Corporate boards have a vital role to play in advancing societal progress amid global shifts and disruptions. Hence, the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre is committed to promoting governance practices that contribute to sustainable development that benefits both business and society. Through our research, programmes, events and strategic partnerships, we create opportunities to engage board directors and their stakeholders with the aim to translate awareness to action.
Business & Society
By creating platforms for discussions and debates, developing new research and development programmes for directors, ICGC seeks to address organisational and boardroom challenges in the pursuit of leading sustainability agenda for long-term economic performance and positive societal impact.
Access our library of resources
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Articles and Publications
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Articles and Publications
Emmanuel Faber at Danone: Man on a Mission (A), (B) and (C)
Case Study by Stanislav Shekshnia, Ludo Van der Heyden, Elin Williams, published on 24 Jan 2022Using Corporate Social Initiatives to Build a Purpose-Driven Organisation
INSEAD Knowledge, Christiane Bode, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Imperial College London, Michelle Rogan, Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Imperial College London, and Jasjit Singh, INSEAD Professor of Strategy | November 16, 2021The Sustainability Imperative for the Legal Profession
INSEAD Knowledge, N. Craig Smith, the INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility, and Ron Soonieus, Director in Residence at INSEAD | October 27, 2021Encouraging Sustainability: Why the Business Case Isn’t Enough
INSEAD Knowledge, Marc Le Menestrel, INSEAD Affiliate Professor of Decision Sciences; Julian Rode and Nicolai Heinz, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; and Gert Cornelissen, Universitat Pompeu Fabra & Barcelona School of Management | June 21, 2021How Boards Can Steer Companies to “Build Back Better”
INSEAD Knowledge, N. Craig Smith, INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility, and Ron Soonieus, INSEAD Executive-in-Residence and Managing Partner at Camunico | January 21, 2021Doing Good: Where Sustainable Investing Gets It Wrong
INSEAD Knowledge, Lucie Tepla, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Finance | December 16, 2020Boards and Sustainability: From Aspirations to Action
Management and Business Review, US, Fall Edition, Prof. N. Craig Smith, INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility and Ron Sooneius, INSEAD Executive in Residence & Founder of Camunico | 2020Can Investors Save the Planet While Making a Profit?
INSEAD Knowledge, Daniel Gospodinov (INSEAD MBA '20J), and Claudia Zeisberger, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship & Family Enterprise | July 30, 2020Impact Investing in Covid-19 Times: A Three-Step Mission
INSEAD Knowledge, Alexandra von Stauffenberg, Associate Director, INSEAD Global Private Equity Initiative | June 18, 2020From Good Intentions to Maximising Your Impact
INSEAD Knowledge, Jasjit Singh, INSEAD Professor of Strategy | October 17, 2019Sustainabilty and the Five Archetypes of Boardroom Behaviour
INSEAD Knowledge, N. Craig Smith, INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility; and Ron Soonieus, INSEAD Executive-in-Residence and Managing Partner at Camunico | June 7, 2019Governance of the Tata Group: In Pursuit of Profitability, Philanthropy and Power
Case Study by Massimo Massa, Ludo Van der Heyden, Kaikhushru (Kai) Taraporevala, published on 31 May 2019How Board Members Really Feel About ESG, from Deniers to True Believers
Harvard Business Review digital article, by N. Craig Smith and Ron Soonieus, April 19, 2019
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Governance Insights Videos
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Governance Insights Video and Webinar Recordings
Rising to the ESG Challenge: Routes Towards Effective Governance
Wednesday, 7 September 2022, 9:00am CEST/ 3:00pm SGT (1.5 hr)
Jointly organised by ICGC and Boards Impact Forum. Featuring Ron Soonieus, Director in Residence, INSEAD Corporate Governance CentreHow can boards strengthen governance to accelerate their ESG journeys?
