Fabi Hubschmid, Co-Founder and COO of Markaaz, explains why she is part of the 50/50 Women on Boards™ Strategic Council
Recently appointed to the 50/50 Women on Boards™ Strategic Council to drive more seats for women at the Board level, Fabi Hubschmid, Co-Founder and COO of Markaaz, has been lucky to see the change that women can make to an organization through her family’s business, and is driven to continue that legacy instilled in her by her female family members.
“We would not be here today without all the progress women before us have achieved. The path they have paved for women today, I’d like to be part of doing this for the generations to come,” she noted. “As a company leader, I believe in nourishing female talent from the moment they join an organization. With passion, conviction, and drive, women can achieve anything they want.”
50/50 Women on Boards is a leading global education and advocacy campaign driving the movement toward gender balance and diversity on corporate Boards. It was launched to educate, advocate and collaborate with corporations and action groups committed to advancing women to corporate Boards. Its 2023 campaign boldly calls for women to hold 50% of all corporate Board seats and women of color to hold at least 20% of corporate Board seats.
Today, on International Women’s Day, 50/50 Women on boards™ is launching their inaugural 50 Women to Watch for Boards, a groundbreaking new campaign designed to help close the gender gap on corporate Boards by spotlighting Board-ready women. With 463 companies still lacking female representation on Boards, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure that women are given equal opportunities to serve in leadership positions. By participating in 50 Women to Watch for Boards, nominees are part of a more significant movement to achieve a gender-balanced Board.
“Many corporate leaders claim that they struggle to identify qualified female candidates to fill open Board seats,” said Heather Spilsbury, Chief Operating and Marketing Officer of 50/50 Women on Boards [50/50WOB]. “To address this issue and ensure that the next generation of female executives has the opportunity to be recognized as Board candidates, we created 50 Women to Watch for Boards. This initiative provides talented female executives prepared to serve on corporate Boards with the visibility they deserve. By featuring these exceptional women, we aim to connect companies seeking diverse and capable Board members with a pool of highly qualified candidates ready to take on leadership roles.”
There are many articles and papers showing that having more women in the C-Suite leads to better company performance. Diverse leadership with female representation can lead to more profits, more socially responsible company policies, and safer, higher-quality customer experiences.
Hubschmid and her team are working to ensure diversity and inclusion are at the core of Markaaz’s operations.
“At Markaaz, we strongly commit to developing a diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels. Like other companies, we are working on this and hope to put formal measurement practices in place soon,” Hubschmid explained.
There are many examples of companies with senior female leadership doing better than competitors with less senior-level diversity. Research at the country and government levels, including a UCL study, showed that countries run by women have better managed the COVID crisis, and a growing number of companies, including Goldmann Sachs, will no longer invest in companies that do not have at least one diverse Board member. It has invested $500 million into private- and late-stage, women-founded, women-owned, or women-led companies.
With research strongly in favor of diverse Boards and leadership, it’s time for women to truly have a seat at the table.
About 50|50 Women on Boards
50/50 Women on boards™ is a leading nonprofit education and advocacy organization committed to advancing women to corporate Boards by
- Transparently reporting on the number of women and women of color on Boards, including their proprietary Gender Diversity Index™, which allows the public to search the percentage of women on corporate Boards by company, ranking, state, or sector.
- Educating corporations on the importance of having women on Boards through its events, campaigns, and board readiness workshops,
- Inviting women to participate in increasing their visibility and Board leadership skills.
For women who want to prepare their professional careers for board service, the organization offers Board readiness workshops designed to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in the Boardroom. It offers two courses: Board Fundamentals and Get on Board.
Board Fundamentals is for early- to mid-career women who want to understand the basics of Board operations and evaluate the right board, while Get on Board is for senior-level women who wish to refine their networking skills and Board profile. These courses are also offered as workshops for corporate groups. Companies can purchase five or ten seats for an existing workshop date, or 50/50 Women on Boards can host a custom workshop for larger groups – up to 25 women for Board Fundamentals and up to 20 women for Get on Board. All alums are invited to subscribe to our Networking Hub, a community dedicated to supporting their Board journey with exclusive content, events, and one-on-one support.
Courses are led by experienced faculty members and guest director coaches, with interactive sessions designed to equip women with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in the Boardroom. Take advantage of this opportunity to refine your Board skills and connect with like-minded women in our Networking Hub.
Spots are still available for Board Fundamentals on March 21 or Get on Board on March 29 & 31. Register now and take the first step toward your board journey!
Learn more about Markaaz’s enterprise offerings here, and sign up for our Markaaz Memo enterprise newsletter below.
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