Business Wire

Diligent Research Reveals Massive Gaps in How Diversity is Defined and Represented on Corporate Boards Globally

Share

While progress has been made in driving gender diversity on corporate boards, there are still massive gaps in how diversity is defined and represented on boards around the world, according to Diligent, the global leader in modern governance providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG. In fact, new research – revealed at the Modern Governance Summit today, September 12, 2022 – shows that boardroom diversity by race, ethnicity, age and LGBTQ+ representation lags significantly behind gender diversity globally.

The inaugural Board Diversity Gaps: The Global Modern Leadership Report is the first ever global analysis of several major dimensions of boardroom diversity including gender, race/ethnicity and nationality, skillset and LGBTQ+ representation. Produced by Diligent, in collaboration with 22 partnering organizations around the world, the report provides a first-of-its-kind holistic view into the progression of diversity and inclusion on public and private boards worldwide.

“Diversity has risen up the boardroom agenda as organizations face increasing pressure to better reflect the diversity of their customer bases and communities, but progress has been slow and there are still many gaps when it comes to reporting on race, ethnicity and LGBTQ+ representation on boards,” said Lisa Edwards, President and COO of Diligent and board director at Colgate-Palmolive. “This report provides new, critical insights into how boardrooms worldwide are progressing against diversity goals and where there is still much work to be done.”

Among the top findings of the Modern Leadership Report:

  • Diversity by directors’ nationality, race and ethnicity lags gender diversity globally, with the majority of analyzed countries not disclosing the ethnicity of each of the directors on the board. The percentage of S&P 500 directors from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups is only 22% and has not increased since 2021. Meanwhile, the percentages for Fortune 100 and 500 boards are 17.5% and 20.6% respectively as of 2020, and 24% for the Russell 3000 as of June 2022.
  • Director appointments are far from gender parity. Only 36% of director appointments through May 2022 were female, on pace with the average for all of 2021. Female directors currently hold approximately 27% of public company board seats, up from 26% in 2021 and a four percentage point increase from 2019.
  • Female directors trend younger than their male counterparts and have shorter tenures. The average age of female directors is roughly four years younger than their male counterparts, at 60 and 63.5 respectively. Female directors also have shorter tenures than their male counterparts at 4.7 years compared with 7.6.
  • The issue of LGBTQ+ representation significantly lags behind other elements of boardroom diversity, with the U.S. being the only region analyzed that provides this data. Members of the LGBTQ+ community hold only 0.5% of board seats in the Fortune 500.
  • New expertise types are being added to the boardroom, with 35% of newly appointed board directors bringing skillset backgrounds in areas like technology, marketing, sales, HR, ESG and legal in 2022.
  • All-Male Boards Persist for Private Companies. In a review of 228 private growth-stage companies, Diligent found 58% have all-male-boards, compared with only 6% of publicly traded companies. Women hold approximately 11% of board seats on these private companies compared to 27% in public companies.

“The global picture of boardroom diversity today is varied and full of gaps, but what’s overwhelmingly clear is that gender diversity is the primary focus for boards around the world. Board diversity regarding race, ethnicity, age and LGBTQ+ representation fall woefully behind,” said Dottie Schindlinger, Executive Director of the Diligent Institute. “By better understanding the state of boardroom diversity across the globe, we’re able to increase the odds that corporate leadership opportunities will be made available to underrepresented groups.”

Like many organizations in recent years, Diligent has made concerted efforts to better understand and advocate for boardroom diversity. In 2020 Diligent launched Modern Leadership, an initiative to provide boards and senior leaders with the research, insights, partnerships and technology they need to further catalyze diversity in their organizations. This includes the Diligent Director Network — the largest and most diverse community of board-ready executives globally.

Read the full report here: https://www.diligent.com/board-diversity-gaps/

About the Report

The Modern Leadership Report is authored by Diligent Institute, the research arm and think tank of Diligent. Using a combination of quantitative data from company filings, surveys of corporate board members, practitioner insights and director interview, the report aims to provide a more holistic story about the progression of diversity and inclusion on public and private companies worldwide across the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

The report includes contributions from twenty-two external partner organizations including the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), Ascend, Better Boards Initiative, BoardReady, The Center of Excellence for Sustainable Environment and Social Inclusion (COE-SESI), Corporate Board Member, California Partners Project, the Director Diversity Initiative at University of North Carolina, the ESADE Centre for Corporate Governance, European Women on Boards, Hawkamah, Human Resource Governance Leaders (HRGL), INCAE, the Institute of Directors in India, Institut Luxembourgeois des Administrateurs (ILA), the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), Out Leadership and the OutQUORUM Initiative for LGBTQ+ Board Diversity, Spencer Stuart, the University of Lagos, WTW and Women Business Collaborative. Diligent ESG business unit also partnered on the report providing data and commentary to the report.

