Bangalore, 1st September, 2016: FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) develops various initiatives to help empower women. With the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) having mandated that all listed companies have at least one woman board member, the FLO Women Directors (FWD) initiative aims to build capabilities in this area. This national initiative is undertaken in association with the KPMG Board Leadership Center in India.
The day-long workshop aims to empower qualified women gain confidence to effectively contribute in the board context. The sessions were conducted by senior partners at KPMG in India. The topics included roles, responsibilities and liabilities of directors; risks, controls, audit and compliance; and understanding of financial statements. The program also included an experience sharing session by Akila Krishna Kumar, a prominent woman director living in Bangalore.
Dr. Swarnalatha Mallavarapu, Chairperson - FLO Bangalore Chapter said, “Investing in women’s empowerment sets a direct path towards inclusive growth and with FLO Women Directors (FWD) we aim to up skill our women executives and enable them to become effective leaders. This workshop will help women executives make meaningful contributions to the boards they are present in. KPMG in India is a pioneer in business excellence and we’re immensely proud to associate with them for this initiative.”
Lakshmi Ishwar, SrVice Chair and Head, FWD FICCI-FLO Bangalore Chapter said, "We are delighted to partner with the KPMG Board Leadership Center in India and this is our second year of building capabilities for enhancing the effectiveness of women directors. Our members are very keen on this FWD (FLO Women Directors) initiative."
The interactive workshop was conducted by senior partners of KPMG in India and all participants were issued certificate of participation upon completion of the workshop. These workshops would be conducted in five cities across India.
Pankaj Arora, Partner, Governance Risk and Compliance Services at KPMG in India said, “We are happy to associate with FLO and Women Corporate Directors on this initiative for women directors. We believe that this workshop will equip them with some tools and resources required to make contributions towards running a successful enterprise and taking informed and impactful business decisions.”
About FLO
FLO was established in 1983 as a division of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has chapters in 14 cities in India. The Bangalore Chapter is in its fourth year and has a diverse membership of professional, entrepreneurs and corporate executives.
About KPMG Board Leadership Center:
KPMG Board Leadership Center champions outstanding governance to help drive long-term corporate value and enhance investor confidence. Through an array of programmes and perspectives—including KPMG’s Audit Committee Institute—the Center engages with directors and business leaders to help articulate their challenges and promote corporate governance. Drawing on insights from KPMG’s professionals and governance experts worldwide, the Center delivers actionable thought leadership—on risk and strategy, talent and technology, globalisation and compliance, financial reporting, and audit quality, and more—all through a board’s lens.