Harvard Business School Launches New Executive Education Program For Women Senior Executives

BOSTON, Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education will launch Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director on the HBS campus in Boston from November 28 to December 2, 2016. This new program will provide an in depth examination of the function of corporate boards and inner dynamics of board governance. The program will also serve as a valuable convening platform for women to explore topics of boardroom diversity among a network of accomplished peers.

"It's a myth that there aren't enough qualified women to serve on boards.  There's actually an ample supply of such women," said Professor Lynn S. Paine, John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration and faculty cochair of Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director. "Through this program we aim to bring many of them together, increase their visibility, and help them prepare for the challenges boards will be facing in the future.  This program is not just about board basics.  It is also about the difficult issues corporate directors will be grappling with in the years ahead."

The program provides insight into different types of boards and how they function, as well as best practices and priority issues for board governance. The program also focuses on understanding the selection process for board membership, and addresses misconceptions and challenges facing women pursuing board seats. Such challenges include limited seat availability, indefinite term limits for established board members, company-specific specifications for filling board seats, and biases both conscious and unconscious that can impact how boards are selected.

"While it's widely understood that companies with diverse leadership and employees can leverage a wider breadth of skills and insights, obstacles to boardroom diversity remain," said Frances Frei, UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management and Senior Associate Dean for Executive Education at Harvard Business School. "This new program helps high-achieving women navigate the next phase of their career by understanding how boards operate, as well as the barriers they may face and how to overcome them."

Using case study and panel discussions, presentations, and individual coaching, the program will leave female executives with a refreshed perspective on board governance as well as their own personal leadership styles.

"To prepare for board service, all senior leaders need to develop the knowledge and skills that boards are seeking," said Professor Boris Groysberg, Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration and faculty cochair of Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director. "Our program is designed to help executives grasp the key issues affecting boards today and the best practices employed by high-performing boards. Our goal is to give executives the tools they need to hit the ground running as successful board members."

Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director is designed for female senior executives at large, established companies who hold positions ranging from division head to CEO. The ideal candidate is a senior professional who seeks to contribute to corporate governance at the highest level.

As with other HBS Executive Education offerings, Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director will rely on research from leading HBS faculty, discussions with industry peers, and learnings from real-world case studies from successful global companies.

Scholarship assistance may be available to qualified candidates thanks to the generous support of Linda Rabbitt, CEO and Chairman of Rand Construction Corporation.

Program Details:
Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director will be hosted from November 28 to December 2, 2016 on the Harvard Business School campus. Please visit http://www.exed.hbs.edu/programs/wob/ for complete curriculum and to apply.

Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director
(November 28 – December 2, 2016, Harvard Business School)

Faculty:

William W. George, Senior Fellow.

Boris Groysberg, Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration and faculty cochair of Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director.

Myra M. Hart, MBA Class of 1961 Professor of Management Practice, Retired.

Paul M. Healy, James R. Williston Professor of Business Administration.

Rebecca M. Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor.

Linda A. Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration.

F. Warren McFarlan, Baker Foundation Professor; Albert H. Gordon Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus. 

Cynthia A. Montgomery, Timken Professor of Business Administration.

David A. Moss, Paul Whiton Cherington Professor of Business Administration.

Lynn S. Paine, John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration and faculty cochair of Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director.

About Harvard Business School:
Harvard Business School Executive Education, a division of Harvard Business School, is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, Massachusetts. In fiscal year 2015, HBS faculty developed and delivered 73 open-enrollment Executive Education programs and 50 custom programs for leading organizations worldwide. More than 10,000 business executives attended programs held on campus in Boston as well as classrooms in Mumbai, and Shanghai. With global research centers in eight key regions, HBS faculty continue to develop groundbreaking research, forge powerful alliances with global organizations, and fulfill the mission of educating leaders who shape the practice of business and innovation. Learn more at www.exed.hbs.edu.

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