Vision: The Women in Boards Initiative aims to increase the number, quality, and advancement of women on boards in public and private corporations, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. This requires using collaboration, sharing of best practices, and leveraging the core capabilities of each partner organization, therefore allowing best-in-class organizations in different areas to take the lead and become centers of excellence in specific areas. We will do this by partnering, developing a robust database, and participating in public advocacy.

Outlook: According to Women Leading Boards report written in conjunction with 50/50 Women on Boards, 27% of board appointments in 2021 were women. There is at least one female director on every S&P 500 board. The Lodis Forum found that less than a third (29%) of the 249 private companies it surveyed had three or more women on the board. As of February 2022, 114 women (31.1%) were appointed to public company boards, with 58% of those women being appointed to a board for the first time. Women of color hold 6% of Russell 3000 company board seats today. As reported by 50/50 Women on Boards, as of Q4 2021, 245 companies on the Russell 3000 (8%) achieved board parity. Among them, 175 companies were led by women CEOs (6%) and only 191 were directed by a woman board chair (7%). As of December 31, 2021, women hold 26 7% of the Russell 3000 company board seats, a 10 7% increase over the last five years. The average year-over-year increase is 2.14%, with the largest increase of 3% from 2020 to 2021.