No. CCXXIV; December 7, 2018
THIS ISSUE’S HIGHLIGHTS:

I. FROM CNN MONEY SWITZERLAND INTERVIEW WITH SUMMIT PRESIDENT IRENE NATIVIDAD

II. WHAT MEN AND WOMEN EXPECT FROM CEOS

III. CWDI OPENS BIVA STOCK EXCHANGE IN MEXICO

IV. WOMEN BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS MISSING REAL-WORLD ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCES 

1. FROM CNN MONEY SWITZERLAND INTERVIEW WITH SUMMIT PRESIDENT IRENE NATIVIDAD

While quotas for women on boards have now been adopted in 26 countries, controversy continues to swirl around this initiative.  Switzerland is poised to consider a legislative mandate for increasing the number of women in listed companies, which sets targets of 30% for women directors to be reached in 5 years and 20% for women in senior management within 10 years.  If these targets aren’t reached, companies must provide an explanation for how they plan to meet these goals.

CNN Money interviewed Irene Natividad, President of the Global Summit of Women, who explained her passionate advocacy of this initiative.  (Click here or on image to view her comments.)

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2. WHAT MEN AND WOMEN EXPECT FROM CEOs

While men and women in the U.S. generally agree on many of the personal qualities and competencies they see as essential in political and business leaders, there are notable differences in the importance they ascribe to some of those qualities, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

With regard to business leaders, 91% of women surveyed said it is essential that those in top executive positions provide fair pay and good benefits.  Only 77% of men shared that view.  A similar 14 percentage point spread also separated men and women on whether it is essential for business leaders to consider the impact of their business decisions on society —  the majority of women (72%) agreed compared to only 58% of men.

The survey also revealed gender gaps on whether it’s essential that business leaders stand up for what they believe in, negotiate profitable deals, value people from different backgrounds and be compassionate and empathetic.  Women are more likely than men to see all but one of these four qualities as essential for business leaders to have.  The exception is negotiating profitable deals where men are 10 points more likely than women to see this skill as essential. (“Men, Women Differ Over Some Qualities They See as Essential for Political and Business Leadership,” Pew Research Center, 9/20/2018)

The Global Summit of Women’s Colloquium on Global Diversity: Creating a Level Playing Field for Women (Feb. 21-22, 2019, New York) will address the topic of “Defining CEO Leadership”  featuring the Pew Research Center’s Director of Social Trends and two CEOs who will provide their insight and personal reactions to the public’s perceptions of how CEOs should lead.

To view topics covered at the 2019 Colloquium on Global Diversity and to register, visit www.globewomen.org/globaldiversity.

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3.  CWDI OPENS BIVA STOCK EXCHANGE IN MEXICO 

Women executives and entrepreneurs led by Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) President Irene Natividad opened Mexico’s Bolsa Institucional de Valores (BIVA) in a joyous celebration last month to salute the new exchange’s CEO Maria Ariza, the first woman in Mexico to serve as CEO of an exchange, and to recognize the achievements and contributions of women to the Mexican economy.  Joining the 40 Mexican women leaders at the event were members of the International Planning Committee for the Global Summit of Women, the sister organization to CWDI, who came from the U.S., Poland, Germany and Spain to take part in the event.

“This Market Open is part of our two-decades’ drive to have women be seen as part of business traditions such as the ringing of the opening bell at stock exchanges,” states CWDI Chair Natividad. “Mexican women, whether they are CEOs, board directors, executives, or entrepreneurs of businesses large or small, have had vital roles in growing the Mexican economy, and their presence at this Market Open makes that contribution visible.”

At a press conference following the Market Open, Natividad, Ariza, and former Undersecretary of Labor Patricia Espinosa Torres discussed the importance of a push from both the business community and government to enact a legislative quota or other initiative to accelerate gender diversity on corporate boards.  Only 5.5% of board seats in Mexico’s largest companies are held by women.

The event marked the 22^nd Market Open organized by CWDI, which began in 2006 at New York’s NASDAQ.   To see more from CWDI’s Market Opens, go to http://globewomen.org/CWDInet/

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4. WOMEN BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS MISSING REAL-WORLD ENTREPRENEUR EXPERIENCES

Girls With Impact — a U.S.-based non-profit providing entrepreneurship training for girls — conducted a survey showing that women are not participating in business plan competitions and classes featuring “real-world” business experiences as often as male students. The result is that women business students are missing out on opportunities and essential exercises to enhance necessary skills and networking experiences to advance their business careers.

Although the business school population is about 50-50 men and women, women represented just 22 percent of students participating in such competitions at three leading U.S. universities. These competitions give collegiate entrepreneurs a real-world experience to fine tune a business plan, practice pitches, and gain advice for generating funding to successfully commercialize a product.  Prizes can range from mentorship opportunities to substantial amounts of money. Though women compete in much smaller numbers than men, when they do compete, they succeed. Of the teams ranking first, second and third place in competitions, 51 percent had a woman founder and 32 percent had a woman CEO.

While the study did not provide conclusions about the reasons behind the gender gap in class choices, one theory is that female students feel a greater lack of confidence about participating in competitive business simulations, which they perceive as being male-dominated with a greater likelihood of failure. (Source: “Most Gen Z girls and women lack a key success lesson in their education,” CNBC, Nov 26, 2018)

At the annual Global Summit of Women, young women entrepreneurs are featured in various parts of the program, including in a Youth Forum.  These young entrepreneurs serve as models for other young women studying or starting out in the business world.  To see some of these young successful women, click here: http://globewomen.com/?page_id=851

To see more from the Summit, please visit www.globewomen.org/globalsummit.

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SAVE THE DATE!

2019 GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN
BASEL, SWITZERLAND
JULY 4-6, 2O19

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