COVID-19 adds urgency to Asia's push for boardroom diversity

True board independence needed to meet pandemic and other challenges, experts say

20210916 Asia Board Meeting

Companies in the Asia-Pacific region are being urged to diversify their boardrooms, in part to better meet the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. 

GRACE LI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Asia is lagging in boardroom diversity even as COVID-19 highlights the need for a mix of skills and backgrounds to deal with crises, according to a recent report on the region's listed companies.

In a survey of six major Asia-Pacific economies, the CFA Institute, a U.S.-headquartered association of investment professionals, looked at factors such as the ratio of independent directors, average length of tenure and gender diversity on corporate boards.

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