In 2010 Women made up only 12.5% of the members of the corporate boards of FTSE100 companies. This was up from 9.4% in 2004. But the rate of increase is too slow.
The Higgs Review found that the majority of NEDs in UK companies are white, middle-aged males of British origin with previous plc director experience. In the survey of companies completed for the Higgs Review, non-British nationals accounted for only 7% of NED positions, while British citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds accounted for only 1% of such positions.
According to a US survey, only about one board in five had a member with expertise in human capital management.
In 2019, a record 59 percent of the directors added to the boards of S&P 500 companies were women or were men belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group.