U.S. corporate boards remain overwhelmingly male, despite high-profile pushes to increase their representation of women. Today, women hold a mere 26% of board seats on the S&P 500 and 20% of those on the Russell 3000. Some see these numbers as evidence of a need for continued change — after all, women now comprise roughly 40% of students at top MBA programs and 40% of corporate managers in addition to being 50% of the population. Others have grown tired of diversity pressures and see these numbers as good enough.
Research: Gender Diversity on Start-Up Boards Is Worse Than You Think
Only 7% of board seats in private, venture-backed, U.S.-based companies are held by women.
December 11, 2019
HBR Staff/SEAN GLADWELL/Getty Images
Summary.
How much of a problem is women’s lack of representation on corporate boards? While the numbers for public companies aren’t great — women hold a mere 26% of board seats on the S&P 500 and 20% of those on the Russell 3000 — new research shows that the data for private start-ups is even worse. Women hold just over 7% of board seats on 200 of the most heavily funded U.S -based private venture-backed companies — and roughly 60% of these businesses did not have a single female board member. In comparison, none of the boards of the S&P 500 companies are all-male.