IMPACTING CHANGE

The Florida Census of Women Public Company Directors: 2023 is a collaboration of the International Women’s Forum in Florida, the Florida Women Corporate Directors, 50/50 Women on Boards, and Women’s Executive Leadership, to promote the inclusion of women on corporate boards in Florida and to monitor the status of women on these boards. Based on Russell 3000 rankings among the 25 states with more than 20 public companies, as of June 30, 2023, Florida is currently in second to last place.

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This analysis compares the presence of women on boards at the 124 public companies in Florida on the R3000 with all R3000 companies to determine why Florida is underperforming. We looked at sector, company size, board size and both socio-economic and political factors and found no compelling reason for Florida companies’ lack of gender diversity.

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Companies in Florida’s peer states have generally reached three or more women on their boards and are continuing to add more, while the bulk of Florida companies stand at two or less. Research suggests that companies with three women directors on their board experience greater benefits than companies with fewer women in their respective industry sectors.

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We conclude that there is an opportunity to increase awareness of Florida’s current board gender diversity numbers and to share information on resources that are available to find diverse candidates.