Tag: global

A Tribute to the Trailblazers – Watch Our 15-Year Celebration Film

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Looking Back with Pride. Looking Ahead with Purpose.

 

To mark the 15th anniversary of the 30% Club UK, we created a special video tribute – not only to commemorate how far we’ve come, but to honour the people who made it possible.

 

Premiered at our celebration evening at Claridge’s, this film is a heartfelt look back at the beginnings of the 30% Club. You’ll hear from founding Chairs, Steering Committee members, and passionate supporters who reflect on what it took to turn the 30% Club into a global movement.

 

Fifteen years ago, saying “we need more women on boards” was provocative. Today, it’s widely accepted. But that transformation didn’t happen overnight. It happened because individuals were willing to speak up, challenge norms, and put inclusion at the top of the business agenda.

 

This video is our tribute to the many who took that first step:

 

The founders who put their names – and reputations – on the line.

 

The Chairs and CEOs who signed up and opened boardroom doors.

 

The advocates and volunteers who built momentum on the ground.

 

And the next generation of leaders, already making their mark.

 

As we look to the future, our focus is shifting towards the executive pipeline – supporting women not only to join the boardroom but to lead it. Representation at ExCo -1 and -2 is the next frontier, and we’re committed to unlocking those leadership pathways.

 

Thank you to everyone who has supported us across the past 15 years – and to those joining us for the next 15.

15 Years of Impact: The 30% Club’s Journey

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From 12.5% to 44.7% – How a Bold Idea Sparked a Global Movement

 

When the 30% Club launched in 2010, just 12.5% of FTSE 100 board seats were held by women. That stark imbalance sparked the formation of a movement that set out to change the face of leadership, not just in the UK, but around the world.

 

Our new timeline marks the key milestones and turning points over the past 15 years, offering a visual reminder of what sustained advocacy, collaboration and courage can achieve. Click here to view the PDF in detail.

30% Club Timeline 2010-2025

The Early Days (2010–2012)

 

The concept for the 30% Club was born in early 2010 when there were just 12.5% of women on FTSE 100 boards. Founding Chair Helena Morrissey brought together high-profile Chairs and CEOs who were willing to challenge the status quo, and a dedicated group of women to make up the first 30% Club SteerCo.

 

By 2012, the number of Chairs signing up to the 30% Club had grown to 50 – proving change was not only necessary, but possible.

 

Momentum Builds (2013–2016)

 

The 30% Club went global, with the 30% Club Hong Kong chapter launch. The club also turned its vision towards the pipeline and executive education with the launch of our first scholarship programme, in partnership with Henley Business School and the FT.

 

The UK saw a significant rise in women on boards during this time period, supported by initiatives like the “Cracking the Code” report and further international expansion into the US, Southern Africa, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Canada, Ecuador and Malaysia.

 

By 2015, the percentage of women on UK boards had risen to 23.5%.

 

Making progress (2017–2020)

 

Research reports, mentoring initiatives, more scholarship programmes and CEO campaigns drove deeper change. The percentage of women on UK FTSE 100 boards rose to 36.2%

 

Accelerating Impact (2021–2024)

 

The Club hit a landmark moment – there were no all-male boards left in the FTSE 100. During these years, new campaigns, data releases and Chair-led working groups focused on building the pipeline of future leaders.

 

By the end of 2024, women made up 44.7% of FTSE 100 board roles, and the conversation has now shifted to how we can improve the number of women in executive leadership positions – to date only 9% of FTSE 100 companies have a woman in the CEO position.

 

2025 and Beyond: The Work Continues

 

Our focus in the UK now extends to the executive pipeline – ensuring women are not only present, but poised to lead at every level.  As we head towards our 16th year, we’re doubling down on our mission to make inclusive leadership the norm, not the exception.

 

View our celebration video here.

Jennifer Barker named Global Chair of 30% Club

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LONDON, March 6, 2025 –- 30% Club, a business-led campaign to boost female representation at the board and C-Suite level in the world’s biggest companies, has announced the appointment of Jennifer Barker, Global Head of Treasury Services and Depositary Receipts at BNY, as its fifth Global Chair.

