15th Anniversary – Timeline

Founded by trailblazers Malli Gero and Stephanie Sonnabend, who recognized a glaring gender gap in corporate America, 2020 Women on Boards launched with a bold mission to reach 20% women on boards by 2020.

Launched the first-of-its-kind Gender Diversity Index™ to transparently track women on public company boards, introduced a bold company rating system to benchmark board composition, and sparked national awareness with the in-person National Conversation on Board Diversity.

On 12/12/12, hosted simultaneous events in key U.S. cities, including NY, Boston, and LA to establish a national network of allies and leaders accelerating gender balance and equity on corporate boards.

Women surpassed 20% of board seats in Fortune 1000 companies, our research expanded to track the gender composition of all Russell 3000 boards, and states began proposing board diversity legislation, evidence that our work was influencing national policy and dialogue.

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, published author of The Board Game and Winning the Board Game, became CEO and launched the first educational program Get on Board to help prepare women for board service and unlock new leadership opportunities.

Advocated for California’s landmark SB 826 legislation requiring at least three women on public company boards, while reaching 20% women on Russell 3000 company boards one year ahead of schedule.

Heather Spilsbury became CMO and led a bold rebrand to 50/50 Women on Boards, a digital transformation, and global expansion to London, Mexico, Greece, and Tokyo—marking a 30 percent surge in corporate support and international reach.

Hosted events in 25+ cities worldwide, expanded board readiness offerings with two new workshops, and launched the virtual Networking Hub to connect aspiring board leaders with peers and corporate directors around the globe.

Expanded our quarterly and annual Gender Diversity Index™ reports to include race and ethnicity metrics, redefining company rankings to reflect a broader and more transparent view of board equity.

50 Women to Watch for Boards launched, a groundbreaking campaign that helps elevate women to corporate board leadership positions, drawing 1,500+ board-ready applicants in the first two years, with 20% of honorees securing board seats.

Expanded our reach and impact with the launch of our regional program in Nairobi, Africa, and for the first time, hosted our Global Conversation in person—featuring CEOs from Honest, Citi, and Walgreens to celebrate our 50 Women to Watch.

Heather Spilsbury was named CEO, Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire transitioned to President, and the global leadership team expanded with new talent to drive the next phase of growth.

Women now hold 30% of the Russell 3000 board seats—a historic breakthrough, with women of color holding nearly 8% of seats and 14% of boards achieving gender-balance. This year also marked the launch of our Mexico Mentee Program, expanding our global board governance efforts.

Volunteer network grew 500+ dedicated leaders. This year also marked the expansion of our Global Summit in New York, a convening of influential voices from around the world, all committed to advancing effective corporate governance.

Celebrating 15 years of elevating women to board leadership, transforming corporate governance, and building meaningful connections for better business, alongside you!