On Wednesday, July 26, Covington's San Francisco and Silicon Valley Women's Forum groups hosted a presentation in conjunction with DirectWomen on the topic of women on corporate boards. DirectWomen is a national non-profit that works to increase the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards. Covington is a 2017 platinum sponsor of DirectWomen.
Guest speaker Emily Ward, an alumna of DirectWomen, discussed a number of topics, including the current state of diversity on boards, and the beneficial impact of having women on corporate boards. She gave helpful tips on strategic ways in which to position yourself to get on a board as well as outlined paths for career development for future positioning for boards.
Ms. Ward noted that although companies lean favorably toward board members with CEO and CFO experience, women in the legal profession can be strong positive additions to corporate boards based on their particular subject matter and industry expertise, strategic skills, and risk management experience. At the end of her presentation, she circulated helpful resources and information to women who are "board ready."
Ms. Ward, who was formerly the Vice President & Chief Technology Counsel at PayPal and eBay, is a board director for several U.S. and international companies.
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