Harvard Business Review – You’ve Committed to Increasing Gender Diversity on Your Board. Here’s How to Make it Happen.

Despite the fact that the number of directors who rate having more female board members as "very important" has doubled since 2012, progress remains slow. Women hold just 24% of S&P 500 board seats, up only 3 percent from 2012.

To jumpstart progress, Harvard Business Review recommends five courses of action. First, review the benefits of diversity: research shows it leads to greater innovation and decision-making. Second, one is not enough: Egon Zehnder's 2018 Global Board Diversity Tracker stares that you need at least three female directors to achieve a critical mass. Third, since female and non-white directors are less likely to be current or former CEOs, rethink criteria for directors. Fourth, be more rigorous and require a 50-50 slate. Lastly, expanding the size of the board itself provides more opportunities to infuse diverse talent.

Read the full article here.
 

Full Story: You’ve Committed to Increasing Gender Diversity on Your Board. Here’s How to Make it Happen. By Paula Loop and Paul DeNicola. 18 February 2019.