Equilar GDI: One-Third of New Board Members Were Women in Q1 2018

REDWOOD CITY, CA (May 9, 2018) —For the second consecutive quarter, the Equilar Gender Diversity Index (GDI) moved closer to parity, as the percentage of women on Russell 3000 boards increased in Q1 2018 from 16.5% to 16.9%. This acceleration moved the needle on the GDI from 0.33 to 0.34, where 1.0 represents parity among men and women on corporate boards.

Three key drivers helped push the GDI forward this quarter:

1. Women were appointed to nearly one-third of new director seats in Q1 2018, up from 29.4% in 2017 and 17.9% four years ago.
2. For the first time ever, the percentage of Russell 3000 boards that were all-male dropped below 20%.
3. Over 5% of boards that previously had no women added a female director in the past quarter.

Please click on the image below to view highlights from this quarter’s GDI.

Please click here for more details and commentary on the latest Gender Diversity Index.

About Equilar

Equilar is the leading provider of Board Intelligence Solutions. Its data-driven platforms, BoardEdge and Insight, provide tools for board recruiting, business development, executive compensation and shareholder engagement. Companies of all sizes, including 70% of the Fortune 500 and institutional investors representing over trillion in assets, rely on Equilar for their most important boardroom decisions. Equilar also hosts industry-leading board education symposiums, conducts comprehensive custom research services and publishes award-winning thought leadership. Founded in 2000, Equilar is cited regularly by Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other leading media outlets. Visit www.equilar.com to learn more.