In December, the NASDAQ proposed new listing rules that—if implemented—would require companies to (i) disclose information about the diversity of their directors on an annual basis and (ii) have at least two diverse directors, or else provide an explanation why they do not.
By “diverse directors,” the rules contemplate “one [director] who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as either an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+.” In turn, underrepresented minorities, as defined by the proposed rules, encompass as individuals who self-identify as: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or two or more races or ethnicities.