The future of the boardroom is female

Chat date: Wednesday 22nd August 2007
Chat time: 0900

Web chat link here: www.webchats.tv/webchat.php?ID=419

There is no question that women’s position in business has come on leaps and bounds in the last 40 years. But despite the success of such trailblazers as Anita Roddick and Diane Thompson, female executives are still largely under represented in the nation’s boardrooms. Influential figures like Dame Marjorie Scardino, CEO of Pearson are still the exception rather than the rule in FTSE-100 companies.

Girls continue to outperform boys in almost every subject at GCSE and A-level, which makes the under representation even more surprising. Are companies putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage by not fast tracking their talented female employees?

In a world of glass ceilings, gender pay gaps and old-boy networks it is perhaps unsurprising that over half of those questioned in a recent survey said they did not believe that women have the same opportunities as men in the world of work. A third also believed that a woman’s successful business career would have a negative impact on her family life. Yet more positively, over half believed that in the future, men and women would finally be treated equally.

But why is it taking so long and how are modern women changing old-fashioned attitudes? Successful businesswomen, Kate Robertson and Esther Lee from Euro RSCG join us live to talk about their own experiences and how they have made it in the business world.

Kate Robertson and Esther Lee join us live online at
on Wednesday 22nd August at 0900

Kate Robertson was made UK Group Chairman of Euro RSCG Worldwide in February 2006. The companies in her remit include Euro RSCG London, Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster, Euro RSCG KLP, Euro RSCG Skybridge, Euro RSCG Fuel, CGI Brand Sense, The Maitland Consultancy, The Conran Design Group and EHS Brann.

Esther Lee joined Euro RSCG this year and is their Chief Executive Officer for North America and President of Global Brands. She oversees the 23 Euro RSCG agencies and 3,000 staff in North America and leads the companies 42 global clients.