IoD Chartered Director Network Event held at House of Lords

(Pictured L to R: Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland; Martin Shanahan, IoD Council Member and Partner, Head of Industry, Grant Thornton; Margot Slattery CDir, Global Group Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, ISS World Services; and Deirdre Ashe CDir, Managing Director, Bank of Ireland Insurance Services).

IoD Ireland was delighted to hold this special event for accredited Chartered Directors, the final stage of our gold standard Chartered Director Programme. The event was held in partnership with Bank of Ireland (BoI).

The event was opened by Deirdre Ashe CDir, Managing Director, Bank of Ireland Insurance Services, and Enda McDonagh, Head of Banking, College Green, who welcomed attendees to the House of Lords and provided a short background on the history of the venue. 

Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland, also welcomed attendees to this dedicated event that focused on the topic of how boards can drive equality, diversity and inclusion within the boardroom and their organisations. In her opening address, she referenced past research carried out by IoD Ireland, the IoD Sentiment Monitor 2022, which explored perspectives, motivations, and challenges in relation to Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at board level and within organisations, particularly in relation to director recruitment and succession planning. 

(Pictured: Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland)

Margot Slattery CDir, Global Group Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, ISS World Services, gave a keynote address and shared her professional and personal perspectives on how directors can advance the causes of diversity, inclusion, and belonging both within and outside of the boardroom. She spoke about the importance of reflecting on real-world context when approaching boardroom decisions and the roles that the "wide view and silent view" play in decision making.

Margot also noted that employee retention and turnover continue to pose one of the biggest challenges to the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (D,E&I) conversation. She also emphasised the importance for boards to "avoid narrow thinking" and to take a top-down approach when approaching equality, diversity and inclusion, "D&I starts in the boardroom". 

(Pictured: Margot Slattery CDir, Global Group Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, ISS World Services)

The panel discussion was moderated by Martin Shanahan, IoD Council Member and Partner, Head of Industry, Grant Thornton and had the following guest speakers: 

• Margot Slattery CDir, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, ISS A/S
• Aongus Hegarty, Co- Chair Balance for Better Business
• Deirdre Ashe CDir, Managing Director, Bank of Ireland Insurance Services
• Gavin Kelly, CEO, Corporate and Commercial Banking, Bank of Ireland

The panel addressed some practical advice and insights on what boards should do around driving diversity and inclusion in their own organisation. They reflected on the role it plays in building a successful strategy, the importance of culture and context, unconscious bias, and the importance of D&I training and policies. They also reflected on all types of diversity, such as but not limited to: neurodiversity, social economic diversity, gender diversity, sexual orientation and race.

(Pictured L to R: Deirdre Ashe CDir, Managing Director, Bank of Ireland Insurance Services; Aongus Hegarty, Co- Chair Balance for Better Business; Martin Shanahan, IoD Council Member and Partner, Head of Industry, Grant Thornton; Gavin Kelly, CEO, Corporate and Commercial Banking, Bank of Ireland; and Margot Slattery CDir, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, ISS A/S)

(Pictured L to R: Deirdre Ashe CDir, Managing Director, Bank of Ireland Insurance Services and Aongus Hegarty, Co- Chair Balance for Better Business)

After the discussion, the audience had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the panellists. The event also provided accredited Chartered Directors with a key networking opportunity to connect with one another and the panellists. 

Becoming an Accreditated Chartered Director

We were delighted to host this dedicated event for accredited Chartered Directors in partnership with Bank of Ireland. Becoming accredited is the final step in the IoD Chartered Director Programme journey. The Chartered Director Programme brings best-in-class solutions and life-long learning to directors. Offering peer-to-peer learning opportunities and access to leading experts, it is ideal for directors who wish to shape the future of leadership in Ireland. 

If you have already successfully completed the Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction, key compents of the IoD Charterd Director Programme, you may now be eligible to attain Chartered Director accreditation. Learn more below. 

(Photographs courtesy of  Damien Eagers @ Coalesce)