The diversity of directors on S&P 100 boards is nearing parity—directors who self-identify as women, people of color, or LGBTQ+ currently hold 48% of all board seats, up from 46% at the start of 2021 and 38% at the end of 2016.
- Women represent 31% of all directors, up from 24% in 2016.
- Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx and multiracial directors hold 24% of seats on boards, up from 19% in 2016.
Of the 76 new directors in 2021, 71% are diverse based on gender, race/ethnicity, or sexual orientation—41% are women and 46% are people of color.
- Eighteen company boards have at least 40% women, up from 12 a year ago.
- Fifty company boards are at least 25% racially/ethnically diverse, up from 39 companies a year ago.
Want more insights? Check out our dashboard for a deep dive into individual S&P 100 company board disclosures and diversity benchmarks.
Reading List
- Board Priorities for 2021 Abound Amid Slow Economic Recovery (BDO)
- Fortune 500 Boards Still Decades Away from Representation Parallel to the Presence of Women and Minorities in the US Population (ABD & Deloitte)
- After Pressure, All-Male Boards Have Now Vanished From S&P 500 (Bloomberg)
- Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Boardroom (Glass Lewis)
- Why Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman wanted transparency about board diversity (Fortune) and Is Nasdaq’s board diversity proposal already working? (Fortune)
- Boards Are Nearly Halfway Down the Path to Gender Parity (Equilar)
- This Year’s Influx of Directors Starts Shift in Boardroom Diversity (WSJ)