61 S&P 100 Companies Drop Board Diversity Requirements; Trump Administration Removes DEI Programs
Research firm ESGAUGE reports that 61 S&P 100 companies, including Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Starbucks and Wells Fargo, have removed explicit diversity requirements from their board selection policies. The companies no longer cite gender, race, ethnicity or underrepresented groups as criteria for director appointments, reversing a trend from three years ago. Separately, the Trump administration has dismantled DEI programs across federal agencies, the military, universities and government contractors.
Research firm ESGAUGE's latest report shows that 61 companies in the S&P 100 index have removed explicit diversity requirements from their board selection policies. These companies no longer treat gender, race, ethnicity and underrepresented groups as explicit criteria for board member selection. Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Starbucks and Wells Fargo are among those affected. The change marks a sharp contrast with the situation three years ago, when most companies had incorporated diversity metrics into their governance frameworks.
The report indicates that the adjustments mean the companies concerned have removed direct references to diversity characteristics from their formal policy documents. Previously, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) standards were widely incorporated into corporate governance practices, but most S&P 100 companies no longer treat them as hard requirements for board selection. ESGAUGE's statistics are based on a review of public policy documents and reflect the continued adjustment of corporate governance standards in recent years.
Similar measures are also being advanced at the federal level. The Trump administration has removed DEI-related programs from federal agencies, the military, universities and government contractors. These actions span multiple public sectors and aim to change the diversity considerations previously incorporated into hiring, promotion and program execution. The implementation scope and specific impact of the relevant policies remain under observation.