On 22 June 2023, 5-7pm, the Centre for Private and Commercial Law will celebrate the publication and launch of 'Diversity, Merit and Power in the C-Suite' (Hart Publishing, 2023) by Dr Eleanore Hickman.

The launch will include a speaker panel and will be followed by a drinks reception.

Panel Speakers:

• Professor Cheryl Thomas, Professor of Judicial Studies at UCL
• Professor Ruth Sealy, Professor of Responsible Leadership; Director of Impact at University of Exeter Business School

This is a hybrid event. Please register via Eventbrite.

Abstract

This book explores the correlations of diversity and power in the UK boardrooms and the difficulties inherent in truly merit-based appointments. From a distance, boardroom diversity is seen as a UK success story of recent years. A closer look at boardrooms reveals a more uncomfortable truth: boards can be split into tracks of power and diversity. Where there is a concentration in power, genuine diversity is much less prevalent.

Using the FTSE 100, the book examines the appointment and retention of the most powerful positions in some of the world's most powerful corporations. Diversity, merit and power are each defined and measured individually, then considered cumulatively, to provide fresh insights into the meaning of corporate power, who wields it and how it is obtained. This analysis is considered alongside the diversity narratives created by the FTSE 100 to frame their position on diversity. From this, the value of corporate 'diversity speak' is challenged, together with the regulatory requirements that result in its production. Suggestions are made as to how and why we might seek a more balanced distribution of power in the boardroom.

The book can be purchased via the Hart Publishing website.

To receive your 20% discount, please use the following code: 

GLR BE1UK (United Kingdom)

GLR BE1US (United States)

GLR BE1CA (Canada)

GLR BE1AU (Australia and New Zealand)