Ontario Securities Commission chair and CEO Maureen Jensen delivered her first keynote address before the Toronto Region Board of Trade yesterday. And one of her priorities was renewing the call on corporate Canada to focus on gender diversity.
Speaking to business leaders, Jensen discussed the low number of women filling board vacancies, stressing that board turnover is an opportunity for companies to demonstrate they’re serious about diversity.
“Of the 521 board seats vacated during the year, just 15% were filled by women,” said Jensen. “Without an improvement in the vacancy fill rate, we will never reach 30% female board representation.”
Read:
- Ontario sets target date to appoint more women to boards
- Fewer than one in five CFA members are women
Jensen also announced plans for OSC LaunchPad, the first hub by a Canadian securities regulator that will feature a team of OSC staff working with fintech companies to help them meet regulatory requirements.
On the topic of investor protection, Jensen highlighted the importance of moving forward with a best interest standard and a review of embedded mutual fund fees.
Read: PMAC to CSA: Focus on fiduciary duty, not best interest standard