30% Club

What 30% Club does

The 30% Club is a global business-led campaign founded in 2010 in the United Kingdom with the stated objective of achieving at least 30% female representation on corporate boards and in C-suites worldwide. Its three strategic pillars are activating board chairs and CEOs as members, influencing stakeholders with the power to drive change (including institutional investors), and enabling future women leaders through mentoring, scholarships, and board-ready programmes. Membership is free and open to chairs, CEOs and equivalents of listed companies or companies with at least 250 employees; more than 1,000 such senior leaders across 20+ countries have signed up, with 1,500+ business leaders from the world's biggest companies in the UK chapter alone.\n\nThe campaign operates through 19 chapters spanning six continents and delivers a portfolio of programmes rather than a technology product. Core offerings include the Mission: Gender Equity cross-company mentoring programme (the world's largest of its kind, with nearly 25,000 participants across 301 organizations over 11 years), Mission INCLUDE (an award-winning extension to broader D&I dimensions including ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and background), the Executive Accelerator Programme, the Future Boards Scheme (providing senior women board-level experience on subsidiary boards), and business school scholarship partnerships with institutions such as King's College London, Oxford Saïd, London Business School, HEC Paris, ESMT Berlin, and University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, offering up to 50% scholarships. The Ireland chapter additionally operates the Board Connections directory, which has filled over 170 board roles.\n\nThe business model is that of a non-profit voluntary campaign rather than a commercial enterprise. There are no membership fees; the organization has no venture funding, no parent company, and operates with 1-10 employees globally. Funding is implied to come from chapter sponsors, partner contributions (e.g., Arthur Cox sponsors the Board Connections directory, Bloomberg sponsors the US Mission: Gender Equity Mentoring Program), and ad hoc supporter contributions. The campaign is governed by a Global Chair (Jennifer Barker, succeeding Hanneke Smits) and country-level chapter chairs (e.g., Pavita Cooper for the UK). Measurable outcomes cited include UK FTSE 350 boards exceeding 40% female representation by 2024 (up from 12% in 2010), UK FTSE 100 exceeding 44%, and 47% of women mentees from the 2018-2019 cohort being promoted within their organization.

Name

30% Club

Legal name

30% Club

Website

https://30percentclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: The 30% Club is a free membership campaign for board chairs and CEOs. There is no revenue generation model as this is a voluntary organization committed to making business better through gender diversity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The 30% Club is a global, business-led campaign that recruits board chairs and CEOs as members to increase gender diversity at board and C-suite levels. It delivers its mission through cross-company mentoring programmes (Mission: Gender Equity, Mission INCLUDE, Executive Accelerator), business school scholarships (up to 50% with leading global schools), investor groups, and the Future Boards Scheme. Membership is free for chairs, CEOs and equivalents of listed companies or companies with at least 250 employees, and the campaign operates through 19 chapters across more than 20 countries.

Product overview

The 30% Club is a business-led global campaign organization, not a software product company. Its core offering consists of advocacy programmes and initiatives designed to increase gender diversity at board and C-suite levels. The organization operates through a network of chapter-based programmes including cross-company mentoring (Mission: Gender Equity, Mission INCLUDE, Executive Accelerator), business school scholarship partnerships, investor groups, the Future Boards Scheme, and the Board Connections directory (Ireland). These programmes work together to activate senior leaders, influence diversity policy, and enable future women leaders globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mission: Gender Equity Mentoring Programme The world's largest cross-company mentoring programme, designed to build a talent pipeline to achieve gender parity in leadership and board roles. The nine-month programme pairs high-potential women mentees with senior mentors from different organisations. Targeted at senior women in member companies across multiple chapters.
• Mission INCLUDE An award-winning cross-company mentoring programme that focuses on advancing broader diversity and inclusion beyond gender – including ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and background diversity – to build a pipeline to senior management. Delivered in partnership with Change the Race Ratio, the Valuable 500, Age Irrelevance and Progress Together.
• Executive Accelerator Programme A first-of-its-kind cross-company, cross-sector programme where executive pipeline women receive mentorship and support from Non-Executive Directors or Chairs to accelerate their progression into executive leadership roles.
• Future Boards Scheme An initiative providing senior women board-level development opportunities on the boards or subsidiary boards of other businesses, giving direct experience of boards to increase representation below board-level.
• Business School Scholarships Partnerships with leading global business schools offering scholarships of up to 50% to women for MBAs, Executive MBAs, Masters and executive programmes. Partners include King's College London (Women Excelling in Business EMBA), University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, Oxford University Saïd Business School, ESMT Berlin, HEC Paris, London Business School and Warwick Business School.
• Investor Groups Groups coordinating the investment community's approach to diversity and inclusion, explaining the investment case for diverse boards and senior management. Investor groups operate in multiple countries including UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Poland, Hong Kong, France and Germany; members include GPIF, BlackRock, ISIF, ILIM and KBI.
• Board Connections (Ireland) A directory of senior, highly qualified women available to commit their time and expertise to board roles in Ireland. Previously known as the Board Diversity Initiative, it has helped fill over 170 board roles. Sponsored by Arthur Cox LLP.
• Mission INCLUDE Americas A cross-company mentoring programme delivered in partnership with the 30% Club to advance diverse talent in the Americas region, extending the Mission INCLUDE proposition geographically.
• Community Network A vast network of companies and individuals committed to boosting diversity and inclusion, comprising chair and CEO members, ambassadors, partners, and alumni of mentees, mentors and scholarship recipients.

