Asians wanted for US, European boardrooms

SINGAPORE: Increasing numbers of tech-savvy Asians are wanted for the boardrooms of US and European companies, a published survey said on Monday.
 
The demand reflects the fact that Asian markets are the fastest growing, with many being early adopters of technology, said headhunter Christian and Timbers.
 
"There is increasing demand for Asian board members to sit on clients' boards," The Business Times quoted Kathryn Yap, the firm's Asia-Pacific managing director, as saying. "US and European companies are now looking at their boards and realise they only have Westerners."
 
Among the findings was that the average age of a board member is 57, with the majority male.
 
On US boards, international members were usually British. The majority of those on European boards were American.
 
In many companies, fewer than 25 per cent of their board members are experts in technology, placing them at a distance from the consumers they are trying to reach, Yap said.
 
A diversified board has better ability to anticipate future trends, she said.
 
Yap was recruited to set up Christian and Timbers' first Singapore office to look for more Asian board members as well as senior managers for clients.