Netherlands ranks bottom in Europe for female board appointments

A report from advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles reveals that the Netherlands has the lowest rate of female appointments for supervisory board positions among fifteen European nations. Out of 29 new appointments at AEX-listed companies last year, only eight were women, trailing significantly behind countries like France and Belgium, where women accounted for more than half of new board members. Overall, 55 percent of these new appointees held previous experience as CEOs, and 75 percent were foreign nationals.

Despite these figures, experts note that the data does not necessarily indicate non-compliance with local regulations. Since 2022, Dutch law has mandated that at least one-third of supervisory board members be women. Because many companies had already increased their female representation in prior years, the current dip in new appointments remains within the legal framework. Industry experts emphasize that the ultimate goal for boards is to cultivate diverse backgrounds and perspectives to ensure effective oversight and governance of corporate leadership.