New development: Women with altitude—exploring the influence of female presence and leadership on boards of directors

This article reports on a study examining the influence of women on the boards of directors of National Health Service Foundation Trusts (FTs) in England in the light of a recent UK government inquiry into women in senior positions. A high female presence among executive and non-executive directorships did not result in significant differences either in financial return or service quality. However, female Chairs or Chief Executives resulted in significant reductions in negative social outcomes, such as lower clinical negligence costs, without harming financial management. The findings have important implications for gender diversity and gender targets on the boards of directors in business and other sectors.