Breaking the 'blokey' culture in boards

THE old boys' club, at least among the oil majors, is starting to make room for more women. At its annual general meeting on May 20, Royal Dutch Shell is set to bring aboard two additional female directors, including Singaporean Euleen Goh, to its board.

No window dressing, it underlines strong intent, voiced earlier by Shell chairman Jorma Ollila, that it is important for Shell to improve the diversity of its board, where women and people of different ethnicities are under-represented. It is also crucial for the group to have a director from Asia Pacific, …