Number of women Chairs in top Australians firms hit record-high

The number of women Chairs in ASX 200 and 300 firms reached a record high by the end of June, according to the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

The AICD's analysis of board diversity data revealed that the number of women Chairs at ASX 300 firms increased from 34 at the beginning of the year to 42, representing 14.3% of all chairs in the ASX group.

There are also 25 women Chairs at ASX 200 firms, up from 19 at the beginning of the year, and 12.6% of the total Chairs in the ASX group.

For ASX 100 and ASX 50 firms, the analysis revealed there are 14 and five women Chairs, respectively.

_{Source: The Australian Institute of Company Directors}

"It's encouraging to witness more and more women leading at the highest levels and shaping corporate Australia," said AICD managing director and CEO Mark Rigotti in a statement.

"A cornerstone of this commitment is the AICD's Chair's Mentoring Programme, which has played a part in the great progress we have seen over the past decade in creating more gender-balanced boards."

Zero at ASX 20

Despite these milestones, the AICD found that there are no women Chairs on the ASX 20. However, women make up 43.6% of the boards of ASX 20 firms, the highest percentage across all ASX groups.

_{Source: The Australian Institute of Company Directors}

"With no women Chairs currently on the ASX 20, there is still more work to be done and the AICD remains committed to ensuring that accomplished women are visible," Rigotti said.

Nicola Wakefield Evans, Chair of the 30% Club Australia, said it is "unclear" why there are no women chairs at Australia's top 20 companies.

"The ASX 20 is leading the way on the percentage of women on boards, but obviously there is more work to be done when it comes to the role of Chair," Evans said in a statement. "A ceiling still exists for women's participation at the top of boards as well as at the top of our largest organisations, in the c-suite."

According to Evans, it would be up to an organisation's board to ensure their company's policies and procedures support equal opportunities and ensure women gain progress in terms of leadership.

The 30% Club Australia is an organisation established in 2015 advocating for greater women's representation in leadership positions at top Australian firms.