About Diligent

Diligent is the global leader in modern governance, providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG. Serving more than 1 million users from over 25,000 customers around the world, we empower transformational leaders with software, insights and confidence to drive greater impact and lead with purpose. Learn more at diligent.com.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Media
Julia Hanbury
Senior Communications Manager, Diligent
+1-604-669-4225
Jhanbury@diligent.com

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

DC Secretary Announces Annual Determinations Committees Outcome28.3.2024 23:14:00 EET | Press release

DC Administration Services, Inc. has today announced the composition of five regional Determinations Committees (DCs), effective from April 27, 2024. Voting Dealers (for all regions): Voting Non-Dealers (for all regions): Bank of America N.A. Citadel LLC Barclays Bank plc Elliott Management Corporation BNP Paribas Pacific Investment Management Company LLC Citibank, N.A. Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Voting Dealer for the Americas, EMEA, AEJ, and Japan Determination Committees: Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. The process for selecting DC members is specified in the DC rules. The DC rules, along with more information about the Determinations Committees and what they do can be found at the Determinations Committees website: https://www.cdsdeterminationscommittees.org/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240328441002/en/ Contact information Press Inquiries: Orlando Figueroa orlando.figueroa@citadelspv.com

Faster Recoveries, Improved Security: HTEC and G2 Risk Solutions Join Forces to Advance Bankruptcy Management28.3.2024 19:02:00 EET | Press release

HTEC, a global digital consulting, software engineering, and product development company, is announcing a strategic collaboration with G2 Risk Solutions (G2RS), the preeminent provider of end-to-end bankruptcy technology solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240328622816/en/ HTEC & G2 Risk Solutions Partnership (Photo: Business Wire) Under the agreement, G2RS will engage HTEC to incorporate its leading-edge technology into G2RS’ premier bankruptcy management platform. As the creators of the most comprehensive national bankruptcy database and the first bankruptcy management portal, G2RS is an industry pioneer. By adding HTEC’s premium engineering to the G2RS technology stack, G2RS will offer new and innovative functionalities to help clients expedite financial recoveries, increase data protection, and reduce operational inefficiencies in the bankruptcy management life cycle. “We are thrilled to be a part o

LambdaTest Launches The Phoenix Project, an Employee Resource Group for Women28.3.2024 18:00:00 EET | Press release

LambdaTest, a leading cloud-based unified testing platform, announced the launch of The Phoenix Project, an Employee Resource Group (ERG) dedicated to supporting and promoting the success of its female employees. “LambdaTest is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees feel valued and empowered to reach their full potential,” said Chandini Chopra, VP of People and Culture at LambdaTest. “The Phoenix Project is a critical step towards achieving this goal by providing a platform for professional development, networking, and mentorship, especially for our women employees.” The Phoenix Project Aims To: Offer professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and dedicated time off for women to participate in ERG initiatives. Provide mentorship programs connecting senior female employees with mentees. Promote leadership development among women within the company. Create a sense of community for women in the workplace. Leadership and

The reopening of the Yokohama Museum of Art adds another innovative and distinctive venue for events in Yokohama28.3.2024 18:00:00 EET | Press release

After extensive renovations, the iconic Yokohama Museum of Art has reopened its doors to visitors from all over the world. The museum’s reopening paves the way to new and closer collaboration with international events in Yokohama. This extraordinary venue is the ideal setting for a one-of-a-kind gathering, in part, supported by the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (hereinafter YCVB). The Yokohama Museum of Art Founded in 1989, the Yokohama Museum of Art collects over 14,000 works of art that reflect the many facets of life in Yokohama—past, present, and future. The reopening of the museum coincides with the Yokohama Triennale, an international exhibition featuring contemporary artists whose decentralized exhibits turn the entire metropolis into an art museum. The 8th Yokohama Triennale is being held from March 15 to June 9, 2024, with the Yokohama Museum of Art being a pivotal venue for the exhibition. With the museum firmly back on the map as Yokohama’s leading artistic venue, YC

Eight new sustainability-themed experiences—exclusive to Yokohama—for convention participants28.3.2024 18:00:00 EET | Press release

In a survey conducted by Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (hereinafter YCVB), many convention attendees expressed particular interest in Yokohama’s culture, sightseeing spots, and local cuisine. In response, YCVB has developed eight new Yokohama Tours for event attendees to enjoy during their free time in Yokohama, keeping in line with our ethos of sustainability. Noge Area Bar-Hopping Tour, complete with guide Known affectionately by locals as Yokohama’s kitchen, Noge is a bustling nightlife spot that is home to over 600 izakaya (Japanese-style pubs). A knowledgeable local guide will lead participants to all the hidden gems in Noge, where they can indulge in distinctive, delicious pub-style food and drink. With easy on-foot accessibility, participants can rest assured this fun night out won’t impact their carbon footprint. Soto Zen Tour of Sojiji, head temple of the Soto Zen school As a prominent Zen sect in Japan, Soto Zen provides one of the best Zen wellness experiences. Durin

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye