Board Diversity
It makes business sense for corporate boards to reflect their customers, clients, and employee base. Yet only 22.5% of board seats in the Fortune 500 are held by women, and only 4.6% are held by women of color. Explore our resources and programs for increasing board diversity and becoming a board director here.
Results
Catalyst Roundtable—Toronto
Join Catalyst & Osler as we share the most recent Diversity Disclosure Practices and talk about what companies got it right and how they have achieved gender balance on boards.
Number of Fortune 500 Boards with over 40 Percent Diversity Doubled since 2012 (Media Release)
The number of Fortune 500 companies with greater than 40 percent diversity has more than doubled from 69 to 145 since 2012, according to the “Missing Pieces Report: The 2018 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards,” a multiyear study published by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), in collaboration with Deloitte.
Missing Pieces: The 2018 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards (Report)
This multi-year study provides powerful metrics on the number of women and people of color in top US boardrooms.
Resources for Joining a Corporate Board
A comprehensive directory of corporate governance organizations, information clearinghouses, and university programs by industry, expertise, and country.
Corporate Board Services Allies
Catalyst works with a diverse group of organizations that share our goal of increasing the number of women on corporate boards.
Corporate Board Services
Catalyst Corporate Board Services works to increase board diversity by advocating for gender diversity in corporate boardrooms around the globe.
Janet Piper
Director, Corporate Engagement
Inclusion in Action: The Catalyst CEO Champions For Change 2018 (Report)
Catalyst CEO Champions For Change companies are outpacing their global peers in advancing women.
Everyday Heroes: Catalyst CEO Champions For Change 2017 (Report)
These companies are pledging to make positive change happen for women and actually sharing their data.
Catalyst Elects Deloitte’s Cathy Engelbert as New Board Chair (Media Release)
Catalyst announced today the election of Cathy Engelbert, CEO, Deloitte, as chair of the Catalyst Board of Directors effective January 1, 2018.
Turn Perception Into Reality (Infographic)
Good News: Most people think we should have gender equality. Bad News: They believe we've already achieved it.
2016 Catalyst Census: Women and Men Board Directors (Report)
Find out how many women hold seats on S&P 500 boards.
Catalyst Names New U.S. Class Members to the Catalyst Women on Board™ Initiative (Media Release)
Ten board-ready senior executive women have been chosen by Catalyst, as of June 2017, as the second U.S. class of the Catalyst Women On Board™ initiative. The sponsorship program matches exceptional candidates with leading CEOs and board chairs to help advance more women onto corporate boards in the United States.
Nearly Is Not Enough! (Blog Post)
Seventeen years ago, as a young research assistant at Catalyst, I began to document and track the status of women and minorities on corporate boards. Over the years, I made it my life’s work to identify, familiarize myself with, and memorize the names of successful women and minority business leaders who serve as executives and on boards at America’s leading companies.
Catalyst CEO Champions For Change Initiative Launches on International Women’s Day (Media Release)
Established in March 2017, Catalyst CEO Champions For Change recognizes CEOs and senior leaders who support and drive diversity and inclusion within their organizations.
Despite Modest Gains, Women and People of Color See Little Change in Representation on Fortune 500 Boards (Media Release)
While boardroom diversity in Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies has increased for women and certain minority groups, according to the Missing Pieces Report, studies reveal that minority men and women experienced only slight gains from 2010 to 2016.
Missing Pieces: The 2016 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards (Report)
Find out how many women and people of color sat on US boards in 2016.
Thank You, Rockefeller Foundation For Supporting The Catalyst Women On Board™ US Initiative (Blog Post)
The Rockefeller Foundation has granted Catalyst $100,000 to expand our Catalyst Women On Board™ initiative throughout the United States. This generous support will help Catalyst shine a light on the lagging representation of women on boards and throughout executive ranks—which is widely recognized as a global economic imperative—as well as showcase a solution.
How Canadian Companies Can Diversify Their Boards (Blog Post)
Simply put, gender diversity more accurately reflects the world we're dealing in. When you embrace it, you gain insight into your clients' thinking, you develop better relationships, and you build a better company.
New 2015 Catalyst Census: Overwhelming Majority of New Directorships Continue to go to Men, Board Seats for Women Not on Path to Parity (Media Release)
Catalyst, the global expert on accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion, has released data revealing that although some U.S. companies are prioritizing board diversity—building it into the fabric of their key talent decision-making—they still have a long way to go before women’s representation on their boards and throughout their executive ranks is near parity with men.