Harvey Nash and The University of Hong Kong Business School announce the 2015 instalment of board preparedness programme, to increase gender balance on boards

Harvey Nash, the global executive search and leadership consulting firm and The University of Hong Kong Business School have announced the 2015 instalment of the Women's Directorship Programme (WDP) to be held in Hong Kong in May and September. The international board preparedness programme, exclusively for women, was created in answer to the worldwide business community's call to tackle the existing gender imbalance in boardrooms.

Harvey Nash and HKU Business School created the certificated Women's Directorship Programme in 2013, with the aim of enabling participants to become effective board members and serving to increase the supply of board-ready women executives across geographies and business sectors. 

Led by esteemed faculty members of HKU Business School, the Women's Directorship Programme offers a unique combination of lectures and academic leadership theories, plus practical insights and real life case studies delivered by international business leaders. The involvement of senior business leaders as guest speakers sets the programme apart, providing unprecedented levels of access to their boardroom insights and experiences.

Donald Brydon, Chairman of Sage Group and Royal Mail, Women's Directorship Programme guest speaker, said:
"In order to produce a pipeline of exceptional women for boards, we need to have more initiatives like the Women's Directorship Programme, bringing together academia and practitioners to share their experiences and explain how behaviour in the boardroom is different to behaviour in the rest of your corporate life."

The 2015 programme includes six modules - including strategic leadership, ethics and compliance, finance and market regulation - taught over two three-day sessions (May 28-30 and September 10-12, 2015). Participants have access to on-going support through the alumni programme and benefit from a global network of peers and senior business leaders.

Albert Ellis, CEO Harvey Nash Group, said: "Through the Women's Directorship Programme and our partnership with The University of Hong Kong we are committed to creating lasting change across the world, unlocking the talent pipeline and empowering female leaders to gain the confidence and skills needed to secure board positions."