Topic:  Your Path to the Boardroom

Speakers:  Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, Chief Executive Officer, and Heather Spilsbury, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, 50/50 Women on Boards

Presentation:
- Discover the progress women have made on boards, and when we are expected to reach gender parity.
- Gain business insights on what boards are searching for in potential candidates.
- Discover the steps to map your path to the boardroom.

Speakers' bios:

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire 
CEO, 50/50 Women on Boards 

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire is CEO of 50/50 Women on Boards™, the global education and advocacy campaign committed to accelerating gender balance and diversity on corporate boards. She is the author of two books on the topic, "The Board Game: How Smart Women Become Corporate Directors” and “Winning the Board Game: How Women Directors Make the Difference.” Both books offer real-world guidelines and profiles of current women corporate directors for helping women seek board positions as their ultimate career goal.

As a statewide past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners-California (NAWBO-CA), Betsy led NAWBO-CA’s successful campaign to secure passage of SB826, effective January 2019, the first and only law in the U.S. requiring every public company in California to have at least three women board members before year-end 2021. She previously volunteered on the boards of the Southern California Leadership Network and UCLA Medical Center, and the consumer advisory board for SoCal Edison.

For 27 years, Betsy has been the CEO and co-founder of Berkhemer Clayton, Inc., a retained executive search firm based in Los Angeles that specializes in senior-level searches at corporations, universities and nonprofit organizations. Her firm is distinguished for its commitment to advancing gender and ethnic diversity on corporate boards and in senior management positions throughout the country, with 44% of placed management candidates women and 36% men and women of color.

Before founding Berkhemer Clayton with Fred Clayton, Betsy built and sold one of the largest independent public relations firms in Southern California.  Betsy is a UCLA graduate.

Heather Spilsbury 
Chief Operating and Marketing Officer

Heather Spilsbury is a highly accomplished Chief Operating and Marketing Officer with over 20 years of experience in marketing, operations, digital advertising, and e-commerce. She currently leads 50/50 Women on Boards, a non-profit educational and advocacy organization that aims to increase diversity on corporate boards. 

Heather's strategic planning, ideation and execution have tripled the organizations audiences, partnerships, and increased the percentage of funds dedicated to supporting the campaign's efforts from 70% to 84%.

Before joining 50/50 Women on Boards, Heather was the VP of Marketing and Strategy at The Sheppard, a creative agency in Los Angeles. There, she established the agency's marketing division and grew its EBITDA from $3 million to $26 million.

Heather is also an active volunteer and serves on the board of Hispanic Public Relations Association in Los Angeles and UC Riverside Extension. She holds a degree in Business Management and Economics from Seattle University, with a minor in Painting. As a continual learner, Heather holds certifications in crisis communication, data analytics, and predictive modeling from UCLA Extension. She is also Google/Bing certified in Display, Search, Video, and Analytics.