Quantifiable outcome

• FTSE 350 boards exceeded 40% female representation by 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Moving AheadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoving Ahead delivers the world's largest cross-company mentoring and development programme in support of the 30% Club mission. They specialize in inclusion and diversity training through mentoring and learning. The partnership has supported nearly 25,000 participants across 301 organizations over 11 years.
• King's College London Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer scholarships for the Women Excelling in Business EMBA program in association with the 30% Club. Scholarships of up to 50% of course fees offered to women with leadership potential.
• University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Glasgow MBA Scholarship for Women in collaboration with the 30% Club offers up to 50% scholarships for women pursuing MBA education to accelerate promotion to leadership roles.
• Oxford University Saïd Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Oxford Executive MBA Scholarships for Women in association with the 30% Club provides scholarships for women executives to attend the prestigious Oxford EMBA program.
• ESMT BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple scholarship programs including the 30% Club Full-time MBA Scholarship, 30% Club International Executive MBA Scholarship, 30% Club Master in Management (MIM) Scholarship, and Executive Transition Program (ETP) scholarships.
• HEC PariscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner30% Club Master in Management Scholarship and 30% Club Scholarship for HEC Paris MBA program, offering up to 50% scholarships for women.
• London Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner30% Club MBA Scholarship, 30% Club EMBA Scholarship, and 30% Club Senior Executive Programme Scholarship supporting women in executive education.
• Warwick Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBS Inspiring Women scholarship for London or Warwick Executive MBA in collaboration with the 30% Club.
• Balance for Better Business (B4BB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish government review group on gender balance in business leadership. The 30% Club Ireland works complementary to this national initiative and its outputs.
• Arthur Cox LLPsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Board Connections directory, a unique directory of senior qualified women available for board roles in Ireland. Over 170 board roles were filled through this initiative.
• CatalystcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Catalyst Women on Board program that pairs women director candidates with experienced corporate board members for mentorship, with over 50% of alumnae appointed to at least one corporate board.
• Russell Reynolds AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the 30% Club Future Female Directors program. Global search and leadership advisory firm committed to helping diversify US boardrooms.
• Change the Race RatiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission INCLUDE is delivered in partnership with Change the Race Ratio, the Valuable 500, Age Irrelevance, and Progress Together - a truly game-changing opportunity to advance diverse talent.
• Parker ReviewsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 30% Club UK fully supports the Parker Review's race targets for FTSE 350 boards. The campaign works with this initiative to drive comprehensive diversity.
• BloombergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBloomberg sponsors the 30% Club US Mission Gender Equity Mentoring Program. The partnership supports advancing and improving inclusion and diverse representation in the workplace.
• Bord BiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Agrifood Diversity & Inclusion Forum established by 30% Club Ireland to promote diversity and inclusion in the Irish food and drink sector.
• AonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Agrifood Diversity & Inclusion Forum along with Bord Bia. Aon provides expertise and resources for diversity initiatives in the Irish market.
• More DifferencesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Pavita Cooper, More Difference is the organization behind the 30% Club UK. Pavita Cooper serves as Chair of 30% Club UK and Founder of More Difference.
• theBoardlistsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe US 30% Club and theBoardlist expand the network of senior leaders and board directors working to promote and discover outstanding board-ready women through a curated talent marketplace.
• Women's Forum of New YorksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Board Initiative recognizes progressive CEOs and companies moving toward gender parity, offering a free database of board-ready women vetted by CEO sponsors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• theBoardlist: theBoardlist is a curated talent marketplace connecting board-ready women with corporate board opportunities; it is a direct partner of 30% Club US and operates as an emerging digital complement to the campaign's board-pipeline work.
• Center for Talent Innovation (CTI): CTI is a nonprofit research institute producing proprietary studies on diversity, inclusion, and talent; it overlaps with 30% Club's research publications and corporate-engagement agenda, serving a similar corporate audience.

Direct peers

• Paradigm for Parity: Paradigm for Parity is a coalition of CEOs committed to achieving gender parity in corporate leadership by 2030; it shares the 30% Club model of CEO activation, public commitments, and corporate accountability for women in leadership.
• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit that works with CEOs and boards to advance women in leadership; it is a direct competitor/partner in board diversity research, mentoring (Women on Board), and CEO engagement, and already collaborates with 30% Club on board-readiness programs.
• International Women's Forum (IWF): IWF is a global membership organization of senior women leaders across countries and industries; it offers peer networks, leadership development, and board-ready pipelines analogous to the 30% Club's chapters and mentoring programs.
• Lean In Foundation: Lean In is a global nonprofit founded by Sheryl Sandberg that runs peer circles, leadership training, and corporate gender-equality programs; comparable in mission to drive women's advancement, with overlap in corporate partnerships and educational content.
• Women Corporate Directors (WCD): WCD is a global membership organization of women corporate board directors focused on education, peer networking, and boardroom influence; it is highly comparable in mission and offers similar board-readiness and pipeline development programs.

Regional players

• Women's Forum of New York: The Women's Forum of New York runs the Corporate Board Initiative recognizing CEOs advancing gender parity and maintains a free database of board-ready women; it is a US-focused partner of the 30% Club US with significant functional overlap.

Others

• WE Empower (UN Global Compact): The UN Global Compact's WE Empower initiative works with corporate CEOs and policymakers to advance gender equality and women's empowerment globally; it is a thematically adjacent peer in CEO activation and policy advocacy for gender parity in business leadership.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Russell Reynolds is a global executive search firm and founding partner of the 30% Club Future Female Directors program; it is an adjacent enabling player whose executive-search expertise and DEI commitments overlap directly with the campaign's board-diversification work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/30percentclubie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 30% Club