Sharing her advice on acquiring a non-executive director role, Claire was the final presenter in the seven-week online Effective Director Course, which for the first time ever was offered to women only.
Speaking on the topic of acquiring a non-executive director role on the session on 15 June 2021, Claire said the aim was to give participants “tips and tricks on getting a board career and offer ways to help them stand out in the selection process”.
With a diversity of backgrounds ranging from mining and veterans’ affairs to regional tourism and public/private partnerships, participants were asked to share their board, committee or board proxy experience and think about why they want to join a board.
“The truth is many women all know more than they realise,” said Claire, who also shared her board story.
“It’s about playing to your strengths, thinking about transferable skills and leveraging those skills and thinking where they will be useful,” she said.
The Effective Director Course has been running for four years for aspiring and newly appointed directors, executives transitioning into more senior roles, and those who need to be educated about the role of a director.
The Governance Institute decided to launch the flagship course for directors in May a women’s exclusive format in May, saying targeted action is needed to boost equality in the upper echelons of business.
“We are targeting the top tiers of an organisation, helping amplify senior leadership roles for women and encouraging a new generation of female directors,” Governance Institute CEO Megan Motto said.
“Equality and diversity are key tenets of good governance – and both also directly contribute to better business.
“We need more women in top roles and this new course has been specifically designed to help drive this change.”
The course examines the challenges faced by a director on a board, the dynamics of director effectiveness, and the key elements of a high performing board.
The new women exclusive course also drilled down on:
- strategies to address systemic and cultural challenges
- tackling unconscious bias
- enhancing visibility, influence and voice
- attributes and skills to enable a compelling and purposeful leadership pathway for female leaders.
Instead of the traditional three-day face-to-face intensive course structure, the women’s exclusive Effective Director Course ran virtually over seven weeks as short sessions.
NEED SOME GOVERNANCE TRAINING?
Women on Boards members can attend Governance Institute courses at the discounted GIA subscriber rate.
Listen to The Governance Institute's CEO Megan Motto in conversation with Claire Braund on this great podcast here.