The Boardroom initiative, for the empowerment, networking and support of women with the aim of taking up positions on boards of directors, was announced by RSM Greece.
RSM Greece is a member of RSM, the 6th largest network of Certified Public Accountants and Business Consultants in the world, and as it states in today’s announcement it actively participates in the programs implemented by “The Boardroom” in Greece.
RSM also recalls that the workforce of RSM Greece consists of 54% women and 46% men, while the network actively supports the representation of women in senior management positions.
“It is characteristic that the CEO of the Global Network is a woman while in the last two years RSM has created a role for Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader with a woman in the leadership. It is worth noting that every year RSM implements the “RSM Women in Leadership Summit” with the aim of actively promoting women leaders of the RSM network as they share their experiences and knowledge with their colleagues around the world about multiple professional issues” as underlined in the communication.
“The promotion of diversity and inclusion is a strategic pillar of RSM. The support of The Boardroom initiative in Greece is one of the many actions of our company in this field and a natural continuation of RSM’s strategic moves to promote meritocracy and gender equality. In our country, important steps are already being taken to empower women in the professional field, so we believe that through our synergy with The Boardroom we will further strengthen in our own way the creation of equal opportunities for all.”, noted Elena Stylianou, Managing Partner of RSM Greece.
At the same time, Mrs. Stylianou, referring to the relevant survey of RSM Greece, “The RSM Board Diversity Survey – The landscape following the implementation of Law 4706/2020″, stressed that “although law 4706/2020 contributed greatly to the improvement of the diversity of the Boards of Directors of Greek listed companies, there is significant room for growth.The survey showed that only 15 positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and 9 positions of CEO are filled by women, which means that only 1% of companies have a female Chairman of the Board of Directors in Greece, compared to 9% which is the European average.
“In view of the imposition of quotas, it is important to avoid the symbolic appointment of women, and for this reason it is necessary to prepare and support capable and qualified women in order to occupy positions on boards of directors, with the aim of improving corporate governance.The synergy of The Boardroom with RSM Greece is a natural evolution, as both organizations share the same values in terms of equal access to equal opportunities and recognize the importance of diversity in the Boards which contributes substantially to the improvement of right decision-making.”, stressed Diana Markaki, founder of The Boardroom initiative.
It is reminded that The Boardroom is a private initiative that concerns renowned women professionals and high-ranking executives in senior management positions.
Its goal is to prepare and support capable women with high training, in order to occupy positions on Boards of Directors and contribute with their experience to the strategic development of companies.It was founded in Switzerland by the Greek Diana Markaki in the context of her EMBA studies at Harvard Business School and has developed a holistic approach to the preparation of aspiring Board members, with a view to enhancing Corporate Governance and diversity and inclusion at the level of boards of directors, which is based on 4 pillars.
•Training for aspiring Board Members of the Board of Directors
• Leadership development and peer learning
• Strategic networking with the participation of high-ranking executives in positions of influence
• Promotion of positive role models from all over the world