Senate Bill 826, passed easily by the state Legislature in August 2018, requires publicly traded companies headquartered in California to have a minimum of one woman on their boards of directors by January 2020 — and two or three by January 2022, depending on board size.
Of the 621 state-headquartered companies that are also traded on major stock exchanges, 29 percent have all-male boards, according to research from San Diego’s Board Governance Research. That pencils out to 1,060 seats that need to be filled by women by 2022. But getting into position to be invited onto a corporate board is a steep road for any executive. So how do qualified women rise to the top? It won’t be easy.
Hear from the experts on how to get “board ready”:
Kim Box is a former vice president of HP and current CEO of Gatekeeper Innovation. She is a past board chair on the American Red Cross Board, Gold Country Chapter and currently serves as a director on the board for American River Bank well as on the board for McGrath Rentcorp.
Barbara O’Connor is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of political communication and telecommunications policy and applications. She recently completed a six year term on the national board of directors of AARP in Washington DC and continues to serve on the boards of Capitol Public Radio and The California Conservation Corps.
Cassandra Walker-Pye is the founder and CEO of 3.14 and has spent 30 years in communications, government, politics and advocacy for corporate interests in global, national, state and local arenas. She is the president, California Women Lead and a former gubernatorial appointee for the State of California.
Erica Dias is senior vice president and director of marketing and community engagement for American River Bank. She is also the Sacramento chair for the 2020 Women on Boards national campaign.
Diane Miller is a corporate governance expert and President & CEO of Wilcox, Miller & Nelson. She has served as a director on the boards of the California Chamber of Commerce, University of Pacific, AARP Foundation, as well as Umpqua Bank and Humbolt Bancorp.
Got questions on how to serve on a corporate board? Ask them here.
Produced by Flores Podcast Consulting
Recommended For You
Will SB 826 Survive?
Last August’s law, SB 826, was in part the product of frustration. In 2013, one of its sponsors, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, authored a resolution that urged all publicly held California corporations to ensure one-fifth of their board directors were women by the end of 2016. While adopted by both legislative chambers, the resolution carried no consequences. When the deadline rolled around, fewer than 20 percent of companies had actually hit the target, according to a Senate analysis.
For Women Seeking Corporate Board Positions, It’s Still an Uphill Climb
A new California law is forcing publicly-traded for-profit businesses to get women on their boards. Yet getting tapped for a directorship is no easy feat.
Ask An Expert: Gender Diversity on Boards
Senate Bill 826, passed easily by the state Legislature in August 2018, requires publicly traded companies headquartered in California to have a minimum of one woman on their boards of directors by January 2020 — and two or three by January 2022, depending on board size.
2020 Women on Boards/Sacramento Campaign Committee
2018 National Conversation on Board Diversity – Sacramento
The 2020 Women on Boards/Sacramento Campaign Committee held the 2018 National Conversation on Board Diversity – Sacramento on Nov. 15 at the Sutter Club downtown. The keynote luncheon panel was introduced by Comstock’s Editor in Chief Allison Joy and Clayton Blakley, VP/business development. 2020 Women on Boards is a national campaign to increase the percentage of women on U.S. company boards to 20 percent or greater by the year 2020.