Cognitive diversity: The DNA for creative, connected, & collaborative boards

Cognitive diversity: The DNA for creative, connected, & collaborative boards

How do global approaches to DEI differ from regionally, what can we learn from them? 

• DE&I efforts are essential in all regions.
• What is done in one region can have an impact on what happens in other regions, and in their boardrooms.
• We need to think about where the differences are being made in DE&I beyond box ticking and window dressing exercises.
• In the UAE, DE&I is reflecting the global trend. The government established a Ministry of Tolerance to help foster a sense of belonging.
• In Saudi Arabia, there is a 2030 vision where the aim is to diversify the economy and promote equal opportunities.
• The multiple communities that live in UAE make it a challenging location, so many efforts need to be implemented to embed DE&I.

How can boards and senior leadership teams actively champion diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond just meeting quotas? Where have you seen this being done well?

• Leaders in the c-suite need to get away from symbolic gestures and tokenism of compliance. As leaders, you need to understand your value system and take ownership of your principles.
• Good examples of organisations that do this are Accenture and Johnson&Johnson, among others. 
  • They ensure that external and internal stakeholders are clear on how DE&I matters.
  • These organisations create a sense of psychological safety.
  • They educate internal stakeholders and external stakeholders to ensure everyone who touches the company is on board with the DE&I programme.
• As a board, you need to create psychological safety so that everyone feels like they can bring their voice to the table whether they agree or disagree.
• Cognitive diversity helps to illuminate different voices.
• Measuring inclusivity is essential to ensure progress is being made through training and stakeholder engagement.
• Everybody must embody inclusive leadership from our homes, into daily life and into our offices.
• The next dimension of DE&I leadership is thinking about AI and how to bring along people who will be left behind as a result of it.

How can you stitch the DNA of DEI culture into the governance structure of an organisation?

• Building an organisational culture takes time. Embedding a culture of DE&I into an organisation as part of this needs to happen at the top first.
  • The leadership needs to be committed to its outcome
  • The organisation needs to set goals, communicate them and be accountable to them
  • The board must lead by example by being diverse in its make up
  • Policies should be in alignment with the strategy
  • HR has a responsibility to help embed this

What are the barriers in the way of DEI

• A barrier to incorporating a DE&I strategy is that change is slow
  • It can take longer to make decisions because you’re hearing more voices
  • How we frame information can skew the conversation
  • Unconscious bias
• Be transparent about your DE&I policy to all employees to ensure everyone knows about it
• Bring more diverse role models into your organisation.
• When an organisation has multiple nationalities or multiple cultures the challenge can be that everyone needs to be trained and made aware of what DE&I is.
• If you’re doing a board evaluation, you need to compare your DE&I data against organisations in your industry.

The global political landscape is shifting dramatically as we close 2024 and with it a growing backlash on ESG and DEI. 

What kind of challenge does this pose to boards and organisations in different regions invested in these approaches? How can they stay aligned with their ethical decision-making?

Join us for our end of year panel discussion where we’ll discuss why now, more than ever, organisations need leaders who can think differently about the world around them. 

Hear from the panel why cognitive diversity is the key to developing a sustainable, ethical business that customers and employees will continue to demand in 2025 and beyond.

Spend a riveting 60 minutes with our global panel of experts.

David W. Duffy is Co Founder and Chair of the Corporate Governance Institute.
David is Ireland’s leading authority on corporate governance, as a thought leader, educator, practitioner, evangelist and author on corporate governance. He has had four books published to date based on his practical experience.  His next book “A Practical Guide to Corporate Governance” – will be published by Chartered Accountants Ireland in 2025.He has brought fresh and dynamic thinking to the education of aspiring and existing directors through the provision of stimulating online learning and also introduced AI into the learning process for directors. The Corporate Governance Institute has been a trailblazer in director education providing the first online and accredited Diploma in Corporate Governance and a Diploma in ESG. Today it has customers in over 80 countries.
He has conducted over 200 board and governance evaluations and reviews for regulated and unregulated bodies. These include, public and private companies, state funded organisations, charities, membership bodies, sports organisations etc. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree and is a Chartered Accountant from PWC in London. He also holds an MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Dr Rola Hammoud is a senior healthcare physician executive with over 30 years of experience in Anesthesiology and 20 years of experience in healthcare management, leadership and consultancy on governance, strategy, and quality healthcare service delivery.She has previously held many C suite level and board member positions in different institutions in the middle east. Today she is leading the commissioning program of all new projects at Fakeeh Care Group. She is  the President of the ACHE-MENA and the  founder of the “Lebanese Society for Quality & Safety in Healthcare” , an ISQua expert and a member of Harvard Business review council, Dr Hammoud continues to bring to the healthcare industry her knowledge, experience and skills in building high reliability organisations.Karima Mariama-Arthur is a corporate attorney and leading authority on leadership development and organisational performance management. She advises distinguished organisations from Washington DC to Dubai. Her expert insights help clients to successfully navigate today’s ever-changing and competitive global business environment. Karima is the author of the internationally acclaimed leadership guidebook, Poised For Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond. Karima speaks regularly both nationally and internationally and serves in an advisory capacity on select corporate boards.

Karima Mariama-Arthur is a corporate attorney and leading authority on leadership development and organisational performance management. She advises distinguished organisations from Washington DC to Dubai. Her expert insights help clients to successfully navigate today’s ever-changing and competitive global business environment. Karima is the author of the internationally acclaimed leadership guidebook, Poised For Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond. Karima speaks regularly both nationally and internationally and serves in an advisory capacity on select corporate boards.

Dr. Sharmla Chetty is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming organizations and society through innovative leadership. With a strong passion for sustainable outcomes, she emphasizes human-centered approaches to leadership in an era of digital transformation. Her thought leadership addresses critical issues such as inclusion, women in leadership, board dynamics, and the impact of AI on these areas. With extensive global experience across industries, Sharmla has collaborated with clients in 85 countries. She founded Duke CE’s Lead with Her platform to empower women, co-founded the mentoring initiative #MillionYoungMinds, and serves on the board of Women Leading Africa. Sharmla holds a doctorate in Professional Studies from Middlesex University London, an MBA from Henley Business School in the UK, and a master’s in management and executive coaching from Wits Business School. She also studied at the University of Johannesburg, earning qualifications in human resources development and a master’s certificate in training and development.