Cranfield Female FTSE Board Report 2016

MAURY PEIPERL’S FOREWORD Diversity has long been a Cranfield priority, thanks to Professor Susan Vinnicombe and her colleagues’ influential ‘women in leadership’ research. This important work has not only shone a light on gender imbalance at senior levels, but has, crucially, set the agenda for real change in boardrooms across the UK and, indeed, further afield. Since 1999, a lot of progress has been made, but there is still work to be done to inspire organizations to change in order to gain access to the widest possible pool of talent, not only to eradicate all-male boards in FTSE 350 companies, but also to ensure that the proven benefits of diversity reach well into the middle and senior management ranks. Our university community continues to thrive and benefit from high calibre female students, staff and alumni, so we know from experience that workplace diversity makes good business sense. But the most talented women need a real opportunity to lead and this requires a system-wide approach, both top-down and inside-out. The best organizations lead change, rather than merely signing on to a token initiative to tick a box. Importantly, the report advises against an individual focus on women and suggests a more holistic approach to focus on how gendered structures, processes and behaviours often prevent women from bringing their full potential to their work. We trust Cranfield’s talented female graduates will both benefit from these positive changes in their working lives and be inspired to challenge the remaining obstacles these vital reports have sought to do. Real change takes time, but with a focus on committed leadership and corporate transparency as key drivers, the future for gender balance in business is looking brighter.

Professor Maury Peiperl Director, Cranfield School of Management