NewsonWomen

Janet Clark and Laura Conigliaro Join the Dell Board of Directors.

Dell, headquartered in Texas, appointed Janet Clark (pictured) and Laura Conigliaro to its Board of Directors. Janet is the Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, and a member of the executive committee of Marathon Oil Corporation. Laura Conigliaro recently retired as Partner at Goldman Sachs where she had been the co-head of the firm’s Americas equity research unit. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Linda K. Zecher Made President, Chief Executive Officer and Director at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the global education and learning company, appointed Linda K. Zecher as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director. Linda had been Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, heading the company’s $8 billion Worldwide Public Sector business. Read more in the Buisness Wire press release.

New Study shows that Men Still think there aren't enough Women to put on their Board of Directors

Heidrick & Struggles, Women Corporate Directors and Dr. Boris Groysberg have released a new study that quantifies how women and men see things differently when it comes to being on a Board of Directors. About 30% of the women interviewed see "closed off traditional networks" keeping women from being considered for director positions, while men believe "there are fewer women currently in executive leadership roles, creating a smaller talent pipeline" of potential board members. Read more about the Heidrick study in their company press release.

This same old argument of not enough women ceo's has recently been debunked by a Stanford University study that showed ceo's and ex-ceo's are not necessarily better board members.

Nancy Harvey Joins TigerLogic Board of Directors

TigerLogic Corporation (Nasdaq: TIGR) appointed Nancy M. Harvey to its Board of Directors. Nancy is an Executive-in-Residence at UChicagoTech, the Office of Technology and Intellectual Property of the University of Chicago, and is a business consultant, and before that served as Executive Director at Wolfram Research Inc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Monthly Statistics Show More Women Being Put on Board of Directors of Corporations

26 Women were appointed to a corporate Board of Directors in August, 2011, significantly higher than the 14 appointed in August 2010. This increase continues the trend of 2011 surpassing 2010 in the number of women appointed to boards. Major companies appointing women in August 2011 included Cracker Barrel Old Country Store which named Sandra B. Cochran (pictured) its Chief Executive Officer and a member of their Board of Directors. Other companies appointing women this month included Dana Holdings, Xerox, Regions Financial, People's Bancorp, Southwest Airlines, UPS, Tupperware Brands, Jack-in-the-Box, and Mesa Energy.

Is this increase a result of the perceived threat of quotas being imposed like the ones used in Europe? In Great Britain the threat of quotas appears to be working as the Observer  reports that "Britain's biggest companies have doubled the number of women they are recruiting to their boards in the past six months". While noone is talking quotas in the U.S., maybe companies are getting the message that women are good for their boards as well as for their businesses. A new study done by Stanford University’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance with Heidrick & Struggles debunks the myth that you have to be a CEO to be a good board member, a traditional argument that kept women out of the boardroom as there weren't enough corporate women ceo's or ex-ceos to go around. Also keeping women out of the boardroom has been the lack of turnover in board seats. The Stanford study shows that people think there should be more turnover, which would create more opportunities for women to get on boards.

Virginia Kamsky Named to Dana Board of Directors. Other Women appointed to Boards

Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN), headquartered in Ohio, appointed Virginia A. Kamsky (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Virginia, who holds a BA in East Asian Studies from Princeton University, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kamsky Associates, Inc., and also served as an executive vice president of Foamex International, Inc. and in various leadership roles at then-Chase Manhattan Bank. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., headquartered in California, appointed Helen Kim to the Company’s Board of Directors. Helen, who holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern and an MBA from the University of Chicago, is the former President and CEO of Kosan Biosciences Inc. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Viad Corp (NYSE:VVI) appointed Margaret Pederson to its Board of Directors. Margaret, who holds an MBA from Harvard, is President of Amirexx LLC., and also a Managing Director of Golden Seeds Fund LP, an investment group dedicated to investing in early and growth stage companies founded and/or led by women in media, technology, health sciences and consumer goods. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) appointed Sara Martinez Tucker to its Board of Directors. Sara is a former Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. Read more in the company press release.

Ruth Ann Marshall Joins Regions Financial Board of Directors

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF), headquartered in Alabama, appointed Ruth Ann Marshall to its Board of Directors. Ruth Ann is the former President, The Americas, for MasterCard International, Inc. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Dawn Hudson Named to Interpublic Group Board of Directors

Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), the organization of advertising agencies and marketing services companies headquartered in New York, appointed Dawn Hudson to its Board of Directors. Dawn, who is currently Vice Chairman of The Parthenon Group, is the former President and CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Susan D. Rector Named to People's Bancorp Board of Directors

Peoples Bancorp Inc. ("Peoples") (NASDAQ: PEBO) appointed Susan D. Rector to its Board of Director of Peoples and of its subsidiary, Peoples Bank, National Association. Susan is a Principal in the law firm of Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn, Co., LPA Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Stanford University’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance and Heidrick & Struggles release new Survey debunking Board Myths

Stanford University’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance and Heidrick & Struggles released a new survey debunking the myth that you have to be a CEO to be a good board member. "No CEO's or ex-CEO's" has been the typical excuse as to why more women are not on boards. This survey shows that 79% of directors surveyed said that, "in practice, active CEOs are no better than non-CEO board members". Also, more than half of directors think that board turnover is too low, another problem limiting the number of boards seats available, keeping women out of the boardroom - men never want to leave! Read more of the interesting results from the survey and see recommendations for improvement in board selection. 

