Starfish is committed to supporting organisations that want to improve their diversity. One of the most effective ways to deliver positive change is to address the diversity of non-executive Boards. Having inclusive board recruitment practices and being prepared to recognise and value the contributions offered by a broader range of backgrounds holds the key.

After many years of supporting candidates who have been through board recruitment processes, we thought it was time that we made better use of the insights we’ve gained. We decided to create an initiative that would encourage and support would-be non-executives from all walks of life who want to join boards, but simply don’t know how to access opportunities and get started.

Our aim is to help to contribute 50 ‘boardroom ready’ first time non-executives to organisations we work with by the end of 2023, and we are on target to achieve this.

We hope that you enjoy seeing a Snapshot of some of the candidates we’ve helped place into their first non-executive roles and listening to the stories of those who have already made this journey, and that you feel inspired to follow them. The articles featured capture the many observations we have made about what really matters in board work and what you can do to help support the start of your journey towards gaining your first board role.