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The Equilar CHRO Content Series offers insights and trends related to top HR officers among the largest U.S. companies. This analysis examines the prevalence of Russell 3000 board appointments with CHRO experience over the last three years.
In recent years, organizations have increasingly recognized that their people are among their most valuable assets. Effective workplace strategies and talent development are central when it comes to corporate performance and a competitive edge. As workforce issues such as leadership pipelines, culture and employee well-being rise to the top of the board agenda, the increasing presence of chief human resources officers (CHROs) on corporate boards underscores a broader shift. Human capital management is no longer viewed as an internal function, but it shapes long-term performance and stakeholder confidence.
In this study, Equilar analyzes the prevalence of CHROs serving on Russell 3000 boards, exploring some of the many factors that influence these trends. Despite the growing recognition of the value of HR leadership in the boardroom, the prevalence of new directors with CHRO experience has declined by nearly 54% since 2022 (from 2.6% to 1.2%). In the most recent year, this figure has dropped by 33.8%.
One of a CHRO’s core responsibilities is overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and embedding them into company culture and leadership accountability. Following President Trump’s 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to dismantle DEI offices and programs, many corporations scaled back their own initiatives. These changes included ending diversity hiring targets, discontinuing DEI training and rolling back goals aimed at increasing diverse representation within leadership. Major large corporations, including Google, McDonald’s and Target, ended DEI goals that were originally set to increase representation in underrepresented groups among the companies’ employees and leadership teams. With less emphasis placed on DEI, corporate boards may also begin to view it as a lower priority in shaping culture and governance. While it would be speculative to link the slowdown in new directors with CHRO experience to these developments, the trend warrants continued observation.
Although few new directors have CHRO experience, the overall percentage of Russell 3000 board members with that background still grew 9.1%, rising from 1.1% in 2023 to 1.2% in 2024. Though small, this indicates that companies still value the presence of HR leaders in the boardroom to some degree, even in light of recent shifts.
The presence of CHROs on corporate boards underscores the intersection of talent management and broader business strategy. Although new board appointments of directors with CHRO experience declined in 2024, their contributions remain vital. The overall rise in the percentage of Russell 3000 directors with CHRO backgrounds since 2022 highlights the enduring importance of HR expertise, even as political shifts and evolving views on human capital reshape priorities. As public companies continue to navigate change, the strategic perspective of CHROs and other HR leaders is increasingly essential to driving long-term success.
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Associate Editor
Joyce Chen, Associate Editor at Equilar, authored this post. Gabriel Klewin, Research Analyst at Equilar, provided data and analysis. Please contact Amit Batish at abatish@equilar.com for more information on Equilar research and data analysis.
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