Board Women?

Tracy Williams,  President and CEO
Olmstead Williams Communications, a public relations boutique

Ready to serve on a corporate board – mid market would be a great place to start

My ears perked up at Tuesday night’s “Women on Corporate Boards” event at the Omni in Downtown Los Angeles when one of the panelists said boards “even need PR people.”  We were also told we need to broadcast our interest on serving on corporate boards.  Another tip for women interested in serving on boards was that a good director is someone who asks the “Why” questions, according to Edith Perez, who serves on Con-Way Inc.’s board.  That is the cornerstone of a PR practitioner’s job – or it should be.  With two important attributes down, I should be a shoe-in, right?  We learned that it’s important to have served on non-profit and possibly government commissions, check.

The panelists – Gabrielle Greene, Whole Foods board member; Janet Kerr, La-Z-Boy board member; Edith Perez, Con-Way Inc. board member; and Wendy Webb, Jack in the Box board member – gave reason to hope in the way that accomplished, extremely well-educated and gracious people always do, with an “if we can get a board seat, so can you.”  However, the reality is that women represent only 16 percent of membership on corporate boards.  Edith Perez said she hoped that the number would reach 30 percent in her lifetime.  But Edith is much too young to make that a happy number: the European Union has already required the quota for women on boards to reach 30 percent by 2015.  Looking around the room, I saw a sea of untapped talent that corporate America would be wise to consider.  Board recruiters, take note: you can access an impressive list of female candidates here.  Go ahead, give them a call.  Studies show that adding women to your corporate board will also add to your bottom line.

Olmstead Williams Communications
10940 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1210
Los Angeles, CA  90024
310.824.9000
http://olmsteadwilliams.com

Extraordinary Exceptionalism

Have you ever been to a Broads Circle event?  If not, what’s holding you back?  Please take a few moments to answer 3 quick questions and give us your feedback.  Click here to take the survey  

At Broads Circle what we care about is Helping Women Make Money!!!  In an era of financial crises, it has not been easy even for the ‘best of the best’ to grow capital and drive revenue.  But we feel a change in play for women who have the motivation and ambition to drive revenue and grow capital, a time that offers extraordinary opportunity to achieve exceptional results in all metrics for women:

• Revenue: bottom line money, money in the pocket
• Capital Transactions: women enjoying liquidity events
• Power Women Capitalists: women sitting in power seats in the C-Suite and in the corporate Boardroom

The Broads on Boards 2042 Manifesto:  Calling all women captains of industry and other brilliant women!  Let’s take on the challenge that we will work our way into those corporate board seats, until we get to parity by 2042!  No excuses!

March 20:  3rd Annual Women on Corporate Boards
Sponsored by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Broads on Boards is hosting this event downtown LA.  If you want to power network with the women who sit at the table in corporate boardrooms, come to this event at the Omni Hotel and learn from corporate Board Directors of Lazy Boy, Jack in the Box, Conway and Whole Foods.  Ask them if they think that women can conquer 50% of all American corporate board seats by 2042.  Register by March 18 to avoid late registration fee!

Register here

June 5:  Driving Revenue at the Legal Speed Limit! - Sponsored by Latham & Watkins

Women General Counsels discuss sitting in the C-Suite and how to make sure you are driving revenue and growing capital within the law.  Our panel will discuss how to push the pedal to the metal on revenue and capital growth and still play fully within the law, in an increasingly regulated and legally complex global business environment.  We are currently working on putting this panel together–stay tuned for more details.  

Broads on Boards Workshop

By Fay Feeney
CEO, Risk for Good
Broads Circle Advisory Board Member

Join us on April 17th for lunch and the opportunity to put your plan together for reaching for that board seat or big client or the corner office.  It all begins with the vision of what you want to see happen.    We’ll be focused on how you can align your unique network to open the boardroom doors for you.  If opening the boardroom door is something you’ve thought about, we’ll work with you to put together a plan.  If getting a new client or job is more to your liking, our lunch will be the perfect place to begin your planning.

We’ll be able to use our time together to learn from Joy Chudacoff about having a plan and from Rochelle Moulton about crafting your marketing message.  With a plan and a clear message, Money and Power become attainable goals.  Mark your calendar to join us for this unique opportunity to create your future.

Register for the event

Fay Feeney
CEO, Risk for Good
Fay@Risk4Good.com

Fay is an engaged member of the governance communities of Web 2.0 (Linked In, Twitter & Facebook) and a regular attendee at governance education.  She holds the Director Professional Governance Fellow 2011 certificate from NACD.

Independent Contractor or Employee?

What are the new laws and penalties?

By Olivia Goodkin
Partner, Employment & Complex Business Litigation
Greenberg Glusker
Broads Circle Premium Member

It is business as usual in California, with stricter employment laws now in effect to vex companies of all sizes.  My challenge as an employment attorney is to advise my clients on compliance with the law, but in a way that contemplates the practical aspects of running a business.  This year I will be focusing on the new penalties for violation of the laws regarding classification of workers as independent contractors instead of employees (one lawsuit under the new law already has been threatened against a client of mine), drafting commissions agreements for salespersons, which will be required for all California salespersons as of January 1, 2013, and revising arbitration agreements to comply with ever-changing judicial opinion.  Click here for more information about arbitration agreements.

Warning: Pinterest May be Habit Forming

Kelly Rice, Partner, QuantumMethod
Broads Circle Premium Member

In case you haven’t heard, Pinterest, is a two-year-old social bookmarking site, that allows users to collect and share things about topics that interest them.  I should say, obsess about. At the moment, for me this is about foods I will never prepare or ideas for weddings that may never happen, or I could never afford.  Pinterest allows users to create online bulletin or “Pinboards,” about any topics they choose including food, home decor, technology, music, style, sports, etc. Members use Pinterest’s “Pin It” tool and iPhone app to save things they see online and offline, and explore and repin the images that their friends and followers collect. The website is especially popular among women, who account for 58% of Pinterest’s traffic. In an economic downturn, Pinterest offers “Pinners” a safe and inexpensive place to dream, be creative, and be inspired.

Continue reading