The results show that there was a significant relationship between board gender diversity and firm performance from our samples CAC 40 companies. In addition, we find significant negative impact of leverage on the financial performance for CAC 40 firms. | Board of directors composition and performance in French CAC 40 listed firms Accounting 3 2017 245 256 Contents lists available at GrowingScience Accounting homepage ac Board of directors composition and performance in French CAC 40 listed firms Ali Ahmadia and Abdelfettah Bourib a Accounting . candidate in faculty of economics and management of sfax airport road km 4 3018 sfax bp 1088 Tunisia b Professor in the faculty of economics and management of sfax airport road km 4 3018 sfax bp 1088 Tunisia CHRONICLE ABSTRACT Article history Reflecting investor expectations most prior corporate governance research attempt to find a Received September 5 2016 relationship between boards of directors composition and firm financial performance. Received in revised format Specifically we try to examine the relationship between the boards size board independence November 11 2016 CEO duality and gender diversity and two measurements of performance in listed companies Accepted November 20 2016 Available online in CAC 40 namely return on assets ROA and return of equities ROE . We found evidence January 2 2017 provide that board characteristics were positively correlated to the firm performance. Keywords However our results show a significant association between ROE ROA and the board of Board composition directors composition. We find significant negative association between financial information CEOs duality and equity-based management compensation. On the other hand the presence of independent Gender diversity directors on the board seems to affect positively the level of financial performance of CAC Firm performance 40 firms. Likewise the stewardship theory assumption the CEO duality is very high and is significantly associated with a higher level of firm performance. The results show that there was a significant relationship between board gender diversity and firm performance from our samples CAC 40 companies. In addition we find significant .