Thursday, 23 June 2022, 9:00am CEST
Jointly organised by ICGC and EYDirector duties and ESG - a view from the General Counsel
Tuesday, 31 May 2022, 2:00pm CEST
Jointly organised by ICGC and Impactvise. Featuring INSEAD Professors Jaap Winter and Lite Nartey with Ron Soonieus, Director-in-Residence, INSEAD Corporate Governance CentreDoing more for the economy with less from the planet: a resource efficiency approach to measuring and managing natural capital
24 March 21, 2pm CEST, hosted by ICGC with partners Chapter Zero France and Chapter Zero Switzerland
Panel discussion moderated by Sonia Tatar, Executive Director, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family EnterpriseChair Roles and Practices as Drivers of Sustainability and Value Creation
22 March 21, 6pm CEST hosted by Nordic Climate Governance Initiative Chapter Boards Impact Forum in collaboration with INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre
Featuring Stanislav Shekshnia, Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family EnterpriseINSEAD Conversations: Community-led Webinar on "The End of Shareholder Primacy?"
11 June 2020, 3:00 PM CET
Featuring Stanislav Shekshnia, Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise, Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Engagement of Nasdaq and moderated by Helen Pitcher OBE, President INSEAD Directors Network, Chair Advanced Boardroom ExcellenceINSEAD Conversations: Community-led Webinar on "The Blessings and Curses of Digital in a COVID World"
26 May 2020 at 11:00 am CET
Featuring Annet Aris, Senior Professor of Strategy and moderated by Benjamin Kessler, Managing Editor of INSEAD KnowledgeLeading Strategic Corporate Sustainability from the Board Room
Interview with Dr. Ravi Fernando, Chairman/CEO of Global Strategic Corporate Sustainability Pvt. Ltd.What place for humanity in Business 4.0
Interview with Professor Ludo Van der Heyden and Jaap Winter
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Reports and Executive Summaries
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Reports and Executive Summaries
The Role of Boards in the Sustainability Era
By Ron Soonieus, Senior Advisor, BCG, Director in Residence, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, David Young, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG's Boston Office, Alice Breeden, Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office, Jeremy Hanson, Partner in Heidrick & Struggles' Chicago office, and Sonia Tatar, Executive Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise - July 2023Directors Can Up Their Game on Environmental, Social and Governance Issues: The BCG-INSEAD Board ESG Pulse Check
By Ron Soonieus, Senior Advisor, BCG, Director in Residence, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, Wendy Woods, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG's Boston Office, David Young, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG's Boston Office, and Sonia Tatar, Executive Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise - March 2022Designing Sustainability Governance - Board structures and practices for better ESG performance
by Ron Soonieus, Director in Residence, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre - March 2022The Effects of Covid-19 on Boards and Governance
INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and Spencer Stuart - October 2020What's stopping boards from turning sustainability aspiration into actions
15 July 2019, Professor Craig Smith and Ron Soonieus, INSEAD Executive in ResidenceLeadership in Corporate Sustainability—European Report 2018
INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, Board Agenda and Mazars
by Prof. N. Craig Smith and Ron Soonieus, executive-in-residence, INSEAD - Dec 2018"What place for humanity in Business 4.0?"
14 April 2018, Concept paper by Professor Ludo Van der Heyden and Jaap WinterA Complication of INSEAD Research on "CSR and Sustainability at Board Level"
Executive summaries produced by the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, January 2014
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Partnership and Collaborations
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Partnership and Collaboration
Partnership with Ukranian Corporate Governance Academy (UCGA)
In line with ICGC's mission to advocate sustainable high-performance governance practices and expand our impact in corporate governance globally, ICGC collaborated with the Ukranian Corporate Governance Academy (UCGA) in July 2018 to provide programme co-directorship for the UCGA Board Direction Programme. By sharing our corporate governance expertise with UCGA, we envision the programme to be an instrument that will enhance capacity for effective and ethical corporate governance in Eastern Europe, advance sustainable business development and establish governance credibility for market and investor confidence.
Find out more >
Watch video about the UCGA Programme >
Video interview with Prof. Ludo Van der Heyden >
Partnership with Hoffmann Global Institute for Business & Society and World Business Council for Sustainable Development
In collaboration with the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business & Society and World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the ICGC had organised two high key events to create synergy to drive stimulating exchange and debate on the imperative for board leadership in sustainable business development.
> Towards Sustainability: A New Curriculum for Boards on 8-9 April 2019, Fontainebleau
> Redefining Sustainability Governance in Covid-19 Crisis?, Webinar & Digital Dialogue on 30 June 2020
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Past Events
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Events
Webinar & Digital Dialogue - Redefining Sustainability Governance in COVID-19 Crisis?
