- Is the recent California law (SB-826) requiring women on boards good for corporate governance?
- Should it stay? Should it go? Does it matter?
- Does it help or hinder the broader question of board diversity?
- How can boards ensure they have the necessary perspectives at the table?
Many believe that boards that are not representative of the people they serve, and the environments in which they operate, are not performing to their full potential.
Women represent approximately half the global population, yet their presence in the boardroom remains small. Following the lead of some European countries, California is the first state to require women on boards. Though board diversity goes far beyond gender representation, institutional shareholders use the issue of gender equality as an important factor when deciding on whether to support a board’s chair or its various committees. Our panelists will offer their insights into this movement and share both the short and long-term implications of this new mandate.