The Council for Board Diversity (CBD) has reported a rise in women’s appointments across Singapore’s boards, with women now holding 36.1% of board seats in statutory boards and 25.8% in the Top 100 SGX primary-listed companies. This marks a significant increase from previous years, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance gender diversity in leadership roles.
The CBD’s annual statistics, covering over 1,300 organisations, reveal that the public sector leads in gender diversity, whilst the non-profit sector has also seen improvements. Notably, the proportion of women board chairs in the Top 100 SGX companies increased to 10% in 2025.
A new Board Diversity and Inclusion Study, conducted with Egon Zehnder, explores broader dimensions of diversity beyond gender. The study identifies key areas for improvement, such as moving beyond familiar networks to discover untapped talent and maintaining diversity as a strategic priority. It also highlights the need for intentional succession planning and the importance of board chairs in fostering an inclusive culture.
Gan Seow Kee, Co-Chair of the CBD, emphasised the importance of succession planning, stating, “As organisations confront increasingly complex challenges, a wider, more diverse pool of board-ready candidates strengthens outcomes for the future.”
The study suggests that whilst Singapore has made strides in diversifying board composition, there is room for growth in embedding diversity as a strategic advantage. The CBD aims to equip boards with a roadmap for enhancing board effectiveness through diversity.
