Get Konnected, Eastern Bank & ALPFA Hold Forum on Board Diversity

The Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting and Get Konnected! are coming together to host a forum on diversifying corporate boards in an effort to increase racial and gender diversity on corporate and public sector boards and commissions in the state.

The event is titled “Women and People of Color: The Missing Link on Corporate Boards” and will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 27 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on 600 Atlantic Avenue.

The Boston Globe’s business columnist Shirley Leung and Colette Philips, president and CEO of Colette Philips Communications and founder of Get Konnected!, are co-moderators for the forum.

Get Konnected! aims to bring together urban professionals, business executives and entrepreneurs of diverse cultures, across industries and sectors with a bimonthly networking events.

“The topic of diversity on corporate and public sector boards and commissions is both timely and important, particularly as Massachusetts and the country are becoming more culturally diverse,” Phillips said.

According to the nonprofit organization Catalyst, women hold 17% of corporate board’s seats and that figure has not changed in eight years. The Alliance for Board Diversity reports that white men account for 73% of the board seats of Fortune 500 companies, noting little change over the last decade.

“The issue of increasing gender and racial diversity on corporate boards is not only a business imperative, but a competitive advantage,” said Eastern Bank’s Robert F. Rivers, President and Chief Operating Officer. “At Eastern Bank, we see a direct correlation between diversity and sustainable growth and profitability. I applaud the efforts of Get Konnected! and ALPFA in hosting this very important forum. It is well documented that people of color and women on corporate boards are good for business – it’s also the right thing to do.”

Discussion panelists include Rivers, former president and CEO of Sonesta Hotel and founder of 20/20 Women on Corporate Boards Stephanie Sonnabend, Ferdinand Alvaro, partner in charge of Boston office of Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, executive director of multicultural marketing for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Juliette Mayers, and independent director and trusted advisor Boards and the C-Suite Lucinda Doran.

To register click Get Konnected May 27th 2014 eVite