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THE BOARDSPAN LIBRARY
The Boardspan staff reviews and selects the most informative articles from business news sources, including:





We categorize articles to make them easier for you to find.
- Exec. evaluation & comp
- Critical information about evaluating and compensating the executive team.
Say Yes to Quotas!

A Q&A with Abby Adlerman, CEO of Boardspan. Notably, 15 of Boardspan’s 20 most recent board placements are women.
Q: What do you think of California’s SB826, the bill that would require the boards of directors of public companies domiciled in California to include at least one woman director by the end of 2019 and to include two or more by 2021?
A: I think it’s needed. While some efforts have been made to diversify boards, this bill will help develop a new muscle. There are two factors at play here: first is having more people understand how valuable a broad perspective and range of experience is to boards; second is realizing that it’s not that hard to find talent that adds real value. As people in the boardroom develop a new cadence, we won’t need regulators to insist on doing what’s best.
Q: Are quotas the right approach?
A: While some boards are appointing women directors, the numbers continue to paint a dismal picture. Clearly this is not getting done on its own. Regulators have a role in the private sector when the greater good is not always being served. In this case, it seems they have the ultimate constituents of boards—shareholders, employees and customers – in mind. Company cultures as well as financial results are affected by board decisions and evidence shows boards that include women yield better results than boards that don’t.
Q: Is there a downside to this proposed law?
A: The obvious downside is that people perceive this as tokenism. But that concern is a veiled insult because it implies that there aren’t enough high-quality women directors, something that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is not a supply-side problem, it is a demand-side problem. Organizations that seek qualified women to sit on boards are not having trouble finding them. Of course, finding a high-quality board member means you keep the bar high, regardless of gender. And when you do, the ROI is phenomenal.
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Abby Adlerman is CEO of Boardspan, the leading provider of digital solutions for board recruiting, assessments, and market information.
MORE ARTICLES
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Patrick R. Dailey, Ph.D. and Joel M. KoblentzMore Female Board Directors Add Up to Improved Sustainability Performance
U.C. Berkeley, Haas School StaffBoard Governance Depends On Where You Sit
William GeorgeBattle For the Boardroom
Ludo Van der Heyden and Chris HowellsNight of the Living Board
Matt PalmquistThe "Third Team" Approach to Board Effectiveness
Denis Mowbray and Coral Ingley (both from Auckland University of Technology)Tapping The Strategic Potential of Boards
Chinta Bhagat, Martin Hirt, and Conor KehoeLean Strategy Not Just For Start-Ups
Carmen NobelInvolving the Board in Strategic Planning
Jean-Daniel BrissonBest Practices: Non Profit Governance
McDermott Will & EmeryValue-Focused Corporate Governance
Christian Orglmeister, Marcos Aguiar, and Daniel AzevedoTen Key Dimensions of Effective CEO Succession
Thomas J. SaporitoThe Trouble With Too Much Board Oversight
Olubunmi Faleye, Rani Hoitash and Udi HoitashPurpose, Vision, Mission, Values
Graham KennyRunning More Effective Board Meetings
Mark SusterA More Effective Board of Directors
Ana DutraCulture & Business Performance: What’s the relationship?
Method Frameworks StaffCorporate Culture, Not Lip Service, Counts
Luigi Guiso, Paola Sapienza and Luigi ZingalesBuilding a Forward-looking Board
Christian Casal and Christian CasparWhen Best Practice Isn't Enough
Simon C. Y. WongCollaborate Better
Leigh ThompsonThree Critical Talent Conversations For Every Board of Directors
Jean Martin and Michael GriffinOutgoing CEOs Shouldn't Pick Their Replacements
David F. Larcker, Stephen A. Miles, and Brian TayanFive Things Every CEO Must Do in the Next Era of Globalization
Hans-Paul Bürkner, Arindam Bhattacharya, and Jorge BecerraWhy Directors Should Thank Dodd & Frank
Eleanor BloxhamD&O Liability Insurance: An Overview
Priya Cherian HuskinsBest Practices in Compliance
Stefanie MoscaWhy Every Company Needs a Board of Directors
Brian HamiltonWhy Leadership Isn't Just For Leaders
Sally Helgesen10 Principles of Leading Change Management
DeAnne Aguire and Micah AlpernThe Double-Edged Sword of CEO Activism
David F. Larcker, Stephen A. Miles, Brian Tayan, and Kim Wright-ViolichDecoding Leadership: What Really Matters
Claudio Feser, Fernanda Mayol, and Ramesh SrinivasanThe Buck Stops and Starts at the Top
Cathy L. Reese, John Michael Farrell & Jose SierraBeware Financial Mishaps at Nonprofits
Kate Barr4 Ideas for Improving Effectiveness & Reducing Risk
Stuart M. AltmanHow to Talk to Your Board About Risk
Mary DriscollThe Economic Case for Soaring CEO Pay
Anup SrivastavaSurviving the Sophomore Slump: Moves That Matter The Most
Roselinde Torres, Judy Johnson, James M. Citrin, and Susan S. HartLeapfrog Succession: Trend in Appointing CEOs
Roselinde Torres, Gerry Hansell, Kaye Foster, and David BaronCan Cutting CEO Pay Help a Faltering Company Rebound?
Emily AyshfordWhy Clawback Provisions Are a Must: Present and Future Risks in Financial Services
Brian Jebb and Sarah HenchozWhy Senior Leaders Are On The Front Line Against Cyberattacks
Tucker Bailey, James Kaplan, and Chris RezekCorporate Data Privacy: Time To Grow Up
Dan CurrellAre You In the Dark about Shadow IT?
Ryan Shadle and Brian TurleyCorporate Governance in the Age of Cyber Risks
In collaboration with RANE (Risk Assistance Network and Exchange)Planning Ahead – The Board’s Role in Crisis Management
M. Hill Jeffries, Kyle G. Healy, Marshall M. ChalmersHiring For Cultural Fit At The Top
Eric J. McNultyAgitators and Reformers: How to Respond to Activist Investors
Josh Hinkel, Henrik Poppe, Martin Toner and Chuck WhittenAudit: Radical Change on the Horizon?
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