30 June 2020, 9AM (CEST)The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre (ICGC) in collaboration with the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society (HGIBS) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) organised a 3.5-hour webinar and digital dialogue to explore the key drivers that are shaping the global landscape today and the imperative for corporate boards to taking a leading stand in advancing sustainability agenda from the boardroom. Featuring faculty insights, panel discussions as well as parallel workshops, the webinar highlighted the need to develop governance capabilities to combine performance with meaning.
Alumni Forum Europe 2019
14-15 June 2019, GenevaProfessor Ludo Van der Heyden was invited to lead a parallel session on "Sustainability and Governance" on Day 2 which is a key challenge that board of directors need to address in the wake of rising attention on the impact of business as a solution to tackle global sustainability issues.
Towards Sustainability: A New Curriculum for Boards
8-9 April 2019, Fontainebleau, Europe CampusHeld by the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre (ICGC), the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society (HGIBS) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the inaugural Conference is a high impact two-day event that aims to address sustainability from multi-level perspectives including both macro and micro approaches with a particular focus on boards’ responsibilities and on validating what a curriculum for board members committed to such a responsibility might look like.
Climate Change
Driving companies' adoption of the principles of Climate Governance Initiative of the World Economic Forum
In collaboration with:
Climate change is posing an urgent threat to global economies, businesses, food supplies and even individual livelihoods. To encourage companies to adopt the principles of climate governance initiative of the World Economic Forum, The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre had partnered with Chapter Zero France to empower and develop board directors so that they are equipped to actively address climate issues and fully integrate climate dimension into the company's strategy.
Through this strategic partnership, we seek to create space for board of directors to dialogue, exchange and develop solutions on issues relating to the governance of climate issues. The principles of the Climate Governance Initiative of the World Economic Forum include:
- Develop a strategy and action plan for the transition to "net zero", including short-term deadlines;
- Adopt and put into practice the recommendations of the TCFD (Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure);
- Incorporate in the remuneration of executives of criteria of assessment, specific and measurable, of the implementation of their climate strategy.
Read article by Professor Jose Luis Alvarez as he delves into the imperative to bring climate change to the composition and structure of boards of directors.
Engage with us on Climate Governance
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Tools
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Directors' Climate Journey
Learn to move from awareness to action by creating greater board engagement.
Board Toolkit
Understand key climate change issues and implement strategic plans to identify and address associated challenges.
Principles and Frameworks for Strategy and Action
Learn to develop a robust climate change strategy and glean insights of leading practices in other companies.
Navigating Climate Risks
Understand the multifaceted climate risks and how they might affect businesses and stakeholders.
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Be a Member of the Initiative
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Join Chapter Zero France as a Member
Be a member of Chapter Zero France to join a growing community of directors committed to the transition to net zero carbon.
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Partner Resources
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Partner Resources
Browse through the library of resources from Chapter Zero France to better understand the impact of climate risks on business activity and to identify the most appropriate methodologies and approaches for your sector. The collection of topics covers reporting, carbon management, finance, energy, sustainable accounting, ESG, and governance.
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Articles and Publications
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INSEAD Knowledge
Climate Change Gets Up Close and Personal for Board Members
Ron Soonieus, INSEAD | April 12, 2022
Digital Article
10 Ways Boards Can Act on Sustainability in 2022
by Ron Soonieus, Louis Besland, and Alice Breeden | January 13, 2022
INSEAD Knowledge
Leading Climate Strategy From the Board
Ron Soonieus, Director in Residence at INSEAD; Louis Besland, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles; and Alice Breeden, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles | December 14, 2021
Applied Research Study
Changing the Climate in the Boardroom
December 2021
The report developed by ICGC in partnership with Heidrick & Struggles explores the role of boards in climate change leadership.
INSEAD Knowledge
Companies Must Put Equality at the Heart of the Race to Zero
Katell Le Goulven, Executive Director of the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society at INSEAD, and Mark Stabile, INSEAD Professor of Economics | October 28, 2021
INSEAD Knowledge
Climate Change: Evading the “Too Late, Too Costly” Trap
Taimur Baig, Managing Director & Chief Economist, DBS Bank Ltd, and Vinika D. Rao, Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute | January 21, 2020
Climate Governance Related Events
Webinar & Digital Dialogue Changing the Climate in the Boardroom (Recordings available!)
