2020 Women on Boards Launches Gender Diversity Directory

BOSTON, Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fulfilling its campaign promise to provide greater transparency to the composition of public company boards of directors, 2020 Women on Boards published its Gender Diversity Directory today on www.2020wob.com. 2020 Women on Boards is a national campaign to increase the percentage of women on U.S. company boards to 20 percent or greater by the year 2020.

The directory includes over 1,000 companies and categorizes them using the campaign's designations: Winning "W" (20% or greater), Very Close "V" (11 - 19%), Token "T" (one woman), or Zero "Z" (no women). The database is easily accessed and can be sorted alphabetically, by geography, market sector, and number of women directors.

The 2020 directory encompasses companies on the 2020 Gender Diversity Index, based on the 2010 Fortune 1000, and other private or public companies disclosed by the campaign's affiliate organizations. The directory is reviewed and updated once a year.

The campaign notified companies this summer that they would be included on the list: W companies received congratulatory certificates, Z companies were encouraged to take the 2020 Pledge: Put a woman on the board within 2 years and achieve 20% by 2020.

Notes Stephanie Sonnabend, CEO of Sonesta International Hotel Corporation and campaign chair and co-founder of 2020 Women on Boards, "For the first time, corporate stakeholders - investors, employees, and consumers - will be able to find the board composition of companies they care about. We are confident that once the public becomes aware of the lack of diversity on company boards, they will encourage companies they invest in, work in and patronize to change."

About 2020 Women on Boards: Launched in December 2010, 2020 Women on Boards is expanding the campaign state by state, and now has efforts in Boston, New York, and New Orleans, and will bring the campaign to Miami, Atlanta, Washington DC and elsewhere in 2012. Campaign supporters include individuals, organizations and companies that embrace the principle that diversity in the boardroom encourages good corporate decision-making. For more information, or to register your support, visit www.2020WOB.com.

SOURCE 2020 Women on Boards