Annual Census Shows Progress for Women Moving into Texas Corporate Boardrooms
DALLAS, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board Connection, a Texas-based nonprofit organization, has released its annual census of women serving on the corporate boards inside the 45 Texas-headquartered Fortune 500 companies, and there is good news.
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The fifth edition of the census, sponsored in part by Haynes and Boone, LLP, shows significant progress in gender diversity in the boardroom, including an overall increase in the percentage of board seats filled by women. Meanwhile, the number of corporations with no female directors is gradually shrinking.
"We are optimistic that this trend will continue and that Texas will soon match and surpass other states and become a leader in this area," said Haynes and Boone Partner Kit Addleman, a member of the organization's board of directors. "Congratulations to all the companies cited for their advancements in the latest census."
Compiled with the assistance of KPMG, the census results for 2014 show that the number of Texas Fortune 500 corporations with no women on their boards of directors dropped from 22.2 percent in 2013 to 13.3 percent in 2014. Nationally, the companies with no women on boards dropped from 9.3 percent to 6.9 percent.
On another front, the percent of Texas Fortune 500 board seats occupied by women increased from 14.1 in 2013 to 15.9 percent in 2014, while the national figure went from 17.5 to 19 percent.
"Boardroom diversity has become top-of-mind for many companies as they seek to broaden their perspectives and remain competitive in today's complex business world," said President Gayle Anderson and Founder Melisa Denis in releasing the census results. "Leaders here in Texas, across the nation, and around the globe are joining our call to action as there is an increasing awareness of the need for change on multiple fronts.
"We are very encouraged by these recent trends and look forward to sharing more positive reports in the years to come."
To retrieve the full version of the latest report, please follow this link.
About The Board Connection
Established in 2009, The Board Connection is a Texas-based nonprofit organization formed to identify, educate, and connect qualified executive professional women in Texas to opportunities for corporate board positions. TBC offers an ongoing assessment to empower women to acquire the needed skill sets and to develop a personal, professional brand. To build a pipeline of board candidates who are within three to five years of readiness, TBC offers training for candidates for board service, providing them with a clear understanding of corporate governance, board structure, and expectations for board responsibility.
About Haynes and Boone
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Shanghai and Mexico City, providing a full spectrum of legal services in technology, financial services, energy and private equity. With more than 550 attorneys, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest law firms in the nation by The National Law Journal. In 2014 the firm was named the Best National Firm for Diversity in North America in the Americas Women in Business Law Awards.
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SOURCE Haynes and Boone, LLP
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