Dear Members,

The GCC has seen the appointment of several women to boards and CEO positions in the past few months, and we are dedicating this quarter’s newsletter to Gender Diversity on Boards.

In February, in just one week, Sarah Al-Suhaimi became the chair of Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, the Tadawul; Rania Nashar became the CEO of Samba Financial Group; and Latifa Al-Sabhan was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Arab National Bank. The GCC BDI congratulates these women on their appointments and we hope to see many more female board members and chief executives in the coming years.

So in this Al Majlis newsletter you can read our in-depth board diversity analysis article and see the practical gender diversity checklist from McKinsey and Co to find out more about how board diversity is critical for business success.
It’s fitting that this wave of senior female appointments comes as our organization celebrates its tenth anniversary in the region. For the past decade we have supported businesses in achieving sustainability and profitability through good corporate governance practices and greater board effectiveness – and that includes cultivating and celebrating diversity on boards. We hope that there will be many more decades of success and progress to come.

Successful workshops
We have hosted several successful events in the last few months. I would like to thank all those who attended The Arab Regulators Conference on 8-9 March in Abu Dhabi, as well as all those participants who attended our board workshops across the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Looking forward, please make a note to save the date for the 5th Chairman Summit. This summit is taking place on 1 November 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The theme of the event is “The World in Transition” in collaboration with Morgan Stanley. This exclusive event is by invitation only.

Another interesting event coming up on the GCC BDI calendar is the two-day ‘Strategy, Scenario Planning and the Role of the Board’ workshop in London, UK from 10–11 July 2017. Take a look at the details here.

Finally, I’d like to remind you that to ensure the long-term development and sustainability of GCC BDI, a small membership fee is being introduced for those who have already enjoyed one year’s free membership. A special introductory offer for the first year is available for those members who sign up early.

We look forward to celebrating the next ten years of GCC BDI with you!

With my warmest regards,
Jane Valls
Executive Director