The percentage of women on the supervisory boards of Germany’s 40 largest firms listed on the DAX index should reach a record 38 per cent by the end of 2023.

This year’s corporate meeting season, a personnel consultancy firm said this on Wednesday.

Heidrick & Struggles noted that the 38 per cent share was an increase of 1.8 percentage points over last year and would be the highest level to date.

The company’s predictions were based on the results of supervisory board elections and previously announced election candidates for upcoming general meetings.

The DAX companies are “slowly but steadily moving in the right direction,” said the German head of Heidrick & Struggles, Nicolas von Rosty, adding, “This development can also be seen internationally.”

In 10 of the companies, there was parity between women and men on the capital side, Mr Von Rosty said.

However, the quota is significantly worse at the top of the supervisory boards.

Mr Von Rosty added that it was bitter that only two DAX 40 supervisory boards would still be led by women after this year’s elections.

He said “a signal for more diversity’’ should be set in the top positions in the future. 

(dpa/NAN)