Bonnie Gwin on gender diversity
From Leading from the Chair: The Benefits Women Can Bring to Organizations as Board Chairs · · Heidrick & Struggles
“Getting more women to serve as chairs of corporate boards is critical, because companies do better when women are in these roles.”
On , Bonnie Gwin, Vice Chairman and Co-Managing Partner of the Global Chief Executive Officer & Board Practice at HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES INTL, spoke about gender diversity during Leading from the Chair: The Benefits Women Can Bring to Organizations as Board Chairs on Heidrick & Struggles.
About Bonnie Gwin
Bonnie Gwin, Vice Chairman and Co-Managing Partner of the Global Chief Executive Officer & Board Practice at Heidrick & Struggles, has spoken about the importance of increasing women's representation on corporate boards. In 2021, she stated that getting more women to serve as board chairs is critical because companies perform better when women hold these roles, and that having a woman as board chair tends to lead to more women on the board overall. She also said that issues such as diversity, equity, and community service are better addressed when women are in these positions. In a 2017 interview, Gwin noted that while diversity in the boardroom is beneficial for business decision-making, progress has been slow. She observed that about 29 percent of new Fortune 500 board directors in recent years were women, but because some were replacing other women, gender parity in the U.S. was not projected until around 2040. Gwin expressed opposition to quotas, advocating instead for serious and purposeful intent and best practices to achieve diverse candidate slates. She advised aspiring board members to assess their readiness and business acumen, and highlighted that boards are increasingly seeking skills in investment experience, Asia and emerging markets, consumer experience, and digital expertise.