30% Club Japan Investor Group Releases Annual Report on Gender Diversity

The 30% Club Japan, which aims to increase the proportion of women in key decision-making bodies for the purpose of sustainable corporate growth. One of its working groups, the Investor Group, composed of institutional investors, held an online briefing session on November 5th for its annual report on gender diversity. This report, jointly produced by major institutional investors on this theme, is the first of its kind in Japan.

The 30% Club operates in 14 countries, including Japan. Its Japanese membership currently stands at 37, organized into three working groups. It aims to achieve a 30% representation of women on the boards of TOPIX 100 companies by 2030.

At the briefing, Mr. Yoshio Hishida, Vice Chair of the Investor Group (President of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management), emphasized the importance of diversity for institutional investors. He outlined three necessities: making diversity a core pillar of business strategy, ensuring the appointment of women represents fundamental reform rather than tokenism, and implementing appropriate information disclosure.

Michiko Tadomatsu, Founder and Campaign Manager of the 30% Club Japan (Gender Strategy Leader at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting), explained the club's overview and the Investor Group's role within it.
The 30% Club is a global campaign founded in the UK in 2010. Participation is limited to corporate executives, and its Japan chapter began activities on May 1, 2019. The current proportion of women among TOPIX 100 board members is 12.9%, compared to the goal of "30% by 2030."
Explaining the significance of "30%," he stated that 30% represents the minimum threshold required to drive change. A 30% representation on boards can influence decision-making and act as a tipping point to spark a societal movement.

Mr. Minoru Matsubara (Executive Officer, Resona Asset Management), representing the Investor Group Best Practices, introduced the group's activities.
The Investor Group's purpose is to enhance the medium- to long-term corporate value of investee companies and maximize shareholder returns by promoting gender diversity among corporate leadership. As part of the group's five main activities, he introduced the annual report under the "Best Practices" and "Reporting" initiatives.

Annual Report available here
Official website here