A study by executive search group Heidrick & Struggles found that women filled 31 per cent of board seats that became newly available at Iseq 20 companies in 2020. This compares to a European average of 48 per cent. In 2018, the Iseq 20 was also at the bottom of the pile, with only 29 per cent of board appointments going to women, before soaring to the top in 2019. Heidrick & Struggles said this international perspective suggested Irish companies were “attuned to increasing stakeholder demands that international companies should have international boards”. The share of Iseq 20 boardroom seats going to people who had retired from their executive careers was one of the highest at 61 per cent, compared with a 48 per cent European average.

Source: The Irish Times June 10, 2021 14:00 UTC