There is a strong business case for having more women in the boardroom, according to Gita Patel, director of Stargate Capital and fund manager of Trapezia.
Speaking at the launch of the Association of Women Travel Executives (AWTE) Boardroom Ready project, Patel said research proved that companies with women on the board had “higher financial metrics”.
Research from Catalyst, an organisation that promotes women in the workplace, shows that companies with the highest proportion of female board directors have stronger-than-average performance.
Patel said she was supporting the AWTE initiative because “this is about creating a better-prepared talent pool of women who aspire to reach board-level positions”.
The Boardroom Ready project kicks off on September 16 with a session on ‘roles and responsibilities’. The three subsequent sessions are on boardroom dynamics, looking beyond your comfort zone, and self-esteem and confidence.
Led by Patel and AWTE chairwoman Handley, the sessions will take the form of a round-table debate, with non-travel industry senior figures sharing their knowledge and experience.
“There is a compelling case for diversity in the boardroom. This is less about gender and more about effective business models,” said Patel.
Senior women in travel who attended the launch welcomed the opportunity to boost their boardroom skills.
Octopus Travel account director UK and Ireland Jane Stuart-Palikira said: “This is revolutionary for the travel sector. People think it’s female dominated, but when you get to the top, it’s predominantly male. There’s a massive pool of women to choose from, so companies must be missing out if women are not getting to board level.”
AA People Development managing director Debbee Dale said: “This hasn’t been done before in the travel sector. It’ll be good to have a secure environment where women are able to share and build on each other’s experiences. This will help move us towards the end goal for the travel industry: it’s still known as a trade, but it should be known as a profession.”