IoD appoints former Financial Mail on Sunday editor to advise on diversity strategy
The Institute of Directors (IoD) has appointed the former editor of the Financial Mail on Sunday, Lisa Buckingham, as a senior consultant.
Buckingham, who is also a special advisor for the government's Start Up Loans company, will be helping to push forward the IoD's wide-ranging diversity strategy. She is known for her work to improve the position of women in business and encouraging companies to work now to ensure they meet the government's 2015 target of 25 per cent female board members.
Simon Walker, director general, said: "Ensuring that female talent is at the heart of the modern business agenda is vital to securing a strong and sustained recovery. Lisa’s proven track record in this area, along with her passion and enthusiasm, will be of immense value to the IoD and of huge benefit to women in business."
In 2010 Buckingham was awarded an OBE for her services to journalism and women's issues. During her 13 years with the Mail on Sunday, she founded the Financial Mail Women's Forum and launched the Financial Freedom newsletters – basic financial, job and housing advice for women leaving prison. The newsletters also included aspirational stories of former prisoners in an attempt to help reduce reoffending.
Buckingham's Breaking the Mould Awards, launched in 2013, recognise companies doing the most to build "a pipeline" of female executive talent. Buckingham says: “Creating a vibrant pipeline to ensure female talent is not lost to business is an issue which is absolutely at the top of the agenda for companies both large and small – particularly with the threat that quotas will be imposed by the UK Government or Brussels unless the numbers of women in the boardroom increases rapidly.”
Before joining the Mail on Sunday, Buckingham was city editor of The Guardian.