Our Story

In 2014, a number of Seattle business leaders came together to find ways to drive board performance with a focus on greater diversity of board composition in Washington State. In part, the impetus was an awareness that Washington State, at 14%, lagged significantly behind the rest of the country in female board representation. A goal was formed and today, along with our co-sponsors Deloitte, Madrona Venture Group, Cascadia Capital and Spencer Stuart, we are working to increase the percentage of women on public company boards in the region to 30% by the year 2020.

The Program

Today’s program provides practitioner-led education on corporate governance issues, builds meaningful connections in the business community, and is open to women with the interest and experience to be considered for nomination to a corporate directorship. Success to date is founded on the broader business community’s outspoken commitment and support of the effort. Participants share and gain the knowledge needed to position themselves effectively for board placement, have the opportunity to network with their peers, and are introduced to a cadre of sitting public company board members who serve as mentors to accelerate participants’ readiness for board service. Participants work with board coaches to create a biography tailored toward board service. Upon completion of the program, participants will be board-ready with the knowledge and network needed to serve on a private company board, large not-for-profit or public company board.

Outline of the Program

  • Location. Seminars are hosted in downtown Seattle.
  • Timing. Monthly seminars begin in September and run through March.
  • Presenters. Program content is delivered by leaders from the business community.
  • Networking. Networking opportunities are provided with peers, alumnae of the program, senior board members, C-suite executives, and board-focused recruiters to better position participants in their search.
  • Commitment. The program is offered at no charge to participants. Participants are asked to attend a minimum of four of the six educational sessions and to complete a board biography.

For more information or to nominate a cohort or mentor for the program, please visit www.onboardingwomen.org.

OnBoarding Women is a program that takes a business-centered approach to increasing the percentage of women on corporate boards in Washington State.