The Rise of the Female Executive (How Women's Leadership is Accelerating Cultural Change)

The aim to bring gender equality to the boardroom is part of a broader societal project to ensure that more of our available talent, ability, and experience from every part of society moves to where it can create the most economic and social value. Lack of sufficient diversity of thought has been identified as a contributor to malpractices which ultimately led to the financial collapse in 2009. Redressing this imbalance continues to be an important goal for business and society alike.

This book provides a timely review of progress in the gender-balancing of boards and places it in its broader societal context. It includes international comparisons and examines the UK and EU political environments. Ensuring a robust "pipeline" of our most talented women is critical to sustaining progress and the book offers insights into interventions that address this challenge. Featuring interviews with mentors and mentees, it illustrates how mentoring can play a part in helping women stay engaged with their ambition and with their career progression opportunities during times of transition when women traditionally fall away from the work place, and, later on, in increasing the number of women executives in positions of power in our corporations.