WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) today announced that it will open the 2015 Global Board Leaders' Summit with a Diversity Symposium in order to spotlight both the value and the necessity of having varied perspectives and backgrounds in the boardroom as businesses become more global.
This half-day seminar—taking place on Sept. 26 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.—will bring together the more than 1,000 corporate directors attending NACD's annual conference to discuss the following thought-provoking topics:
- Unconscious Bias—Less than 15 percent of American men are over 6 feet tall, yet almost 60 percent of CEOs are taller than 6 feet.1 Unconscious biases like the one implied by this pair of statistics can significantly influence how we think and make decisions. Leaving such biases at the boardroom door can open it to new talent and innovative ideas.
- Case Study: The Rooney Rule—The 2003 Rooney Rule requires National Football League (NFL) teams to interview minority candidates for head-coaching and other top-level positions. Over the past 12 years its implementation has dramatically increased diversity on NFL coaching and front-office staffs. How might this rule inspire new practices in the boardroom?
- Meet the 21st-Century Board—In order to compete globally, organizations will need to recruit a new breed of director. Who are the directors that will form this boardroom vanguard? What skills do they possess? And where can they be found?
- The Diverse Board: Moving From Interest to Action—With findings from the Report of the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on The Diverse Board as their starting point, seasoned directors and experts will discuss specific, actionable steps you can take to optimize the composition of your board.
"In all my years as a director, I have found that boards with the most gumption, versatility, and innovative force share one common attribute: diversity," observes Dr. Reatha Clark King, NACD chair and former director of Exxon Mobil Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., and Lenox Group Inc., among others. "When we embrace diversity—of gender, race, culture, or perspective—we stretch our minds and transcend the limits of our own experience. These actions empower us to think, and to lead, 'beyond borders.'"
To learn more about how you can participate in this groundbreaking event, visit www.NACDonline.org/Summit.
About NACD
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the advocate for the profession of directorship and is focused on advancing exemplary board leadership. Informed by more than 35 years of experience, NACD delivers insights and resources that more than 16,000 corporate director members rely on to make sound strategic decisions and confidently confront complex business challenges. NACD provides world-class director education programs, national peer-exchange forums, and proprietary research to promote director professionalism, ultimately enhancing the economic sustainability of the corporate enterprise and bolstering stakeholder confidence. Fostering collaboration among directors, investors, and governance stakeholders, NACD is shaping the future of board leadership. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org. To become an NACD member, contact Kelly Dodd at kkdodd@NACDonline.org or 202-380-1891.
1 Howard Ross, "Proven Strategies for Addressing Unconscious Bias in the Workplace," CDO Insights 2, no. 5 (2008): 1–18, esp. p. 1.