FLORIDA CORPORATE BOARD DIVERSITY INITIATIVE
INCREASING WOMEN ON CORPORATE BOARDS
WHO WE ARE
The Florida Women on Boards task force consists of members of four preeminent women’s leadership organizations, the International Women’s Forums in Florida, Women Executive Leadership Florida, the Florida Chapters of Women Corporate Directors and 50/50 Women on Boards. These women have come together to work collaboratively to promote the inclusion of women on corporate boards in Florida and to monitor the status of women on Florida boards.
MISSION
This group’s mission is to track the representation of women on the Florida Russell 3000 boards and to provide this data to all the corporations. The group also encourages the companies to move to gender balanced boards and offers to connect qualified women to Florida boards, with a near term objective of seeing at least three women on every public board in Florida. More specifically, our mission is to:
• Increase the number of women on the boards of the Russell 3000 companies in Florida
• Encourage all boards to become gender-balanced
• Connect qualified female board candidates to open board opportunities
TAKE ACTION
Florida women call on Florida public companies to:
• Add at least one woman if you currently have two or less on your board
• If you have three or more women but are not gender-balanced, then increase to gender balance, including at least one woman of color
• If you have gender balance, maintain that balance, and include at least one woman of color
RESEARCH
Florida Women on Boards publishes a census each year. The 2026 census analyzes female representation on the boards of the 143 Florida companies in the Russell 3000 list (“R3000”) as of June 30, 2026. This report explores differences by state, delves into specific trends in the state of Florida, and concludes by examining where the greatest opportunity for change now lies.
The census uses data from 50/50 Women on Boards and their Exclusive Data Partner, Equilar.
KEY FINDINGS
The percentage of board seats held by women on the Florida Russell 3000 boards fell to 26.5%, compared to 29.2% for the national Russell 3000 boards. Both declined this year — nationally, the first fall in the ten years this census has tracked.
Fifty-three percent of companies nationally have reached three or more women on their boards. Only 43% of Florida companies have, down from 47% last year.
The number of Florida companies with no women at all rose from 9 to 15. At 10.5% of Florida companies, that is nearly three times the national rate of 3.9%. Eight of the fifteen are new to the Florida list this year.
Florida’s decline is almost entirely a question of which companies are on the list. The 113 companies present in both years barely moved, from 27.4% to 27.3%. The state went backwards because 30 new companies joined the Florida R3000 with boards only 23.1% female.
There were bright spots. Florida now has 14 gender-balanced boards, up from 12, and the number of Florida companies with a woman CEO rose from 3 to 5. But only 27% of new Florida board seats went to women, down from 34%.
Phone
917-690-1958