News and Views

The connection between Gender Equality and ESG may seem obvious with Gender Equality neatly fitting into the ‘S’ of ESG. A study commissioned by iSAW found that the impact of Gender Equality is far more profound, affecting not only the ‘S’ but the ‘E’ and ‘G’ as well. In fact, our ability to make progress in ESG is inextricably linked to our progress in achieving Gender Equality. In this webinar, we will discuss the broader implications of Gender Equality on ESG and achieving better business outcomes, and dive deeper into the link between Gender Equality and the ‘G’.

In this webinar, we’ll explore:

• The importance of gender equality to advancing ESG
• How does gender equality impact the E, S, and G
• Gender equality and implications for governance and the evolving role of a director
• The business imperative for gender equality and how that has evolved, including implications stemming from The Great Resignation
• ESG reporting considerations related to gender equality

Alicia is a governance associate at WATSON where she leads and supports governance reviews, board evaluations, director evaluations, policy development, and just in time advice related to board effectiveness and the board’s oversight of human resources, legal and financial matters. With a profound commitment to DEI, ESG and corporate sustainability, Alicia brings these lenses to all aspects of her work. Alicia’s governance experience spans nearly 15 years, both as a board member and an executive reporting to boards. She currently serves on the boards of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and the Vancouver Westside German School Society.

Martin is the Chief Strategy Officer for iSAW (international Strategic Accelerator for Women), whose mission is to accelerate by 10x the pace at which gender equality will be achieved in the workplace. He brings his passion for driving improved business performance to create innovative solutions to ensure that iSAW can deliver its ambition. Martin has a wide range of commercial and digital technology-based leadership experiences in diverse business areas within the BP conglomerate and latterly within the UK’s Ministry of Defense (MoD). Martin is a highly empathetic leader and has always seen the value of diversity and inclusion in leadership in delivering better business outcomes. Martin is now able to spend more energy on this latter passion through his role in the iSAW organization. Martin now lives in London.

Manijeh is a senior governance consultant and lawyer at WATSON where she helps boards of directors and their committees through governance reviews, board and director evaluations, and policy manual development, and advises boards with respect to governance structures, frameworks and capacity assessments. She is also a facilitator in WATSON’s Governance Academy delivering governance education programs to both individual directors and boards. Manijeh has nearly 25 years of experience in governance and law working with private and public companies, regulatory bodies, not-for-profit organizations, member-based organizations, and Crown and public sector organizations. With extensive experience as a director, corporate secretary and general counsel and a deep knowledge of emerging governance issues, Manijeh provides thoughtful insight and expertise to boards and management teams that are practical, effective and enhance their organization’s success.