Diversity & Inclusion: What role can Executive Search play? Diversity Inclusion Survey Report | Page 23

A lthough boardroom diversity is increasing, women remain underrepresented and progress is slow. Women held only 22.5% of board seats at S&P 500 companies in 2018. In 2017, women held just a quarter of board seats in the largest publicly listed companies in EU member states. This has led to more proactive measures. For example, in September 2018, California became the first state to introduce quotas requiring publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors. What is needed is for the observed change in attitudes to translate into a change in actions, if the widely reported benefits of balanced female representation are to be realized. “Research shows us that companies in the top quartiles for gender, ethnic and cultural diversity on average lead their industries profit-wise.” Craig Davidge, Granger Reis Alliance for Board Diversity and Deloitte, ‘Missing pieces report: The 2018 board diversity census of women and minorities on Fortune 500 boards’, 2018. Catalyst, ‘Quick Take: Women on Corporate Boards’, 2018. www.invenias.com | [email protected] / 23