Webinar & Digital Dialogue Accelerating Climate Change Leadership in the Boardroom
Webinar & Digital Dialogue Ambition Net Zero: Why Boards Have to Lead the Way
Climate Governance Panel Discussion facilitated by INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre for the ChangeNOW Online Summit
Climate Governance Initiative Global Summit 2021 (22-26 March)
Understanding Developing Opportunities Across Carbon Markets on 26 March 2021, 1PM CET (1 hr)
The Great Reset: The Role of Boards in Climate Change
Workshops for Boards - Jan/Feb 2021
Board Diversity
Building a diverse board is a vital process to motivate new ideas, insights and perspectives. Through our research and collaboration with strategic partners, the ICGC has been an active supporter to advance the cause for gender and cultural diversity in the boardroom.
Access our library of resources
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Articles and Publications
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Articles and Publications
Click here to visit the INSEAD Gender Initiative for the latest gender-related research by INSEAD faculty.
Want More Diverse Senior Leadership? Sponsor Junior Talent
By Ibarra, H.; von Bernuth, N. (2020), Harvard Business Review Digital Articles | 9 October 2020ICGC newsletter November 2020
Featured articles on board diversity
- Board Composition: A Competitive Difference by Byron Loflin
- Board Diversity in the Spotlight: A Post-Pandemic, Gender-Inclusive Recovery by Diana Wilde
- Boards in a 'New Reality' World: What can Diversity Contribute? by Marina NiforosICGC newsletter April 2020
Featured articles on inspiring board leaders
- Views from Diana Tea
- Views from Sadia Khan
- Views from Wong Su-YenPutting More Women at the Helm of Corporate Boards By Stanislav Shekshnia, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise; Veronika Zagieva, Consultant at Ward Howell; and Victoria Zimina, Analyst at Ward Howell Talent Equity Institute | March 5, 2020
New Research Shows The More Women On A Company’s Board, The More Market Value Is Lost
By Kaisa Snellman, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, and Isabelle Solal, Post Doctoral Research Fellow from INSEAD., 12 Nov 2019
Other coverage: South China Morning Post, Human Resources Online, Sci Tech Daily, Phys Org, PressetextA Step Change In Diversity Perspective: The Shifting Sands of Diversity
By Helen Pitcher OBE, Chairman of Advanced Boardroom Excellence Ltd and President of the INSEAD Directors Network, and Ludo Van der Heyden, Chaired Professor of Corporate Governance at INSEAD, 2 July 2019Promoting Gender Balance Is Everyone's Business
Zoe Kinias, INSEAD Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Jennifer Petriglieri, INSEAD Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour | February 26, 2019What’s Keeping Women from the Corporate Heights?
INSEAD Knowledge, Ludo Van der Heyden, The INSEAD Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Academic Director of the INSEAD Corporate Governance Initiative | January 30, 2015Webinar: Women on Boards
Executive summary developed based on webinar led by Professors Hermina Ibarra, Professor of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour and Ludo Van der Heyden, Aacdemic Director, INSEAD Corporate Governance Initiative | 14 December 2012The EU's Boardroom Quota Battle Is Over, But Women Cannot Yet Rest
INSEAD Knowledge, Professors Annet Aris and Herminia Ibarra | 19 November 2012,Struggle in the Boardroom
INSEAD Knowledge, Nicholas Bray, UK Correspondent | November 8, 2012 (include video)
Interview with Professor Ludo Van der Heyden, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy at INSEADWomen on boards: No quotas...yet
INSEAD Knowledge, Shellie Karabell | October 26, 2012 (include video)
Comments from Professors Ludo Van der Heyden, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy at INSEAD, Annet Aris, Adjunct Professor of Strategy at INSEAD and Theo Vermaelen, Professor of Finance and The Schroders Chaired Professor of International Finance and Asset Management at INSEADLocked out of the boardroom
INSEAD Knowledge, Herminia Ibarra, Professor of Organisational Behaviour | December 20, 2011Women on Board: First, Diversity
INSEAD Knowledge, Annet Arris, Adjunct Professor of Strategy | December 20, 2011Over-achieving and under-represented: The case for women on boards
20 December 2011, Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission
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Awards and Recognition
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Award and Recognition
Most Influential Corporate Female Board Member Award
INSEAD Adjunct Professor of Strategy Annet Aris has been ranked number 1 in the Top 100 Corporate Women in the Netherlands.