Jennifer brings a wealth of financial services experience and was recently named as one of ‘The Most Powerful Women in Banking’ by American Banker. In addition to her responsibilities spearheading BNY’s Treasury Services and Depositary Receipts businesses, Jennifer is a member of the BNY Executive Committee. Jennifer serves on the Ross School of Business Advisory Board, the board of Physicians for Peace and is a member of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Women’s Roundtable.

 

At BNY, Jennifer previously served as the Executive Sponsor for WIN, the company’s employee resource group supporting the retention and advancement of women, and today proudly serves as the Executive Sponsor for VETNET, BNY’s employee resource group supporting veterans, military spouses, family members and their colleagues.

 

“I’m delighted to take on this role as Global Chair of 30% Club,” said Jennifer Barker, Global Head of Treasury Services and Depositary Receipts at BNY. “I firmly believe an environment where all people can fully contribute, be themselves, and share their unique perspectives, ultimately leads to better commercial outcomes. That’s why I’m committed to advancing the campaign’s goal of encouraging CEOs and Chairs to strengthen every stage of their talent pipeline and cultivate the conditions for future leaders to not only thrive but progress into senior, decision-making positions.”

Jennifer succeeds Hanneke Smits, who assumed the role of Global Chair in February 2023. Under Hanneke’s leadership, 30% Club evolved its mission to ensure that businesses target diversity beyond the boardroom and in the C-suite. Hanneke, who retired as Chair of BNY Investments at the end of 2024, will continue to champion the campaign’s ambitions as a Global Ambassador.

“On behalf of 30% Club’s global chapters and members, we are delighted to welcome Jennifer as Global Chair,” said Hanneke Smits, outgoing Global Chair of 30% Club. “As a leader of some of BNY’s fastest-growing revenue-generating businesses, Jennifer is a fantastic role model to drive forward the campaign’s aim of addressing barriers to progression to senior roles, particularly P&L roles which give leaders a higher career path success for coveted CEO and Chair positions.”

“It has been a true privilege to serve as Global Chair,” added Hanneke. “I remain a fervent advocate of 30% Club’s strategic goals, and I’m excited to see what the campaign achieves next.”

Today, the 30% Club campaign’s global members include more than 1,000 board chairs and CEOs from 20 markets spanning across 6 continents.
Headshot & Logo - Jennifer Barker
Headshot & Logo - Hanneke Smits (1)

Media contacts

 

30% Club

 

Mary Strange mary@30percentclub.org

Gay Collins gaycollins@montfort.london

Simone Selzer sselzer@brunswickgroup.com

 

BNY

 

Anneliese Diedrichs anneliese.diedrichs@bny.com 

Saurav Karia Saurav.karia@bny.com

About 30% Club

 

The 30% Club is a global campaign led by Chairs and CEOs taking action to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels of the world’s biggest companies. We set targets of a minimum of 30% female representation at the board and executive committee levels. This is the critical mass at which research shows minority voices are heard. However, the goal is parity.

 

The campaign’s international footprint unites more than 20 countries around the world, from Australia and Japan to Mexico, the US and Canada. We support diversity in its very broadest sense and while gender has been our starting point, we fully realise that considerations of ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and beyond are all part of the journey – and that gender identities are themselves evolving rapidly. We believe that only those organisations that foster truly inclusive cultures – cultures that embrace women who look, act and, importantly, THINK differently – can reach their full potential to positively impact their people, their markets and their communities.

Mexican board diversity drive revealed

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30% Club Mexico

30% Club Mexico and Mercer México have teamed up to analyse the boardroom dynamics playing out across the country and reveal what they mean for diversity among directors. 

Read the full report in Spanish here. 

Where we are

The 30% Club has come a long way from when it was set up in the UK in 2010.We now span six continents and more than 20 countries. We’re actively expanding into more G20 countries

Find out more

Taoiseach Simon Harris joins 30% Club Ireland

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Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris meeting the 30% Club Ireland team

The new Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris joined the 30% Club Ireland’s 10th Chair and CEO conference in Dublin today. 

Demonstrating his commitment to gender equality in business leadership, Simon showed up as a male ally to our cause. 

He joined a large gathering of CEOs and chairs from 30% Club Ireland’s member companies, who represent over 650,000 employees across Ireland. These include both the private, publicly listed, and public service sectors.

The 30% Club is a global campaign supported by Board Chairs and CEOs of medium and large organisations, committed to achieving better gender balance at leadership levels and throughout their organisations, for better business outcomes.

