NACD DE&I Awards

About

For more than 45 years, NACD has served as the authority on boardroom education and has worked—together with its members—to elevate board performance. Integral to that mission is advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the boardroom and within the organizations those boards serve.  

NACD is delighted to host the seventh annual NACD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Awards Gala, where forward-thinking boards that leverage the power of DE&I to enhance their governance, create long-term value for stakeholders, and build innovative and inclusive boardrooms and workplaces will be recognized.   

Awards will be presented to five separate organizations, one in each category:

• Public – Large Cap
• Public – Mid Cap
• Public – Small Cap
• Private 
• Not-for-Profit

Nominated boards will be assessed based on how the board’s composition, culture, and practices align with the company’s DE&I objectives, and how DE&I impacts the organization’s strategy and leads to positive outcomes for the business, its operations, and stakeholders. Nominees are encouraged to provide as many examples, details, and metrics as possible in their responses.   

Winners will be chosen by an independent, external selection committee, and announced at the 2024 NACD DE&I Awards^™ Gala, during the NACD Directors Summit^™, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. 

The nomination period will close on Monday, May 6, 2024.

Eligibility Guidelines

1. Governmental organizations and non-US entities are not eligible for nomination. To be considered a US entity, an organization must have a significant operating presence in the United States, and a majority of that organization’s board members must be based in the United States.
2. Winning boards may not be renominated until five (5) years have passed. For example, if a board won in 2020, they may not be renominated until 2025. This year, we will consider boards that have not yet won, and boards that won no later than 2019. Please note: this does not apply to finalist boards that were not recognized as the overall winner in their category.

To nominate a board, click below.

Nominate a Board

If you have questions about the nomination form or process, or about the NACD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards generally, please contact our team at dei@nacdonline.org.

NACD offers sponsorship opportunities that will bring impact and visibility to your organization before, during, and after the Awards Gala. Opportunities available include the Awards Gala program book, table sponsorship, and NACD website. The 2024 sponsorship opportunities will be shared shortly.

Resources

NACD is committed to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the board level, as boards with varied experiences, broad perspectives, and diverse backgrounds are more resilient, make better products and services, and take more informed risks.  

For insights, trends, and perspectives that support your board’s discussions on DE&I governance and oversight, visit these resources:

• NACD Center for Inclusive Governance^™
• Report of the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission: Culture as the Foundation: Building a High-Performance Board
• Overcoming Challenges: Lessons from the 2023 NACD DE&I Awards
• The Inclusion-Driven Boardroom: Incorporating Inclusion to Help Realize the Benefits of Diversity
• Harnessing the Power of DE&I: A Boardroom Discussion Guide
• The Ground-Breaking SCOTUS Ruling on Affirmative Action: A Boardroom Discussion Guide
• 2023 NACD Board Trends and Priorities Survey: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2023 NACD DE&I Award Winners

Last year’s winners were announced during the 2023 NACD DE&I Awards™ Gala sponsored by Deloitte on Tuesday, October 10. The awards acknowledge boards and organizations that excel in their DE&I governance and oversight and have implemented leading practices that resulted in measurable progress.

The 2023 winners were given to five organizations, one in each of the award categories:

Public Company - Large Cap — Cummins, Inc.

Cummins Inc. drives sustainable value for all stakeholders by empowering diverse suppliers, advancing gender and racial equality, promoting technical education, and addressing global water challenges. Commitment to DE&I starts at the top. The board consists of five women (38%) and three Black or Latino members (23%) among their 13 board seats. More than 40 percent of Cummins Inc. vice presidents and 60 percent of business unit leaders are women, including the trailblazing female CEO, one of just 53 among the S&P 500 companies and one of just four in 69 industrial firms. This rise in female representation in Cummins Inc.’s top leadership, from 30 to 41 percent since 2017, has helped fuel phenomenal growth.

Public Company - Mid Cap — Reinsurance Group of America (RGA)

The board of the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA) helps maintain progress, high expectations, and accountability for DE&I by encouraging the integration of DE&I into business practices, talent management, and leadership development. RGA maintained overall female representation of 48 percent across the company, while overall women in leadership representation grew to 28 percent. The board is composed of 17 percent African American/Black members, 25 percent Asian members, and 33 percent overall female members.

Public Company - Small Cap — Eastern Bank

Eastern Bank, Inc. launched the "Road to Equity" plan in 2021, reflecting a greater commitment to increasing DE&I representation across the company including talent acquisition, retention, and development, among others. DE&I is embedded at all levels of the organization and starts with a diverse board of directors, which has long been led by professionals of color, including lead director Deborah Jackson, the first woman and second person of color to hold this position. The board demographics include African American/Black, Asian, Hispanic, and/or Latino groups—each representing 9 percent of the overall board membership.

Privately Owned Company — MITRE

MITRE's current board reflects a greater diversity of professional and lived experiences than at any time in its history, and the demographic composition of the board is its most diverse ever. Today, 64 percent of MITRE's trustees reflect underrepresented gender and racial demographics. The organization's board composition includes 29 percent African American/Black members and 14 percent Latino members—with 29 percent of the overall board consisting of female members.

Not-for-Profit Organization — CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

CareFirst works tirelessly with external community partners across the region to find unique opportunities to further equity through collaboration and philanthropy. Board members participate in the company's annual Week of Equity and Action, where the entire workforce gathers to develop skills and obtain tools that help cultivate empathy and understanding in the workplace and beyond. Currently, 35 percent of board members identify as African American/Black, 10 percent identify as Hispanic/Latino, and 5 percent identify as other.

2023 NACD DE&I Award finalists.

Read More

For more information about the DE&I honorees, read Overcoming Challenges: Lessons from the 2023 NACD DE&I Awards.