Shattering the glass ceiling successful women

A London Business School professor has attacked the "scandalous" absence of women in UK boardrooms in the run-up to a conference on the issue being held at the School on Saturday 5 March.

This year's Women In Business event is themed Closing Gaps: The next stage in women's leadership, taking place on 5 March at London Business School. The conference is designed to address and inspire the next generation of high potential women and to help them succeed as managers, leaders and organizational visionaries.

Although much has been done to advance women's rights, women still do not share equality with men, and this is most apparent the further up the ladder one goes.

The conference will hear of success stories of how women managed to push into the next phase of their career.

With keynotes from Dame Mary Marsh, MBA26 1989 and Non-Executive Director, HSBC and Sally Tennant, CEO, Kleinwort Benson, the conference will look at ‘what is female leadership’ and ‘creativity and innovation in today’s changing business world’. Other speakers include:
Maria Teresa Tejada, Managing Director,  Goldman Sachs; Johanna Waterous,  Non-Executive Director, Wm. Morrison; Karen Hastings (MBA 2003),  Founder and MD, Cupcake Mum; and Chantelle Ludski (MBA 2000),  Founder and CEO, fresh! naturally organic.

A government inquiry on gender inequality in the boardroom has suggested only that FTSE 100 companies should try to ensure at least a quarter of their board membership is female by 2015.

Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and one of the moderators at the conference, said: "The lack of women on the boards of UK's corporations is nothing less than scandalous. In the short term it's a shocking waste of talent, while in the long term it has a profoundly negative impact on the perceptions young women have of getting to the top”.

The 11th Annual Women in Business Conference on Closing Gaps: The Next Stage in Women’s Leadership will take place on Saturday, 5 March 2011 9:00am-6:00pm  at London Business School, Regent's Park. For more information, please visit https://clubs.london.edu/wib/conference/