Disclosures about directors’ skills and expertise are increasingly coming under the microscope as investors ramp up calls to link board members’ skills with company needs and strategy and activists use the universal proxy to seize upon alleged deficiencies in boardroom competence.

Now, new research could add fuel to the fire.

A recent study suggests that there are widespread discrepancies across directors’ skills disclosures on separate boards. Investors could seize on those inconsistencies to say boards aren’t being forthright about their skills mix, sources said. Critics could also suggest that some boards have higher standards than others when it comes to what counts as expertise..

Two-thirds (66%) of S&P 500 companies disclosed a board skills matrix in 2023 proxies, according to a new report from public company intelligence provider MyLogIQ. This was up 16% compared to 2022.