Getting a Seat at the Table—Women are Making Strides into Canadian Real Estate Boards

This commentary focuses on the progress of women reaching 50% representation on corporate boards and at the executive suite of Canadian real estate entities. We observe the acceleration of progress in obtaining gender parity in women’s representation on corporate boards and at the executive suite of Canadian real estate entities. This same level of progress has not been evidenced in the C-suite.

“We expect gender parity in the areas of women’s representation on corporate boards to close in the near to medium term if the trends exhibited over the last two years hold,” says Brenda Lum, Managing Director, North American Corporate Real Estate Ratings. “When it comes to key leadership positions, we are less certain about the progress of women in CEO and Chair of the Board positions in the near term, as annual disclosure requirements on the number and percentage of women in these positions have not been very successful as catalysts.”