Since it was established in Ireland ten years ago , the gender balance on Irish listed boards (ISEQ20) has more than trebled – from 12.5% then, to 40% today.

Gender Power Gap

One of this year’s themes looks at how companies can address the gender power gap that still exists within many Irish businesses and organisation. This is defined as the proportional power held by women in leadership and management positions, relative to men, which is often defined by historical stereotypes, with human resources as an example. The measurement differs from gender diversity, which only measures the presence of women at the top table, and the gender pay gap, which measures the average difference in remuneration.

As an example, only 25.7% of CFO roles are currently held by women, and this has decreased from 29.7% in 2019, CSO data shows. With CFO roles as important talent pipeline for Chair and CEO roles, addressing this imbalance becomes critical in modern succession planning. Achieving gender power balance is one of the topics that will be discussed by two panels, which will mark the successful progress across Irish business in the 10 years to date and consider where to next.

Panellists include: Myles O’Grady, Bank of Ireland chief executive; Eamonn Sinnott, Interim Head, Intel, Magdeburg, Germany; Carol Andrews, Co-chair Balance for Better Business; Lorna Conn, Cpl chief executive; Hanneke Smits Global Chair 30% Club and Global Head of Investment Management, BNY Mellon, Paddy Hayes, ESB chief executive and Michael Jackson, Managing Partner, Matheson.

 

Taoiseach Simon Harris told the audience of almost 300 that all women and men in Ireland should have equal access to opportunity, and that Ireland can be exemplary leaders in achieving full gender balance on boards and senior leadership teams, where our publicly listed companies have already exceeded the 33% quota set by the EU Women on Boards directive.

“I’m delighted to join leaders from across the private and public sector to support the important work of the 30% Club. Ireland has a huge pool of talent, and experience, so there is no reason why we cannot ensure boards and senior teams are gender balanced,” he said.

“The Ireland we live in must be reflected across business and wider society, because decisions that can embrace a wide spectrum of viewpoints will be the most informed ones. We have made significant progress to date but there is still a long way to go. I urge all business leaders to embrace gender balance, along with diversity and inclusion. It makes business stronger

 

Meliosa O’Caoimh, Outgoing Chair of 30% Club Ireland and Northern Trust Ireland Country Head, said what was important from her perspective is continuing the focus on all women.

“Gender is a majority not a minority issue, and a clear focus is still needed. This includes encouraging next generation talent and putting a particular focus on incorporating a regional view in our work. What has been achieved over the last decade in Ireland is fantastic, but we know there is still more to be done to maintain, and advance momentum, for better business outcomes.”

International trends and the likely challenges and hurdles of the next 10 years were also debated, along with examining where the future CEOs and Board chairs will come from, and how the power gap can be collectively closed. The panels also commented on the need to embed progress in every organisation, and not just rely on averages as a strong indicator. This is important in Ireland where CSO data shows that while we make progress on an average basis, 21% of C-suite teams still operate on an all-male basis.

 

Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland, joined 30% Club Ireland's CEO event
Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland with new Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris

Paula Neary, incoming 30% Club Ireland Chair and a Senior Managing Director at Accenture, said her focus in the new role will be on how we “can use this moment as we redefine new flexible workplaces and new workforces augmented by AI, on changing the system, rather than the people”, and an 
‘all gender’ agenda – versus a female agenda – that emphasises new ways of working that support men and women equally, to flourish and progress in modern careers.

 

“I am honoured and delighted to take over as chair of such an important initiative, which I have supported – and been part of – since its inception.

“If we are going to successfully drive and initiate more progress in this area, we need to look through a wider diverse lens, across society. That means thinking about how we engage everyone – especially younger men in the conversation on changing culture, behaviours and attitudes. Such a focus leads to better workplace outcomes for all talent – in terms of attraction and retention – and is critical to the economic success across Ireland.”

Green shoots of change in Australian boardrooms

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In an increasingly complex environment post the global pandemic, boards are facing into new and interconnected landscapes.

There is the suite of digital trends, including AI, robotics and cyber security, more exacting customer expectations enabled by new digital fluencies, workforce transformations underpinned by hybrid ways of working, and the demand for reskilling and greater regulatory scrutiny. 