J. Veronica Biggins Joins Southwest Airlines Board of Directors. Other Women Appointed to Boards

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) appointed J. Veronica Biggins (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Veronica is a Managing Director at Diversified Search, LLC, and before that was Senior Partner and Head of Diversity Practice at Heidrick & Struggles in Atlanta. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Hickok Incorporated, headquartered in Ohio, appointed Jennifer A. Elliott to its Board of Directors. Jennifer represents a major shareholder of the Company and had been a Principal for the Texas Women Venture Funds. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Holly Gregory to Speak on Not-For-Profit Governance Issues at a Financial Women's Association Event in New York.

Holly Gregory, a Partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP where she counsels companies and boards of directors, is speaking at the Financial Women's Association event September 21, 2011 in New York. The event will cover the finance and governance principles of Not-for-Profits, and panelists will discuss recent accounting and legal changes affecting the proper running of Not-for-Profit organizations. Read more about Holly and the other recognized experts in the field who will be speaking at the event on fwa.org.

Helen Cornell Named to Hillenbrand Board of Directors. Other Women Appointed to Boards.

Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI), headquartered in Indiana, appointed Helen W. Cornell (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Helen is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gardner Denver, Inc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI), headquartered in Illinois, appointed Renee Togher to its Board of Directors. Renee is President of Chicago-based Azteca Foods, Inc., a family-owned, leading manufacturer of tortilla products. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Dr. Candace Kendle Joins the UPS Board of Directors. Other Women Appointed to Boards

UPS (NYSE:UPS) appointed Dr. Candace Kendle (pictured)to its Board of Directors. Dr. Kendle, who holds a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati, and post-doctoral training at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in Chapel Hill, is the co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Kendle International Inc. Read more in the BusinessWire press release.

 Tengion, Inc. (Nasdaq: TNGN), headquartered in Pennsylvania, appointed Diane Jorkasky, M.D. to its Board of Directors. Diane, who holds an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, recently joined Endo Pharmaceuticals as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Barbara Scherer Joins NETGEAR Board of Directors. Other Women Appointed to Boards

NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR), a global networking company headquartered in California, appointed Barbara V. Scherer (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Barbara, who holds an MBA from the School of Management at Yale, is Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT). Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Synergetics USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: SURG) appointed Patricia S. Williams to its Board of Directors. Patricia  served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of RehabCare Group, Inc., until its acquisition in 2011. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

BAZI International, Inc. (OTCBB: BAZI), headquartered in Colorado, appointed Debbie Wildrick to its Board of Directors. Debbie is Chief Executive Officer of BAZI. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Susan Cameron Named to Tupperware Brands Board of Directors. Other Women Appointed to Boards

Tupperware Brands Corporation, headquartered in Florida, appointed Susan M. Cameron (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Susan is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Reynolds American Inc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Oclaro, Inc.(NASDAQ: OCLR), headquartered in California, appointed Marissa Peterson to its Board of Directors. Marissa is a former Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Services & Customer Advocacy for Sun Microsystems Inc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.  

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), headquartered in California, appointed Madeleine Kleiner to its Board of Directors. Madeleine was most recently Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Hilton Hotels Corporation. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Heritage Commerce Corp, parent company of Heritage Bank of Commerce headquartered in California, appointed Laura Roden to its Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Bank. Laura is the founder and managing director of VC Prive, LLC, a boutique investment bank for alternative asset funds. Read more in the globenewswire press release.

Susan Stautberg and WomenCorporateDirectors Discuss Implications of Mega-Cities for Corporate Boards

WomenCorporateDirectors, the global organization dedicated to expanding women corporate directors through leadership, diversity, education, and best practices in corporate governance, discussed the impact of migration to cities around the world creating Mega-Cities and the implications they will have for corporate directors in the future:

"As the trend toward urbanization explodes, particularly in the emerging world, how can corporate leaders prepare themselves? What does the growth of cities that are even more powerful than their host states mean for business? And what are the effects of this trend on markets, security, infrastructure, and the workforce? “This demographic shift is a key mega-trend for global business,” said Susan Stautberg (pictured), co-founder and global co-chair of WomenCorporateDirectors. “Directors at companies around the world must understand both the risks and the opportunities in this new breed of cities.”

