US boardroom diversity standards 'vary by region'

A new report into boardroom diversity in the US has revealed variations in standards across the country.

The InterOrganization Network (ION) has published its Eighth Annual Status Report for directors and executive officers of public companies in 14 American regions, finding that New York offers the best rate of female representation at 17.7 per cent.

Maryland and Wisconsin experienced the greatest change in gender composition on corporate boards between 2010 and 2011, while Florida saw the most pronounced rise in the number of female chief executives.

Despite this, Kansas, Missouri and New York were all reported as failing to experience decreases in the number of all-male boards, while the proportion of newly elected male independent directors across all regions still ranged between 70 and 90 per cent.

ION president Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane said: "Although these stagnant numbers are disappointing, they increase our determination to transform the landscape."

This comes after a report from the Conference Board last month suggested that progress in terms of board diversity in the US in recent years has been "painfully slow".