73% of top-listed board directors are men: NZX diversity report

Although the gap is closing, top-listed boards are still dominated by men. Photo/123RF.

The number of women directors on listed company boards has jumped in the past year but still remains below 30 per cent.

Figures released by stock exchange operator the NZX show 27 per cent of directors on NZX/S&P50 boards were female in 2017. That is up from 22 per cent the previous year.

Female officers grew from 18 per cent to 20 per cent for the top 50 companies.

Outside the NZX 50 the number of women directors and officers were also up although they remain lower than the top company index.

Female director numbers outside the NZX50 rose from 12 per cent to 14 per cent while the percentage of female officers grew from 16 to 19 per cent.

The annual diversity report also shows more companies now have a diversity policy - growing from 44 per cent in 2016 to 51 per cent.