The 2011 Catalyst Census: Fortune 500 Women Board Directors examines women’s representation in corporate governance at the largest companies in the United States. This annual report provides critical statistics to gauge women’s advancement into leadership and highlights the gender diversity gap. Each year Catalyst tracks:
- Women’s share of all board seats and of positions of board leadership.
- The representation of women of color directors.
- Companies with 0 percent, 25 percent or more, and 40 percent or more women directors.
- Companies with zero to three or more women of color directors.
The appendices provide additional points of comparison by region and industry as well as list companies with the highest and lowest representation of women board directors.
In 2011, women held 16.1 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies. In both 2010 and 2011, less than one-fifth of companies had 25 percent or more women directors, while about one-tenth had no women serving on their boards. In both 2010 and 2011, women of color held 3.0 percent of all board seats.
Mentor Circle: Ernst & Young LLP
Research Partners: American Express Company, BMO Financial Group, Chevron Corporation, Credit Suisse, Deloitte LLP, Desjardins Group, Deutsche Bank AG, Ernst & Young LLP, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, KeyBank,McDonald’s Corporation, UPS