New Jersey Slightly Higher Than National Average in Women on Corporate Boards

East Brunswick, NJ, January 29, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Executive Women of New Jersey’s inaugural report on the number of women on the boards of New Jersey’s leading publicly-held corporations found that New Jersey companies have elected women into board positions at a slightly higher rate than the US national average. However, women are still underrepresented on boards, with one-third of New Jersey’s 111 companies on the Russell 3000 having no women on their boards.

The inaugural report, entitled "A Seat at the Table: Celebrating Women and Board Leadership," was produced by Executive Women of New Jersey (EWNJ) in collaboration with PwC US. The report was released at a breakfast this morning that featured Denise M. Morrison, President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, as keynote speaker. The breakfast also recognized 16 New Jersey companies for their commitment to board gender diversity.

“The results of our inaugural survey are encouraging, but clearly we need to accelerate the pace to bring about a balance of men and women on corporate boards,” said Keitha Lackey, President of EWNJ and Senior Vice President, FWD Direct. "We hope that this report spotlighting the leading companies will encourage others to follow suit."

“PwC understands the importance of diversity at the highest levels of leadership, and we applaud the organizations being honored for making gender diversity at the board level a priority," said B.J. Agugliaro, Managing Partner of PwC's New Jersey practice office in Florham Park. "While this report shows that women are increasingly joining the executive and board levels of corporations, it is important to note that the journey is not over. Diversity must remain a priority within all of our organizations."

Key Findings from 2014 A Seat at the Table: Celebrating Women and Board Leadership

The study was compiled following an analysis of the New Jersey companies listed on the Russell 3000 as the performance of the largest 3000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. The full results are available online at www.ewnj.org. Key findings from the study include:

· Of 1007 board seats in 111 companies, 139, or 14 percent, were held by women. This is slightly higher than the national average of 12 percent.
· NJ Fortune 500 companies within the Russell 3000 did slightly better, with 41 of 217 board seats, or 19 percent, filled by women.
· Thirty-three of the 111 companies, or 30 percent, had no women directors
· Of the 19 Fortune 500 companies within the Russell 3000, only 1 had no women directors.

"A Seat at the Table: Celebrating Women and Board Leadership" features an in-depth interview with Denise M. Morrison, whose board at Campbell Soup Company has the highest number of female directors of all NJ companies surveyed, as well as profiles of four board chairs whose companies have at least 3 women on their boards of directors.

About Executive Women of New Jersey
Founded in 1980, EWNJ is where New Jersey’s executive women connect and collaborate across all sectors to share experiences, develop relationships, and build business. Through “Salute to the Policy Makers,” its signature, biennial event, EWNJ has raised over $1.1 million in scholarships for New Jersey women pursuing advanced degrees. For support in identifying women for corporate board membership or for additional information, please contact EWNJ at info@ewnj.org.