Published
07/29/2025, 13:11Boards of directors are not only the pinnacle of corporate power, but also an indicator of management maturity in public companies. A new study by Spencer Stuart Board Indexes has revealed how boards of directors differ in terms of size, independence, age of board members and other parameters in different countries around the world.
The study covers companies from more than 20 countries.
On average, boards consist of 8–16 people, with Finland and Switzerland having the highest proportion of independent directors at 92%. In the United States, this figure is 85%, and in the United Kingdom, 75%. Chile (25%) and Turkey (31%) are the outsiders.
The average age of the chair of the board of directors is between 59 and 68. The most ‘experienced’ board chairs are in Ireland (68) and the United States (67). The average age of directors varies from 57 in Turkey to 64 in Japan.
The longest tenure on the board is in Mexico (12 years), followed by the United States (7.8 years) and Spain (6.9 years). The ‘freshest’ composition is in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, where the average term is only 4.2 years.
| Country | Board Size | Independent Directors | Tenure of Directors | Age of Chair | Age of Directors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 11 | 85% | 7.8 | 67 | 63 |
| United Kingdom | 10 | 75% | 4.2 | 65 | 60 |
| Germany | 16 | 79% | 5.9 | 66 | 61 |
| France | 14 | 58% | 6.4 | 65 | 60 |
| Finland | 9 | 92% | 4.0 | 64 | 59 |
| Mexico | 11 | 50% | 12.0 | 64 | 63 |
| Turkey | 8 | 31% | 6.0 | 61 | 57 |
| Chile | 8 | 25% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
The study confirms that the composition and effectiveness of the board of directors are interrelated. The size of the board, the level of independence, age, experience and diversity of its members influence how a company makes decisions and copes with challenges.
