Copnell on diversity of thinking: why boards need Edmund Dantès figures

Audit committee members need a streak of independence and the ability to question and probe the main board if they are really going to add value to effective governance at listed companies, argues Timothy Copnell, chairman of KPMG’s UK Audit Committee Institute

A lot has been said about diversity in the boardroom, but what does it really mean and what has it to do with Edmund Dantès?

Certainly gender diversity is part of the issue – intuitively it cannot be right that despite the good example set by Lord Davies and the 30% Club, only 21% of FTSE 350 directors are women.

And then there are other groups – ethnic minorities, perhaps – that are underrepresented in UK boardrooms.

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