Why having more women in corporate leadership is vital

AS WOMEN advance in the workplace, we seem reluctant to highlight the unique skills and perspectives we bring to the table. This is one of the key trends I observed at the Asia Pacific Women's Forum in June, which AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte Ltd (AIG) co-organised with Singapore Management University, Thomson Reuters and Marsh.

It is understandable that women wish to be perceived as no different from men in the workplace. Nonetheless, I think it is worth celebrating differences, as well as similarities. We all bring our own array of strengths, and I have found that a complementary balance of strengths and perspectives almost always yields the most effective working teams.

Women provide balance to a team and diversity of thought. Public and private sector companies with women in leadership positions tend to outperform those with all-male leadership. McKinsey's Women Matter: An Asian Perspective report found that companies in the top quartile for women's representation on executive committees outclassed those with no women in both EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) margin and return on equity.