This new reality prompted the 30%+ Club Australia and Deloitte Australia to investigate whether boards are future fit to manage risks and seize opportunities.

Having interviewed board members, executive search firms and investors, they challenged boards to consider complementing the traditional skillsets of governance, law and finance through the additional appointment of directors with diverse professional expertise in digital, marketing/customer and human capital.

Read the full report to find out more about Australia’s progress toward diversity in business leadership and 30% Club Australia’s work here. 

Where we are

The 30% Club has come a long way from when it was set up in the UK in 2010.We now span six continents and more than 20 countries. We’re actively expanding into more G20 countries


Find out more

Matheson sponsors 30% Club Ireland role

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30% Ireland leadership plus sponsor

The 30% Club Ireland has announced that leading Irish law firm Matheson will provide funding for activities, through its support of the 30% Club Country Executive Role, for the next 12 months.

The Irish chapter of the 30% Club works to support the achievement of a minimum of 30% gender balance at all senior decision-making tables across Ireland, including boards and C-suite.

 Since its inception 10 years ago, the percentage of women on boards in Ireland has increased from 12%, to 39% for the ISEQ 20 and to 28% for other listed companies – with more work to be done for private companies, and even greater focus needed for improved balance at C-suite.  

Read the full press release here. 

Picture caption – L to R: 30% Club Ireland Country Executive Gillian Harford, Matheson Managing Partner, Michael Jackson and Northern Trust Ireland Country Head/30% Club Ireland Chair, Meliosa O’Caoimh

Where we are

The 30% Club has come a long way from when it was set up in the UK in 2010.We now span six continents and more than 20 countries. We’re actively expanding into more G20 countries

Find out more

French firm must do more to reach 40% female ExCo target

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French companies are on the right path to meet the first step of the Rixain law requiring at least 30% women representation on executive committees, according to the 30% Club France Investor Group.


The 30% Club France Investor Group’s third annual report reveals SBF120 Executive Committees are nearing an average 30% women’s representation, an increase of 2.4% compared to 2022.

Yet, this average percentage reflects very disparate situations as the SBF120 is evenly split between companies with less than and above 30% female representation.

Nearly all the companies have targets and action plans in place, but these targets lack consistency in terms of scope and granularity.

Addressing these disparities is crucial, especially to meet the challenging second target of the Rixain Law (40% by 2030).
 
Read more in the full report here.

Where we are

The 30% Club has come a long way from when it was set up in the UK in 2010.We now span six continents and more than 20 countries. We’re actively expanding into more G20 countries

Find out more

Gender gap widens across OECD to 13.5%

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Pay gap

It will take over 50 years to close the gender pay gap across the OECD! That’s the finding of PwC‘s latest Women in Work report.

The average gender pay gap across the OECD stood at 13.5% in 2022, having widened from 13.2% in 2021.

Luxembourg tops the index with a gap of -0.2%. 

Australia demonstrated the best annual improvement, closing its gap by four percentage points to 9.9% and moving up to 10th place in the index.

The UK reported the largest slide of any OECD country, dropping from 13th place in on the index in 2021 to 17th in 2022 with a gap of 114.5%.

Read the full report here.

Where we are

The 30% Club has come a long way from when it was set up in the UK in 2010.We now span six continents and more than 20 countries. We’re actively expanding into more G20 countries


Find out more

UK FTSE 100 reach 30% women on ExCos

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Inclusion

The UK’s top 100 ranked companies have reached the critical mass of 30% women in executive committees for the first time.  

The FTSE Women Leaders Review has also confirmed women hold 35% of all leadership roles in FTSE 350 companies and 42% of board seats. 

However, despite much welcomed progress for female representation, there remains an absence of women leading the UK’s largest organisations. And almost half of all available appointments now need to go to a woman to meet the Review’s 40% Women in Leadership target by the end of 2025. 

Pavita Cooper, UK Chair of the 30% Club, said: “Organisations need to double down on efforts to accelerate the progression of women through the pipeline. CEOs and Chairs need to drive the focus on closing this gap, failing to do so is simply bad for business.”

Read the full report here. 

Where we are

The 30% Club has come a long way from when it was set up in the UK in 2010.We now span six continents and more than 20 countries. We’re actively expanding into more G20 countries

Find out more
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