UK: gender diversity on listed company boards

There are reports in a couple of today's newspapers - see here (Financial Times) and here (The Guardian) - suggesting that Lord Davies, in his review of how to increase the proportion of women on listed company boards, will recommend the adoption of voluntary targets by companies. The newspapers also report, and this is unlikely to surprise many, that Lord Davies will not be advocating the introduction of statutory quotas of the kind introduced elsewhere. Lord Davies is due to publish his recommendations later this month. In due course it will be interesting to see what is advocated at European level by the Internal Market Commissioner, Michel Barnier, and Justice Commissioner, Viviane Reding.