Out Leadership's 4th annual LGBTQ+ Board Diversity Report is out!
Sponsored by Egon Zehnder and KPMG, "Board Diversity: Shaping the Future of Business" reveals that despite a huge surge in LGBTQ+ inclusive board policies in recent years, the number of actual LGBTQ+ board members lags significantly behind. Out Leadership’s research has had a significant impact on the implementation of LGBTQ+ inclusive policymaking, but there is much more work to do, especially in placing LGBTQ+ leaders on boards.
Key takeaways:
- US progress:
31% of Fortune 500 companies have LGBTQ+-inclusive policies, a 78x increase since 2015.?
- Nasdaq leads:
51% of Nasdaq companies have LGBTQ+-inclusive policies, a 12x increase since 2022, driven by the Nasdaq's board diversity rule, which used Out Leadership’s research.
- Global variation:
Progress varies globally, with some indices like the ASX 200 and Nikkei 225 having less than 10% of companies with LGBTQ+-inclusive policies.
- Intersectionality:
The push for LGBTQ+ inclusion also increases diversity across identity metrics like gender and race.
- Representation remains low:
Despite policy changes, less than 1% of board seats in Fortune 500 companies are held by LGBTQ+ leaders.
We’re taking action: While we’re proud of the progress in policy adoption, true representation requires more action. Last Thursday, we launched The LGBTQ+ Board Alliance at the London Stock Exchange, a new organization designed to turn the increasing number of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Board policies into actual LGBTQ+ representation on boards. Building on years of pioneering work and the complementary strengths of its founding organizations, Audeliss, INvolve - The Inclusion People & Out Leadership, the LGBTQ+ Board Alliance is the authoritative organization advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion on corporate boards on a global scale. We’re hoping to make history!
Check out the full report: https://lnkd.in/eSy3R8PE
Susan Angele, Todd Sears, Michael Ensser
