In celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, we spoke with women from our Dynamic Boards NED Community about their experiences on boards, what they find most rewarding about being a Non-Executive Director and how we can work together to inspire more women into the boardroom.
In the final instalment of this series of blogs focusing on women on boards, we are shining a light on Ruth Glazzard, Management Committee Member at The Public Chairs’ Forum – Management Committee Member, Chair at Welsh Revenue Authority and the Vice-Chair of Digital Health and Care Wales.
Why did you become a NED / Chair?
I started my NED career alongside my professional career when I took on a voluntary role as an independent member of a Standards Committee and an Audit Board for a local authority. I was interested in the role as I could represent my local community and use the skills I had from my professional career. I now have a portfolio of NED roles but that wasn’t necessarily planned! I left my last role in financial services just before COVID hit with the intention of going into consulting and building a NED portfolio over a number of years. COVID intervened and board roles were some of the roles which were still recruiting during that time, so here I am!
What do you enjoy about NED work?
The variety, the flexibility, being able to see the difference your decisions and experience can make to organisations, being able to choose to work for organisations with a social purpose, being able to make culture a real focus, meeting people from all aspects of different organisations, learning something new everyday, and too much other stuff to list here!
What would you say to inspire more women to become NEDs?
I would say just go for it! We need a mix of people in boardrooms and whatever skills you have gained from your career, volunteering or life in general, I am certain there is a place for them on a board. One of the best things about board roles is the variety and the fact that one of the key things you have to demonstrate for all board roles is your motivation and link to that particular organisation. That means if you have an interest in a sport, or a particular social issue, a way of working, a part of the country, education, food, farming, the environment, and any number of other things, I can guarantee there is a board out there that will match your interest.
What do you think is holding more women back from becoming NEDs?
Lack of confidence. I speak to lots of women and people from groups which are under-represented on boards and the lack of confidence in applying holds so many people back. Adverts are still very targeted at specific experience rather than skills and this leads people to think they don’t see a way on to that board if they aren’t exactly what’s being asked for. There also isn’t much help out there for people to develop the skills and CV preparation needed to be a credible candidate – shout out to Dynamic Boards who do brilliant work in supporting people with this.
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View our roles
Whether you’re looking for your first board role, or are an existing Non-Executive seeking a new boardroom challenge, you are welcome to sign up and view our roles for free here. Dynamic Boards lists c.100 Non-Executive Director, Chair and Trustee roles every month from all over the UK. We also provide blogs and YouTube videos to encourage and inspire NEDs.
Join our free NED Community
Are you a Non-Executive Director, Trustee or Chair on a UK board? If so, sign up to our free NED Community! We host monthly online meet-ups where we invite guest speakers to contribute on a range of topics as well as allowing time for peer-to-peer support between Non-Execs. If you want to become a more thoughtful and effective board member, register here.
Advertise your role with us
Are you/ your board recruiting a Non-Executive Director, Chair or Trustee? We can help you advertise your role to candidates who will bring the skills, experience and perspectives you need on your board. View information on our advertising options here or contact the Dynamic Boards team at hello@dynamicboards.co.uk.
