Driving fantom erKS TOY enter) in the Boardroom and Corner Office Atti Rosset RevNoros Assocrares INIFrom ion. to Change Agent Civersity has beer a well-worn word in the corporate lexicon for more than two decades. Ax such, It has been at the forefront of stale-ot-the-company speeches, integral in yearly organizational ‘culture objectives and intiatives, and often tite conterpioca of the Human Resources agenda, In otter woreis, companies have paid diversity its due lip service, But while organizations have made some progress instituting diversity in the boardroom, wide _gaps-Indaed, guis~stil remain regarding diversity talk, percelvad progress and real action, ‘As the demand for new directors retums to a more historically accurate level following the valley petiod that was a clrect response to post-Enron| peaks, 2007 prasents an opportune time to address ‘and narrow the diversity gens, The increasing demand for adeltione! bearcl members means that ‘companies, for the first tima on a large scala, wil have a meaningful opportunity to reaesess the ‘types of candidates they invite into the Boardroom, ‘There are steps that companies can take to ensure that the value of diversity Is nat just preached ‘but sustained over the long tem. Father then reaching back into the wall-tappod executive poo! to fill director roles, boards need {9 employ new recruitment strategies to bring more diversity to the company. (CEOs and board memners alike must put the issue of diversity into a larger framework to ensure the ‘company's future success. In other words, it's no longer sufficient for senior managers to act as diversity champlons—they must becom nue diversity change agents. Black Corporate Directors Conference: Moving the Diversity Agenda Forward Russell Reynolds Associates, in partnership with Ariol Capita’ Management, recently hosted its annual Black Comorate Directors Conference. The event brought together an exclusive group of mora than 100 black comorate direciors, in addition to CECs and civersity thought leaders, to discuss strategies for advancing diversity in companies and on toards. Higi-proiile chief executive apeakars inckided Bob Iger. president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, as well as Ron Willams and Osbra Lee, CEOs of Aetna Inc. and Black Entertainment Telavision, respactively, Other speakers corplemanting the O-sulte roster inclded Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Martin Luther King historian, and Harold Ford, Jr, formar congressman from Tennessee,he sessions and discussions amang the dirt up thoir diversity inttive tuting sustainable ly agreement that companies are failing to pr vealed a growing need for a ompanies to signifies eieray and comenrman Inclod, was event hat cracks, seins deep crevices, sl ene inthe verity foundations of boas ancl compen 00 oe, Mose cracks have been patched! up. Altndees a the conference voiced the net for whelesale repaks, not kines, and generated a at of actlonabie eo ve the dary agenda forward inetut al change ie MOTTA Hi / cl igh a vray com tee . iy dashboard to track prograss + + concueteversty aut every year . volvo the CEO onal major diversity inte + Enhance recruitment for vest change ages + Wile diversity com ‘boards and avd agreed tht the meat critical element for long-term & jonable prograse to accu, must ne longer diversity enange a ll net rave the accept agree with the vause but raoly crve sta who will push the aganda and serve as th sna Force ths tag-down every incoxprate verse caddales int succession pans Formalze diversity Wallng mt development programs sivareity agenda forward, conference attendees troduction ofthe diversity change toil board igritcant change. C stars fr Futur