Breaking Barriers – 2021 Census of Women Directors and Executive Officers of Massachusetts Largest Companies

Women now hold 27.7% of the board seats in Massachusetts’ largest public companies, the highest to date.  The biggest news of this past year is the high rate at which men and women of color have joined the boards of Census companies.  Breaking Barriers: The 2021 Census of Women Directors and Executive Officers of Massachusetts Public Companies includes the 100 largest public companies in Massachusetts, based on net revenues. This year, the companies range in size from the Fortune 500 through the Russell 3000 and include some companies that may be considered “small cap” as well. Together they provide a comprehensive picture of the progress that women have made towards parity in the leadership ranks of corporate Massachusetts.

But the biggest news of this past year is the high rate at which men and women of color have joined the boards of Census companies. More than 50% of the new directors added during the past year to those 88 boards that were also included in the 2020 Census are people of color. Nearly 60% of all new independent directors (those who are not company executives or major shareholders) are people of color. The addition of the new directors of color to those who already held board seats in the 88 companies increased their overall representation by 50%. Looking at all 100 companies, 67 Census companies currently have at least one woman and at least one person of color on their boards.  Read the complete Census here