WOB enews: May 2007

Welcome to the May 2007 edition of eNews. WOB continues to be supported in 2007 by UBS.

IMPORTANT: Please update your resume and check your contact details. Login to the website and go to 'My Resume' and 'Edit My Details' from the Welcome Page.

1. Topic for May - top ASX companies without a female director

WOB regularly engages with top end of town directors on the wisdom (and the research demonstrating the benefit) of having more women directors on their boards. We generally get good support to invitations to WOB events and occasionally action re. their board. It is an ongoing process.

When WOB did its initial research in 2004 it established a list of companies likely to appoint a female director. The criteria we used to assess companies was their profitability, workforce size (500+ employees) and not being in the resources sector. We then worked down the list talking with individual chairs and directors. It was slow but we made some useful contacts. The list was made available to WOBers on request.

Then came the 2006 EOWA Survey of female participation in Executive and Directorship ranks that found snail like progress. So WOB revamped its ‘likely to appoint a female director’ list to a report of the top ASX listed companies. Close to 50 per cent of these DO NOT have a female director. Given the research showing that companies perform better with female directors WOB has decided to publish the list. It can be accessed from the homepage or: www.womenonboards.org.au/pubs/

What to do next?

  • Suggestion 1 - If your company is on the list why not send the article to your Chairman.
  • Suggestion 2 - A question at an AGM could be “Mr. Chairman. Congratulations on your good result for the year. However, given that the research shows that companies with women on their boards do better financially than those without, will you give shareholders an undertaking to remedy your less than optimal financial performance?”

2. Focus on a WOB member

This month’s featured WOBer is Georgina Somerset from rural Queensland. Her story is at www.womenonboards.org.au/profiles/index.htm

3.On Board in May – Kristy Chambers

See On Board at www.womenonboards.org.au/onboard/index.htm for details of Kirsty Chambers, Deputy Company Secretary ASX.

4. Events

WOB Adelaide in early May was very successful with three strategy sessions and a network event at law firm, Finlaysons. A good crop of Adelaide directors were in attendance, with the highlight undoubtedly the remarks of Stephen Gerlach, Chairman of Santos, Futuris and Elders. His excellent speech on the challenges of being a company director (minus the jokes) is on the website at www.womenonboards.org.au/events/adelaide/070507_gerlach.htm

The WOB / Clayton Utz Melbourne lunch series continues to go from strength to strength - due in no small part to the efforts and support of Robyn Baker from CU. Patricia Cross, director of Qantas, Wesfarmers and NAB, spoke at the latest lunch in May, ably supported by Cathy Walter and Peter Bartels. Her comments on being 'an accidental director' can be read at: www.womenonboards.org.au/events/melbourne/070503_cu.htm

All those waiting patiently for the report from the Brisbane St George Bank lunch and a nice story about the Plumbers and Drainers board go to: www.womenonboards.org.au/events/brisbane/070307lunch.htm

5. Update your My Resume entry

My Resume is now a new enhanced version. The skills and experience areas have been combined with tick boxes provided. Please login to the website and review your resume.

If you need assistance with a NED CV then Kerry Chater is our preferred supplier. See www.womenonboards.org.au/links.htm for Kerry's details.

6. New postings since April eNews

  • CPA Australia, national and paid

Click here to access positions. You will need to enter your username and password and be a WOB subscriber.

7. Articles of Interest

Focus on the Resources/Mining sector

WOB did not pay much attention to the resources sector in earlier years – thought to be too hard. In recent times our interest has increased. This item is an attempt to bring a few resources to your attention. Go to: www.womenonboards.org.au/pubs/0704_highgrade.htm to read a recent article from HighGrade - a new concept in online publishing, with a weekly selection of the world's top exploration, mining, finance, technology, engineering and issue-focused stories chosen, compiled and written by the most experienced team in Australian resources reporting. This team is headed by Richard Roberts, former managing editor of Australia's Mining Monthly and MiningNews.net; Michael Quinn, former editor of MiningNews.net; Ross Louthean, former editor of Paydirt and Gold Gazette; and Emily Roberts, who won the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies 2003 national media prize.

As well as providing readers with the HighGrade cut of mining stories , the weekly online magazine will provide deeper coverage of new projects, operating mines, commodity trends, significant general issues and trends, cutting-edge technology and the engineering service sector.

HighGrade is subscription based and does not rely on advertising.

To access a free two-week trial of HighGrade, logon to www.highgrade.net/ and click on "register". Once your details are entered, you will receive a confirmation email.

Other resources include:

Why boards need women with IT

An interesting article by Sonja Bernhardt, Technology entrepreneur and Chair AWISE, January 2007, on why boards need women with IT skills can be accessed at: www.womenonboards.org.au/pubs/

Affiliate Events

19th Women, Management and Employment Relations Conference
2-3 August 2007
Four Seasons Hotel
199 George Street
Sydney NSW

Women on Boards is pleased to support this high profile conference organised by Macquarie University, which provides an annual audit of the key issues confronting women in the workplace.

Themes of the 19th conference cover a range of issues critical to women in contemporary workplaces such as: Employment Relations, Leadership, Superannuation, Finance and Workplace Flexibility. It will draw on the wealth of experience of the Speakers, Chairs and the participants. Evaluations consistently comment on the value of the interactive sessions and the wide networking opportunities.

For more information go to: www.womenonboards.org.au/events/wmer2007.htm