Bristol24/7 Presents: How can we make Bristol's boardrooms more diverse? / BeOnBoard
‘Homogenous boards and leadership are damaging to an organisation’
To be considered a global city, Bristol needs diversity at the decision-making levels of organisations, says BeOnBoard CEO, Kalpna Woolf.
Aiming to diversify our boardrooms, Kalpna wants to create an inclusive and successful economy by identifying potential candidates from diverse backgrounds, supporting their development for leadership roles.
“When I started to sit on boards, I noticed that the perspectives and views, skills and range of knowledge were all very similar. This is in direct contrast to our city, which is so diverse. I saw this is a huge missed opportunity,” says Kalpna.
is needed now More than ever
Following 20 years at the BBC and places on multiple boardrooms, Kalpna recognised the need for change.
“Purely from an economic point of view, homogenous boards and leadership are not only outdated but are damaging to an organisation, to its potential profitability, to attracting a wide talent pool, to its reputation and its brand,” Kalpna tells Bristol24/7.
Kalpna Woolf, photo courtesy of Kalpna Woolf
To readdress the balance in Bristol’s leadership and boardroom roles, Kalpna founded BeOnBoard back in 2017, the organisation that connects a diverse range of board-ready executives and matches them with businesses.
The organisation works with Business West and Business West Initiative and now has a talent pool of over 250 people from diverse backgrounds with outstanding skills across many sectors.
“Diversity on boards is the only way to end the inequality which Bristol has suffered for generations,” says Kalpna. And not only are diverse boardrooms vital for our city’s inequality, but also necessary for organisations themselves. According to research by McKinsey, companies with gender and ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by at least 25 per cent.
According to Kalpna, diversity in our boardrooms is slowly improving but is still severely lacking. There is a long way to go, however, with organisations like BeOnBoard, Bristol has the potential to lead the way.
To hear more about how we can make Bristol’s boardrooms more diverse, sign up for our free online panel event here. You will hear from expert speakers including Kalpna, Clayton Planter, Esther Smith and Sam Sherlock on Bristol’s journey, progress and challenges around diversity in our workplaces.
Sponsored by TLT, the free panel event featuring experts from across Bristol will take place on November 18 at 2pm.
Bristol24/7 Presents: How can we make Bristol’s boardrooms more diverse?
Main photo: Bristol24/7
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