New US corporate gender diversity directory published

A new gender diversity directory has been launched in the US as part of a national campaign to promote female executive recruitment.

The 2020 Women on Boards directory ranks more than 1,000 companies and categorises them based on their progress towards achieving the campaign's goal of having 20 per cent of their boards comprised of women by 2020.

It is based on 2010 Fortune 1000 rankings and will be reviewed and updated annually, with the aim of making it easier for corporate stakeholders to evaluate the gender diversity of companies in which they have an interest.

Stephanie Sonnabend, campaign chair and co-founder of 2020 Women on Boards, said: "We are confident that once the public becomes aware of the lack of diversity on company boards, they will encourage companies they invest in, work in and patronise to change."

This comes after a report from the Wall Street Journal last month revealed that hiring of women for US boards remains low, despite the business benefits that have been associated with doing so.