrepreneurialism in all sectors.  Against this active corporate setting, women comprise an increasing proportion of the workforce.  Why then, are there still so few women in the boardrooms of Scotland’s companies and organisations, both at executive and non-executive level, and why is the number who make it to the top not increasing? 

Tods Murray LLP (solicitors), and Marsh, (insurance broker and risk adviser), have joined together to host this event with guest speaker Susan Rice, Managing Director of Lloyds Banking Group, Scotland.  Susan Rice, was the first women to head a UK clearing bank when she was appointed Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland in 2000.  She has extensive boardroom experience across all three sectors.  She will open by sharing her views, asking where all the female talent has gone and then open the debate with reference to recent pieces of research.

The following research has prompted the questions which we will discuss and debate:

1)  Professor Haslam of Exeter University’s reseach concludes that companies with all-male boards are overvalued by the stock market, while those with women on boards are undervalued and the question is: "Will investors invest more in companies that have women on their boards once aware of evidence that such companies are relatively under-valued compared to those that have all-male boards?"

2)  The French CERAM Business School and Cambridge University’s research comes to the conclusion that "Feminisation of management seems to be a protection against the financial crisis”

3)  Why do we think Women are not on the Board of many Scottish companies and financial institutions at present and what can we do to redress this balance?

Tods Murray and Marsh have also joined together to survey successful women in business, in Scotland, and record the result for this “Women in Business” debate.  Throughout July, August and September 2010, we encourage all businesswomen in Scotland, to take part in this research, which will be published at the end of October 2010, to link into this event.

View and complete our “Women in Business” leadership debate – Scotland - survey

PLACES AT THIS EVENT ARE LIMITED.  PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO MEMBERS OF THE TODS MURRAY "WOMEN IN BUSINESS" NETWORK (link to membership application form)

TO REQUEST A PLACE AT THIS EVENT, PLEASE CLICK ON THE BOX BELOW