According to a recent analysis by WB Directors reported by The Times, smaller Aim-listed companies are experiencing a troubling rise in the number of all-male boards. Despite the disappearance of all-male boards in FTSE 100 companies, smaller companies on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) have seen a significant increase in gender imbalance. The count of Aim-listed companies with no female board members escalated from 108 to 187, marking 35% of the junior market’s companies as male-only boards, up from 18% in the previous year.

This rise is attributed to two main factors: the replacement of female directors by men and the listing of new companies that were previously private and had all-male boards. Fiona Hathorn, CEO of WB Directors, expressed concern over this development, emphasizing the danger of losing focus on the critical issue of gender diversity in the boardroom.

For more details, read the full article by Patrick Hosking on The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/number-of-aim-listed-companies-with-all-male-boards-rises-by-73-percent-5brqgxvlp#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20companies%20listed,cent%20from%20108%20to%20187