“One in 25 people in the world lives in Chinese cities,” said Elaine LaRoche, a former director of China Construction Bank. “In 20 years, over 220 Chinese cities will have populations of over a million; there will be 23 cities over five million and several over 20 million, and the Chinese are even studying the feasibility of cities of over 40 million. Will public sector funding and political institutions be able to keep pace? Will they provide the necessary public services to assure continued social stability and relatively full employment that are the primary goals of the Chinese government?”

As urban centers develop a stronger field of gravity within their countries, “maybe we don’t need a G20 of nations anymore – maybe we need a G20 of cities,” said Annette Schömmel, founder of Arthesia and director of Kuoni Reisen Holding. “I’m not so sure that the U.K. will be a member of the G20 in ten years, but I’m pretty sure that London will still be a mega-city even 50 years from now.”

“Transportation is a necessary part of a vital city,” said Linda Goodspeed, Vice President of Information Systems for Nissan North America and director of American Electric Power and Columbus McKinnon Corporation. “Developing countries like India will increase utilization of computers and electronics, which means that energy needs are going to put a tremendous drain on the current generation and distribution systems,” she explained. “Energy storage is going to become more important than ever before.”

“The biggest question for directors is: how do you unlock the opportunities?” said Ms. Schömmel. “Cities will be the place of greatest innovation, growth, and opportunities – no industry or company can ignore the trend. To build smart cities, the demand for solutions in the mobility, energy, health, education sectors, etc. will increase. Companies can profit from their innovative power to develop smart solutions in cooperation with inhabitants and municipalities. However, much more data is needed to fully understand the performance of cities.” Some argue that businesses can actually help bring solutions to these new cities more efficiently than their local governments can. “Business should be at the forefront,” Ms. LaRoche argued, “and can be much more nimble and much more forward-thinking than politicians in any of these countries. Corporations have an opportunity to really be the global architects of many of the things that were, in the past, left to the politicians.”

Kelly Barrett Named to the Board of Directors of State Bank Financial Corporation and State Bank & Trust Company

State Bank Financial Corporation appointed Kelly Barrett to the Board of Directors of State Bank Financial Corporation and State Bank & Trust Company. Kelly is Vice President, Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance, for The Home Depot. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Carolyn M. Greer Made Executive Vice President of Engineering at Mesa Energy Holdings and a Member of their Board of Directors

Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Texas, appointed Carolyn M. Greer Executive Vice President of Engineering and a Member of their Board of Directors. Carolyn, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Petroleum Engineering from Mississippi State University, had been Co-Founder and President/CEO of TNR of Covington, Louisiana. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Nilofer Merchant Joins Ambassadors Group Inc. Board of Directors. Other Women Appointed to Boards

Ambassadors Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:EPAX), headquartered in Washington, appointed Nilofer Merchant (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Nilofer, an Author and Strategist and a former executive of Apple and Autodesk, has also been CEO of Rubicon Consulting. Read more in the Globenewswire press release.

Genelux Corporation, a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for cancer and inflammatory diseases headquartered in California, appointed Dr. Catherine J. Mackey to its Board of Directors. Dr. Mackey is the founder and CEO of MindPiece Partners, a management consulting firm, and the former Sr. Vice President of Worldwide Research and Development for Pfizer Inc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

West Town Savings Bank appointed Elizabeth B. Frye, M.D., F.A.C.P. to its Board of Directors.  Dr. Frye currently serves as a Consultant with Witt/Kieffer, Ford, Hadelman & Lloyd, Inc. focusing on the search and placement of senior executives in hospitals, health systems and integrated group practices. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Sandra B. Cochran to be Chief Executive Officer of Cracker Barrel and a Member of their Board of Directors

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) appointed Sandra B. Cochran Chief Executive Officer and a member of their Board of Directors effective September 2011. Sandra, who holds a chemical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Pacific Lutheran University and was in the United States Army where she served as a Captain in the Ninth Infantry Division, had been President and Chief Operating Officer of Cracker Barrel. Read more in the company press release.

Number of Women Appointed to a Board of Directors in July 2011 is Twice that of July 2010

22 Women were appointed to a corporate Board of Directors in July, 2011, down from the 25 last month but more than double the number appointed in July 2010! Major companies appointing women to Boards this July included The Gap Inc, who appointed American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Bella Goren (pictured) to its Board. Also appointing women were Magellan Health Services, AGCO, The Jones Group, Jet Blue, Edventures!, Southwestern Energy, Delta Air Lines, and Marathon Oil.

Valerie L. Grindle Made Chief Executive Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors at PCS Edventures!

PCS Edventures! (OTCBB: PCSV) appointed Valerie L. Grindle Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company's Board of Directors. Valerie is currently their Chief Financial Officer. Read more in the prnewswire press release. PCS Edventures! is headquartered in idaho.

