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Board Factbook
Data last updated Q1 2023
Board Member Gender Breakdown (Russell 3000)
*As of Q3 2022
Ethnically-Diverse Board Members (Russell 3000)
Average Number of Women on Boards (Russell 3000)
Key Data Points
- The average Russell 3000 board has 2.6 women
- The average number of women on a Russell 3000 board increased by 23.8% since 2019
Women in Board Leadership Positions (Equilar 500)
- 11.4% of Equilar 500 non-executive chair positions are occupied by women, a 72.7% increase since 2017
- Women hold 13.6% of Equilar 500 lead independent director roles, an 18.3% increase since 2017
- 5.8% of Equilar 500 CEO-chairs are women
Board Committees Chaired by Women (Equilar 500)
Key Data Points
- Women chair 30.8% of Equilar 500 audit committees, an increase of 47.4% since 2017
- 32.6% of Equilar 500 compensation committees are chaired by women, an increase of 73.4% since 2017
- 36.5% of Equilar 500 governance committees are chaired by women, an increase of 37.7% since 2017
Board Composition Disclosures on Gender and Ethnicity/Race (Equilar 100)
- 99% of Equilar 100 companies included board composition disclosures related to gender, while the same percentage did so in relation to ethnicity/race in 2021
- 92.8% of Equilar 100 companies included board or director assessment disclosures related to gender, while 92.9% did so in relation to ethnicity/race in 2021
Board Size Distribution (Equilar 500)
Key Data Points
- The most common Equilar 500 board size is 11 members at 26.7% prevalence, followed by more than 12 and 10 members at 17.7% and 17.5%, respectively
- Just 2.2% of Equilar 500 boards have fewer than eight members
Director Tenure Median and Average (Equilar 500)
- The median tenure of an Equilar 500 directors is 5.7 years, while the average is 7.7 years
- Both the average and median tenures for Equilar 500 directors has decreased over the last year
Median Director Tenure by Gender (Equilar 500)
Key Data Points
- Median tenure for a male Equilar 500 director is 6.5 years, while it is over two years less for female directors at 4.0 years
