At Egon Zehnder, we have tracked gender and international diversity on boards around the world for the past 14 years. With the release of our 2018 report, Global Board Diversity Tracker: Who’s Really on Board?, we mark our most comprehensive effort yet.

Our conclusion is simple: Boardroom diversity matters because it leads to better corporate outcomes. Yet for all of the attention given to the topic, improvement remains incremental — and that is unacceptable. To make a difference, boards must abandon tokenism and hire a critical mass of at least three women. That approach must be directed and supported from the very top.

Our work also looks at just who serves on these boards, examining who serves in leadership positions, where new directors come from, and how board leaders create productive teams. We also highlight success stories of companies that have made board diversity a priority. At the end of the report, we offer our perspective on how best to jump-start the process of diversifying your board.

We hope this report inspires you to act — and to reap the benefits that will result.