Mary Sammons Named to Magellan Health Services Board of Directors. Ellen Jewett Joins JetBlue Board of Directors.

Magellan Health Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGLN) appointed Mary Sammons (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Mary is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rite Aid Corporation. Mary is the former CEO of Rite Aid. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

JetBlue Airways Corp. (Nasdaq: JBLU) appointed Ellen Jewett to its Board of Directors. Ellen is a Managing Director for BMO Capital Markets. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Shirley Franklin Named to Delta Air Lines Board of Directors. Other Women Named to Boards.

Delta Air Lines' (NYSE: DAL), headquartered in Atlanta, appointed Shirley Franklin (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Shirley, the former Mayor of Atlanta, is Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Purpose Built Communities, Inc., a national non-profit organization established to transform struggling neighborhoods into sustainable communities. Read more in the company press release.

Globus Medical, Inc., headquartered in Pennsylvania, appointed Ann D. Rhoads to its Board of Directors. Ann is  Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer for Zogenix, Inc (NASDAQ:ZGNX). Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) appointed Linda Z. Cook to the Company's Board of Directors. Linda retired from Royal Dutch Shell PLC where she was a member of the executive committee and the board of directors. Read more in the company press release.

Bella Goren Named to Gap Inc Board of Directors.

Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS), headquartered in California, appointed Bella Goren to its Board of Directors. Bella, who holds a holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, is Chief Financial Officer of AMR Corporation and American Airlines, Inc. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Mallika Srinivasan Named to AGCO Board of Directors. Other Women Named to Boards

AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), headquartered in Georgia, appointed Mallika Srinivasan to its Board of Directors. Mallika is Chairman and CEO of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

BankAnnapolis, headquartered in Maryland, appointed Debbie Gosselin to its Board of Directors. Debbie is President of Watermark Cruises. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Women in Oil, Gas and Energy - More there than you think - "Boys Only Boards" Unnecessary!

There are more women in oil gas and energy than many think! Elizabeth Ghaffari of Champion Boards took exception to the comments in the "Boys Only Boards" Business Week article and submitted the following:

"In an article in Business Week,"Boys Only Boards" (June 23) Denbury Resources CEO Phil Rykhoek states, "I don't think I can name a CEO of an oil and gas company that is a woman. If you want a board that has oil and gas experts, then you're picking from the same pool. We have looked at women, and we have interviewed some, but we just haven't found one that we thought was the right candidate."

Sir: You really are not looking very hard: Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE: SWN), (Texas),  appointed Catherine A. Kehr to its Board of Directors. Catherine’s experience including positions at Atlantic Richfield Company. Patricia Kampling (pictured left) is President and Chief Operating Officer of Alliant Energy after an extensive career with Exelon. Samson Oil & Gas Limited (Colorado) appointed Dr. DeAnn Craig to its Board of Directors. During her career Dr. Craig has been a drilling engineer, a reservoir engineer responsible for reserves determination and property valuation, and progressed to senior management in several companies, including Phillips Petroleum, now ConocoPhillips, and CNX Gas. Vivienne Cox was appointed as Chairman of Climate Change Capital in November 2009. She is the former Executive Vice President of Gas, Power and Renewables and was the Chief Executive of BP Alternative Energy. Lynn L. Elsenhans, is CEO of Sunoco; Deborah M. Fretz, retired President & CEO, Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P; Debra L. Reed is Chief Executive Officer of Sempra Energy. Rebecca A. McDonald serves as Chief Executive Officer of Laurus Energy Inc. Marie L. Knowles retired from Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) in 2000 and was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1996 until 2000 and a director from 1996 until 1998. Merle Chambers (pictured right) founded and managed Axem Resources Incorporated, a privately held, independent oil and gas company, until its sale in 1997.

Global Pacific & Partners executive management industry database contains listings of 4,000+ women in oil, gas and energy, making it the world’s largest and most dedicated industry network. Forward YOUR recommendation of oil, gas and energy women in leadership to Denbury Resources CEO Phil Rykhoek!"

PwC Partner Catherine L. Bromilow to Speak at the "Women in The Boardroom" New York Event in October 2011

Catherine L. Bromilow, a Partner in PwC's Center for Board Governance, is speaking at the "Women in the Boardroom" event in New York October 10, 2011. Catherine works with boards of directors and audit committees of major companies and institutions, providing insight and enhancing their ability to comply with evolving regulations. See who else is speaking and read more about the event on womenintheboardroom.com.

Cheryl Vitali Named to G-III Apparel Group Board of Directors

G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (NasdaqGS: GIII), headquartered in New York, appointed Cheryl Vitali to its Board of Directors. Cheryl is the Worldwide General Manager for Kiehl’s, the cosmetics and beauty products company. Read more in the Business Wire press release.