Call to Action to shatter glass ceiling Role of European business schools to reach equality in Europe’s boardrooms INTRODUCTION
European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding furthered her initiative to obtain more gender balance in European boardrooms by joining together with Europe’s leading business schools and the female board members within their eco-systems to support their launch of a “Call to Action” to shatter the glass ceilings impeding senior women executives from acceding to corporate boardroom seats throughout Europe. BUSINESS SCHOOLS HOLD ONE OF THE KEYS
Business schools hold one of the keys to obtaining more women in the corporate boardrooms of Europe over time and this because of three reasons: ■ As a question of ethics and performance, business schools should promote
and advocate the diversity of leadership of which female leadership makes an integral part ■ Business schools form one of the key sources of the development of new
future talent. They develop our future (male and female) leaders ■ Business schools have a unique access to both our female leadership
and to the corporate and academic world and can act as an ‘intermediary’ and catalyst Business schools have an important role to actively promote female leadership and to build awareness in the corporate world. They are one of the starting points of female executive talent development. CALL TO ACTION
The following “Call to Action” identifies specific actions for business schools to take and/or which are already being taken to promote current senior female leadership in Europe in the corporate world and at the same time ensure that the pipeline of female talent is filled. The initiatives below are a synthesis of the actions put forward by concerned, contributing business schools and the female board members in their ecosystems, committed to making this happen.
1