Women on Boards, the premier global education and advocacy campaign committed to increasing the number of women on corporate boards, has honored Independent Bank as a "W" for "Winning" company because its corporate board had at least 20% women directors during 2019.
Independent Bank has three women directors out of ten total members, which means women hold 30% of its corporate board seats. 2020 Women on Boards annually tracks, analyzes and reports on the progress of numbers of women on the Russell 3000 company boards. As a campaign dedicated to education and collaboration, 2020WOB recognizes companies, including Independent Bank, that exhibit good corporate governance. A “Winning” company is identified among Russell 3000 public corporations for having achieved the goal of at least 20% of its board seats held by women.
In 2019, the Russell 3000 reached the historic national landmark of 20.4% women holding corporate board positions, up from 17.7% in 2018, per the Gender Diversity Index report that 2020 Women on Boards publishes annually.
“We are very honored to receive this recognition by Women on Boards,” said Brad Kessel, President and CEO of Independent Bank. “Independent Bank is privileged to have Joan A. Budden, Christina L. Keller, and Ronia F. Kruse as highly esteemed members of the Independent Bank Corporation Board of Directors.”
It’s even more critical now, at a time when the business world is transforming a total shift in board governance practices, that we recognize leading companies, including Independent Bank, that appreciate having business-savvy women on their boards as a competitive advantage,” said Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO of 2020 Women on Boards. “Even with the positive national momentum, U.S. companies are still a long way from gender balance in the boardroom. And Independent Bank is showing the way.”