Davos 2018: EY chief makes call for boardroom equality

Women should be given the chance to work on the biggest accounts as they come up the ranks if gender equality in the boardroom is to be achieved, the global chairman of EY said on Tuesday.

Mark Weinberger, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said companies should not just be looking at the number of women taking boardroom roles but also working all the way through an organisation to help them prepare for the most senior posts.

“What really matters is giving women, and all minorities, an opportunity in the ranks, to get operating experience, get on the biggest accounts, learn the new skill sets so they can rise to the top, and hire more. And I think that’s what we’ve got to work on, when we look at skill set development,” Weinberger added.

Davos was sending “a great signal” by having all-women co-chairs for the first time in its 48-year history, but “we still need more women to be participating in the corporate ranks here”.