Management Scope, The Netherlands - June 2019 (in Dutch)Top 100 Corporate Women Award
INSEAD Adjunct Professor of Strategy Annet Aris has been ranked number 2 in the Top 100 Corporate Women in the Netherlands.
Management Scope, The Netherlands - June 2018 (in Dutch)TIAW World of Difference 100 Award - 2014
INSEAD Professor Ludo Van der Heyden honoured for championing economic empowerment of women
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Faculty and Governance Insights Videos
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Faculty and Governance Insights Videos
Inclusive Diversity from the Boardroom to the Organization
4 February 2019, Interview with Kay Formanek, founder of KAY Diversity and PerformanceWomen in Economic Decision-Making Panel
World Economic Forum, Davos, 25 January 2013, chaired by Professor Herminia IbarraInterview with INSEAD Professor Ludo Van der Heyden on gender quotas on EU company boards - Long version
7 November 2012Interview with Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission on the "Call to Action" to obtain more gender balance in European boardrooms
December 2, 2011
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Partnerships and Collaboration
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Partnerships and Collaboration
The ICGC has been an active supporter in promoting board diversity in the boardroom. Through partnership and collaboration with strategic partners and institutions, ICGC continues to demonstrate its commitment to advance the cause for boardroom diversity.
The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre is founding knowledge partner for UAE '20 for 2020' initiative
The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre is proud to be one of the Founding Knowledge Partners for the UAE '20 for 2020' initiative which was launched on March 8, 2020 with the aim to drive gender balance at board level. In collaboration with ADNOC, the year-long professional development programme seeks to empower women in the workplace with the target to increase female representation on UAE corporate boards to 20 percent within 2020.
Partnership with Ethics and Boards pathed the way for the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre to be a supporting partner for the MATINALE DES GRANDS PRIX 2019 - Grands Prix de la Mixité
The ICGC is proud to be the supporting partner of the Grands Prix de la Mixité, which was launched in 2017 to award and share best practices in gender diversity amongst listed companies SBF 120, Euro Stoxx 50, DAX 30 (Germany) and FTSE MIB (Italy) based on gender diversity in the Councils, the Executive or Executive Committees, the Top 100 and the part of women executives. INSEAD Professor Ludo Van der Heyden was invited to address the audience. By engaging with the winning companies to develop business cases for INSEAD students, we endeavour to illustrate and demonstrate the link between diversity and overall performance
Partnership with Women on Boards to develop women for board role
In June 2017, ICGC established new partnership with Women on Boards, an independent social enterprise based in Australia and United Kingdom in support of their mission to help women translate their professional skills and experience into non-executive director and other board-level roles.
Read the interview with Mary-Sue Rogers, non-executive member in Women on Boards >
Global Board Ready Women (GRBW) Searchable Data Base
On 12 December 2012, The European Business Schools/Women on Board Taskforce of which INSEAD is a founding member supports European Commission's former Vice President Reding’s initiative to shatter the glass ceiling for women in Europe’s publicly listed corporation’s board rooms and launched a Global Board Ready Women network of board-ready women to bring Europe into the 21st century. This is an international network of women qualified to sit on a board. This list is hosted on LinkedIn as a professional LinkedIn Group.
> Read the European Business Schools press release
> Access the European Commission website on the topic
> To join the GBRW: INSEAD Alumnae, contact us; if you are not an INSEAD alumnae, contact your school or click here
> Boards and Search firms, click here to request information
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Reports and Executive Summaries
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Reports and Executive Summaries
Why Do Women Find It So Difficult to Access Top Executive Jobs and Why Does Change Take So Long?
August 2014, Professor Ludo Van der Heyden, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy at INSEAD
Read report in FrenchSubmission to EU Call for Public Consultation on Gender Imbalance in Corporate Boards in the EU
28 May 2012, Professor Ludo Van der Heyden, The Mubadala Chaired Professor in Corporate Governance and Strategy at INSEADLeveraging Diversity at Board Level
15 June 2011, MEDEF, ParisThe Corporate Gender Gap Report
INSEAD and World Economic Forum 2010, Saadia Zahidi (WEF) and Professor Herminia Ibarra, Professor of Organisational Behaviour
