White Men Make a Comeback in America’s Boardrooms
Boards are seeking executives with C-suite experience to help navigate economic and political turmoil.
A boardroom in New York, 1946. The share of White men among new directors is growing again.
Photographer: Arthur Fellig/International Center of Photography/Getty Images
Corporate boards in the US have never been more diverse. Those same boards are now hiring White guys at the fastest clip in almost a decade.
White men made up a majority of new directors added this year at S&P 500 companies for the first time since 2017, according to data from the research firm ISS-Corporate. Interviews with directors and recruiters make clear that boards are seeking candidates with experience as chief executive officers to help navigate economic and political turmoil, particularly tariffs. And because many of those executives began their careers decades ago, when leadership was less diverse, those being picked now are disproportionately White and male.