Growing Women Leaders for Boardroom
Corporate Supporters
IWBD Industry Committees
Designing the Boardroom for Women, Together
IWBD Industry Committees bring together a curated global community of senior leaders through quarterly, one-hour, closed-door meetings, designed to fit seamlessly into executive schedules. These are not events, but focused, invitation-only discussions for IWBD members, creating a trusted space for meaningful exchange, where leaders share industry perspectives, explore emerging trends, and examine how leadership expectations are evolving and shaping women’s pathways to executive and board roles. Through active contribution and strategic dialogue, members help generate collective insights that are consolidated into IWBD’s global point of view, advancing the mission to grow the number of women in the boardroom. Participating offers the opportunity to contribute to real impact, engage with a high-caliber network, and be part of a community that turns expertise into action.
IWBD Industry Committees Report with Wilton & Bain
Leadership pathways are shaped through a series of deliberate choices — how talent is recognized, how visibility is created, and how influence is built over time.
The IWBD Industry Committees Report brings together insights from 36 leadership discussions across 9 industries, reflecting real perspectives from senior leaders shaping organizations today.
What This Report Explores
Across industries, several consistent themes emerged:
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Visibility as a leadership discipline, not an outcome
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Sponsorship as a driver of progression, linked to real decisions
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Leadership evaluation systems that shape who is recognized
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Strategic participation in leadership ecosystems and networks
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The growing role of governance, sustainability, and AI in leadership expectations
These insights reflect how leadership is being experienced — and redefined — in practice.
From Insight to Action
The report outlines practical actions for organizations and leaders:
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Institutionalizing sponsorship into leadership pathways
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Redesigning how leadership potential is assessed
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Strengthening visibility through intentional positioning
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Formalizing board readiness through structured development
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Encouraging leaders to engage in the right circles with purpose and contribution
IWBD Boardroom Insights with Wilton&Bain
Virtual Session
Join us for a closed-door IWBD member session reflecting on the report:
Date: April 10, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM UAE | 1:00 PM CET
To join the virtual session and receive the report:
This session will bring together insights across industries and explore how these perspectives translate into leadership action.
Industry Committees – Next Cohort
The IWBD Industry Committees bring together a curated group of senior leaders:
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7–9 members per committee
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Quarterly 1-hour hybrid sessions
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Confidential, insight-driven discussions
Next cohort begins end of April. Sign up today.
Our Community Say
"What differentiates IWBD is that it is board-outcome oriented, not only community-oriented. Many platforms focus on inspiration, networking, or skills in isolation. IWBD is distinct because it connects capability-building, credibility, visibility, and access to real board pathways. Three things stand out:
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Boardroom Readiness with global credibility – through structured programs like the Boardroom Readiness Certificate with SP Jain Global, IWBD anchors development in governance standards and board-level expectations.
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Courage as a leadership muscle – the Courage Awards signal that stepping into board leadership is not only about competence, but about confidence, visibility, and the willingness to take up space in high-stakes environments.
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A platform rooted in outcomes, not optics – IWBD is designed to increase real representation at the C-level and on boards, not just create visibility for the conversation around women in leadership.
This positions IWBD as a serious, credible pathway into boardrooms — not just a leadership community. And that distinction matters."
Rana Ghandour Salhab, Deloitte Managing Partner | People & Purpose
IWBD Academy partners with organisations to strengthen how women lead, influence, and create impact across every level — shaping perspectives, guiding decisions, and contributing to cultures where talent continues to grow and thrive.
IWBD Academy has designed this accelerator to strengthen the leadership behaviours that define how organisations move forward — how perspectives shape direction, how voices contribute with clarity, how decisions are guided, and how collaboration drives meaningful progress.
The experience reinforces:
• clarity and perspective in how leaders think and communicate
• confidence in contribution and decision-making
• human-centered leadership as a driver of trust and alignment
• sponsorship and support as intentional leadership practices
• collaboration as a catalyst for performance and innovation
• energy, focus, and forward momentum across teams
Together, these drivers define IWBD Academy’s approach to leadership — enabling women to lead with clarity, elevate their impact, and contribute to shaping the future with strength and purpose
IWBD at Saudi Arabia's largest Creative Festival, Athar as the Community Partner
Growing Presence & Boardroom Potential
We’re excited to announce that IWBD is an official Community Partner at the Athar Festival 2025 in Riyadh, took place October 21–22. As part of your IWBD membership, we offered exclusive ticket access to two powerful days of leadership activations, networking, and insight — all designed to help you strengthen your executive presence and visibility.
On October 21, we ran a session at the Community Stage for “Authentically Yours”, a personal branding masterclass led by IWBD Chairwoman Ebru Tuygun, featuring a fireside chat with Nazlı Berberoglu, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company (UAE, Oman, Bahrain & Qatar). The session offered hands-on tools to define your personal brand, expand your influence, and lead with authenticity. On October 22, Ebru moderated a strategic CEO panel, “The Business of Creativity”, featuring top regional leaders from Coca-Cola, Unilever, VML, and Impact BBDO. In addition, we presented the "Creative Leader of the Year" Award brought by IWBD. Our focus was clear — to inspire more women to step forward with confidence, visibility and influence.
Because when women master their executive presence, understand the business behind creativity, and are recognized for their impact, they move closer to the boardroom — where leadership decisions are made, and where change truly begins.
As a bonus, IWBD members were also invited to a special IWBD x Snapchat event at Snapchat’s Riyadh office on October 21 — part of our GCC Inspiration Series — focused on growing your profile for board leadership.
Inspirational Events
Global CEO View
“Courage, clarity, and resilience unlock the path to transformation — even in industries where few women have led before.”
Meg O’Neill
Future CEO of BP Global, current CEO of Woodside Petroleum
