Is diversity of directors or their independence the bigger issue in corporate boardrooms?

WHEN it rains, it pours. The topic of board diversity made headlines in Singapore this past week, not once, but twice.

On Sept 16, the so-called Singapore Board Diversity Index was unveiled, with Singtel, Singapore Exchange and Mapletree Commercial Trust in the top three positions.

Developed by Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID), the index seeks to quantify the extent to which local public-listed companies have embraced board diversity, based on eight factors: gender, age, tenure, board independence, cultural ethnicity, international experience, domain expertise and industry knowledge.