Women in the Boardroom Announces 125th Board Seat Opening While Celebrating 15 Years of Helping Women Get a Seat at the Table

Public company board opportunities are up from 24% in 2014 to 69% in 2016


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 16, 2017) -  Women in the Boardroom (WIB), a leading global organization committed to advancing women in the workplace and into corporate boardrooms, announced today its 125th board seat opening. The milestone comes as WIB celebrates its 15-year anniversary.

Sheila Ronning, CEO and Founder, started WIB in 2002 with a vision to create an environment where women could assist other women in achieving their leadership and corporate board service goals. To date, 40% of WIB members are serving on corporate boards.

"WIB is proud to have brought corporate board opportunities to so many talented and capable women," said Ronning. "Both the industry sectors seeking our members and the skill sets they desire in board candidates are diverse. Women with extensive finance, risk management or technology experience make strong candidates for board directorship." Other areas of expertise companies have requested include human resources/talent management, mergers and acquisitions, operations, sales and marketing.

The top five industries seeking WIB candidates last year included:

  • finance (37.5%)
  • consumer goods (12.5%)
  • education (12.5%)
  • healthcare (12.5%)
  • industrial goods (12.5%)

In 2015, the top sectors included:

  • services (18%)
  • consumer goods (14%)
  • technology (14%)
  • finance (11%)
  • healthcare (11%)

Board opportunities come to WIB's members from both the private and public sectors. Since 2014, however, public company board openings have dramatically increased, up from 24% in 2014 to 46% in 2015 and 69% in 2016.

Public company size varied in 2016, including:

  • small-cap (44%)
  • micro-cap (31%)
  • large-cap (13%)
  • mid-cap (6%)
  • nano-cap (6%)

"Supporting women in their quest to secure corporate board opportunities for the last 15 years has been a rewarding experience," Ronning said. "I look forward to growing our membership and helping many more women realize their potential for board service in the years to come."

About Women in the Boardroom:
With 15 years of experience and 40% of our VIP Members serving on corporate boards, we are the experts that will help you get your seat at the table. Our exclusive programs, including our Matchmaking Program ™, Annual Board Assembly and proven networking process provide individualized counsel, coaching and connections to board influencers and connectors. For more information visit www.womenintheboardroom.com.

Contact Information:

Media Contact:
Taryn Burks
Adam Friedman Associates

917-675-6244