DE&I Awards Gala

NACD Announces 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award Winners

This 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.

Awards 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.

Read More

For more information about the DE&I honorees, read Overcoming Challenges: Lessons from the 2023 NACD DE&I Awards. Plus read the full winners press release announcement.