Too much emphasis is placed on the issue of women’s representation on boards, according to Virginia Bottomley, chair of search firm Odgers Berndtson’s board & chief executive practice. 

Describing women on boards as “the most corny subject of our age”, Bottomley told a meeting of the Recruitment Society in London that the real issue was how to grow and develop women so they progressed through the executive workforce.

“I am all for women on boards, don’t misunderstand me. But this is not the answer to [advancing] women in the executive workforce. It is about how you bring people up through the executive line,” said Bottomley.

When asked about the best way to increase the representation of women on boards, Bottomley said that because there tended to be more women in HR than in other occupations, her “numero uno” was for HR to become accepted as a board position.

“For some reason, it is always said that to be on the board you need to have been a CEO or a CFO [chief financial officer]. But on the whole, women have far more broader careers. Men’s careers tend to be more targeted, you are in a job and you move into the next one.

“Good or bad that is the way it is. But looking at boards more broadly, surely they need some succession planning, talent management and restructuring. These are all critical, so I think HR should be an executive appointment, and I think there should also be somebody as a non-executive director with that background.”