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Diversified Search Group: Missing Pieces Report

This multiyear study organized by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), in collaboration with Deloitte for the 2016, 2018, and 2020 censuses, highlights the progress to date that has or has not been made in the equitable representation of women and minorities on corporate boards.

Diversified Search Group is a founding member of the Alliance for Board Diversity and serves as an advisor and facilitator.

Originally organized as a “snapshot” of board diversity, the data accumulated since 2004 has enabled the ABD to report on trends regarding the overall diversity of boards, as well as the relative differences across the equitable rates of representation for women and minorities by gender, race, and ethnicity. This Missing Pieces Report, 6th edition highlights the progress to date that has or has not been made in the equitable representation of women and minorities on corporate boards.

Key Findings: 

  • White women made the largest percentage increase in board seats gained in both the Fortune 100 and Fortune 500, larger than any other group or gender, a gain of 34 seats (15%) in the Fortune 100 and 209 seats (21%) in the Fortune 500.
  • In 2020, nearly 36% (more than one-third) of diverse board seats are occupied by persons on multiple Fortune 500 boards. Clearly, the opportunities need to be spread more widely among eligible women and minority board candidates. In fact, we may be underestimating the “overreliance” on these board members, as we are not accounting for their board seats outside the Fortune 500.
  • Minority men show no substantive increase in their rate of representation in either the Fortune 100 or 500, which is concerning, as their rate of representation in the Fortune 500 has been growing at less than 0.5% per year since 2010. In fact, African American/Black men lost one seat in the Fortune 100 and five seats in the Fortune 500.

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