These findings are part of a study conducted by Community Business, a Hong Kong nonprofit specializing in corporate governance, in partnership with Heidrick & Struggles; the 2017 report is the latest in a series that began in 2009.
First the good news
The proportion of women serving on corporate boards in Hong Kong rose slightly in 2016. Among the top 50 companies listed on the Hang Seng Index (HSI), women represented 12.4% of directors in 2016, up from 11.1% in each of the two preceding years. The number of HSI companies with all-male boards also dropped.
Furthermore, for the first time one-fifth of the top 50 companies have reached 20% or more female representation on their boards. This is an important milestone in light of the recent interim goal set by Hong Kong’s 30% Club to increase the percentage of women directors on all HSI company boards to 20% by 2020.