December 2025 Report Summary

Companies continue to diversify board composition by appointing women to public company boards.

Women comprised 23% of new appointments to public boards of directors, with 41 women and 135 men appointed in December 2025.

The pressure to increase diversity at the board level remains critical to ensuring the advancement of women in boardrooms and professional environments overall.

While only 16% of the newly appointed women board members chose to self-disclose their race or ethnicity, boards must continue to prioritize both gender and racial diversity. The data continues to highlight the value of disclosure, as data gaps inhibit advocates and allies from understanding the complete picture of women’s representation on boards, especially for women of color (WOC), and where progress can be made.

In December, women who self-identified as Asian or Pacific Islander were represented highest in board appointments, with 3 women appointed to boards, making up about 7.3% of all appointed women.

16% of appointed directors self-identified as women of color

Of the newly women appointed to the boards of public companies, 23 women, or 56.1%, were first-time board appointments. In December, Healthcare companies led the way in the appointment of women board directors with 24.4% of total appointments. Consumer Cyclical companies followed closely behind with women filling 22% of newly appointed board memberships.

Additionally, women affiliated with WBC Partner organizations also touted appointments in December, including Jaqueline Wright  of The Executive Leadership Council, Michelle Hong of The Forum of Executive Women, Jill D. Smith of Women Corporate Directors, and Mona Aboelnaga Kanaan of Women in the Boardroom

Finally, WBC acknowledges companies leading the way including Bill Holdings, Cannae, Clearfield, and SMJ International Holdings which reported the most women’s board appointments in December.

Equilar and WBC are tracking and analyzing the growth and rotation of board seats on public companies and the expanding candidate pool. Through our partnership, we will continue to track and analyze not only the count, diversity and profile of the women appointed to boards; but also the companies and industries where women are leading.

CompanyDirectorIndustryEthnicity
Abbott LaboratoriesDr. Nita Ahuja M.D. Healthcare
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc.Shannon Hennessy Consumer Cyclical
AGNC Investment Corp.Christine Hurtsellers Real Estate
Andersen Group Inc.Dorice Elizabeth Pepin Consumer Cyclical
Becton, Dickinson and CompanyJacqueline Wright HealthcareBlack / African American
BILL Holdings, Inc.Elizabeth S. Johnson Technology
BILL Holdings, Inc.Natalie Marie Derse Technology
Cannae Holdings, Inc.Chérie L. Schaible Consumer Cyclical
Cannae Holdings, Inc.Mona Aboelnaga Kanaan Consumer CyclicalMiddle Eastern / North African
Clearfield, Inc.Kathleen S. Skarvan Technology
Clearfield, Inc.Rebecca B. Seidel Technology
Compass Minerals International, Inc.Denise M. Merle Basic Materials
Comtech Telecommunications Corp.Mary Jane Raymond Technology
Elite Express Holding Inc.Huanhuan TianIndustrials
ENvue Medical, Inc.Alison Geiger BurgettHealthcare
ETHZilla CorporationAngela Dalton Healthcare
Evolent Health, Inc.Jill D. SmithHealthcare
First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc.Rachel K. Tipograph Consumer Cyclical
Graco Inc.Andrea Helen Simon Industrials
H.B. Fuller CompanyCeline Martin Basic Materials
Hess Midstream LPBarbara Frances Harrison Energy
HNI CorporationLinda K. Williams Consumer Cyclical
JM Group LimitedSze Wai LiConsumer Cyclical
Local Bounti CorporationKathleen Valiasek Consumer Defensive
MGP Ingredients, Inc.Julie Maria Francis Consumer Defensive
Open Text CorporationMargaret Stuart Technology
Regentis Biomaterials Ltd.Susan Alpert Ph.D., M.D. Healthcare
SB Financial Group, Inc.Sue A. Strausbaugh Financial Services
Silence Therapeutics plcRhonda Lynette Hellums Healthcare
SMJ International Holdings Inc.How Fen LeeIndustrials
SMJ International Holdings Inc.Hsien Ng HuiIndustrialsAsian / Pacific Islander
Spruce Biosciences, Inc.Keli Walbert Healthcare
Tetra Tech, Inc.M. Susan Hardwick Industrials
ThredUp Inc.Kelly Bodnar Battles Consumer Cyclical
Toppoint Holdings Inc.Florence NgIndustrialsAsian / Pacific Islander
WaterBridge Infrastructure LLCJanet Langford Carrig Energy
Workhorse Group, Inc.Fildeza UjkashevicConsumer Cyclical
WSFS Financial CorporationMichelle Hong Financial ServicesAsian / Pacific Islander
Xcel Energy Inc.Maria Demaree Hutchinson Utilities
Zevra Therapeutics, Inc.Alicia Secor Healthcare
Zoetis Inc.Stephanie Tilenius Healthcare
Join us in celebrating the 41 women appointed to and serving on boards in December 2025