Women on BoardsGetting On and Adding Value

Program Overview

Providing Women Executives with Direction, Tools, and Approaches for Attaining a Seat on Health Care and Related Industry Boards

Gender disparity on boards of directors is well recognized and documented, whether in the for-profit, non-profit, or government sectors. In the United States, fewer than 20% of corporate board directors are women. Nearly 80% of venture capital firms have never had a woman represent them on the board of one of their portfolio companies. Yet studies show that companies with women on their boards make decisions that better protect company value and performance.

Profoundly accomplished and qualified women have an interest in attaining positions on boards of directors and then assuming leadership roles on these boards, but may be unclear how to successfully secure these appointments. Women on Boards: Getting on and Adding Value will put you on a productive path towards attaining a governance position in health care by focusing on the strategies and competencies that will help you succeed at being a first-rate board member, preparing you for the challenges you will face, and providing direction, tools, and approaches for attaining a board seat.

This is a Must-attend Program for Women Seeking Board Positions

This program will feature faculty who are highly successful women board members and other experts in the field. You will join other high-performing, accomplished, and ambitious women who have already achieved much in their careers and who desire to take their talent, leadership, and executive skills to the next level by serving on boards in health care and related industries. As a participant, you will also have the opportunity to develop a personalized action plan to seek and obtain a board directorship.

This highly interactive course will use case studies and experiential sessions to prepare you for directorship and start you on the path to being a sought-after candidate. You will expand your ability to evaluate board opportunities based on your own preferences and cultural fit, learn to communicate effectively in the language of boards, and gain critical knowledge and skills you will need to be effective.

Women on Boards of Directors

Organizations with women in leadership positions perform better than those that don’t. They surpass others in social responsiveness, sustainability, and financial performance. Recent evidence also indicates that companies with female board members are more successful than those without women, a key concern for organizational competitiveness.¹ As a participant in this program, you will:

• Learn the essential legal, regulatory, and operating knowledge you will need to serve on boards of directors
• Develop a deep understanding of your roles and responsibilities as an effective board member
• Connect with, and learn from, women who have achieved success as board members
• Develop an individual action plan to seek and secure a position on a board

¹ Why Diversity Matters, Catalyst

Objectives & Highlights

• Grasp the essential differences among boards of for-profit companies (including private-equity and venture-backed firms), nonprofit organizations, and public-sector enterprises
• Appreciate the legal, operating, and regulatory differences among boards depending on the nature of the organization; e.g., pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, technology firms, venture-backed firms, insurers, and hospitals
• Learn the essential responsibilities and duties of effective board membership and leadership, based on the maturity and size of the company
• Connect to and learn from women who have achieved demonstrable success as board members
• Develop your own individual action plans to seek and obtain board seats

Credits and Logistics

Please note: a laptop or other portable personal computing device is strongly recommended for course enrollees.

Accommodations

Program Check-in

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
FXB Building
651 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
617.432.2100

The program takes place at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, located in the heart of the Harvard Longwood Campus in Boston. Public transportation is also readily available to the city’s many shopping districts, museums, and restaurants.

For directions, please click here.

Continuing Education Credit

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will grant Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this program. Specific credit counts will be published when available; please check back for updated information.

All credits subject to final agenda.

All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation upon completion of the program.

Faculty

Current faculty, subject to change.

Laurie S. Pascal, MBA, MPH

Program Director

Senior Lecturer on Health Management
Department of Health Policy and Management
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
President
Pascal Consulting

Ellen M. Zane, MA

Program Director

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management
Department of Health Policy and Management
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
CEO Emeritus and Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Tufts Medical Center

Who Should Apply

Participants in this course will be highly-accomplished women from diverse industries seeking positions on boards of directors in the health care industry. Ideal participants will have held executive-level positions and have a minimum of 10 years of broad-based management and leadership experience.

Women currently holding board positions who wish to expand their engagement with boards in health and related industries are also invited to attend.

This course is focused on boards of directors for organizations and industries in the health care sector, including

• Biotechnology companies
• Medical device manufacturers
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Health information technology firms
• Hospitals, health systems, and other health care delivery organizations
• Other health care-related organizations, including nonprofit organizations

Develop an Unmatched Network of Women Executives

Program participants will be highly-accomplished US and international women executives from diverse backgrounds, functions, organizations, and industries, united by their commitment to improving health care through board leadership. By bringing together women who are senior leaders interested in assuming board-level positions, this program offers a career-enriching experience in a small, personal setting where you will learn from your fellow executive participants as well as from practitioners and faculty. There will be ample opportunity to exchange valuable insights and best practices. You will leave the program having developed a network of leading women you can rely on for guidance as you return home and implement your plan to attain a board position in the health sector.