Women continue to make gradual gains in corporate leadership roles, but progress into the C suite remains slow and uneven, according to panelists discussing the newly released 2026 Michigan Women’s Leadership Report during an Inforum webinar.
The report, which tracks women’s representation on boards and in executive leadership at Michigan’s publicly traded companies, shows steady improvement over the past two decades. Yet panelists emphasized that structural barriers — particularly within the leadership pipeline — continue to limit advancement to the highest corporate ranks.
“We’ve made progress, but not fast enough,” said Donna Murray-Brown, president and CEO of Inforum, who moderated the discussion. “And for women of color, the numbers remain especially concerning.”
That word, “incremental,” isn’t one of Murray-Brown’s favorite words, but it’s the word she believes perhaps best describes the gains women are making in business leadership, and Inforum’s study bears that out.
And it bothers her.
“I personally am staying up at night because of the report, because I would like to know, and I’m thinking through how informed the metrics are tied to that report,” said Murray-Brown, who replaced the retired Terry Barclay in January. “Are we doing what we need to do to actually make that report different? How are we making those numbers better?
“So, in a sense, I’m not treating it completely as a report card because I know that there’s a lot of variables that we can’t necessarily have influence over, but I do think that we need to dig a bit deeper around how can we make those numbers move,” she added. “They didn’t move enough.”
The other “a-ha” number for her in the report was the lack of substantial progress for Black women.
“As the first Black woman leading this organization … in its 64-year history, I’m also looking at those numbers for Black women leaders going in the reverse direction,” she said. “That gives me heartburn. It’s disheartening and it’s also motivating.”
Incremental gains, persistent gaps
According to the 2026 report, women now hold 28% of board seats at Michigan public companies, up from just under 10% when Inforum published its first report in 2003. Women also account for 19% of top compensated executive roles and 27% of executive officer positions, modest increases from the prior reporting period.
Still, nearly half of Michigan public companies have no women among their top five highest paid executives, and women lead only seven Michigan based public companies.
The disparity is sharper for women of color, who represent about 3% of corporate directors and named executive officers, highlighting what panelists described as a deeper systemic issue.
“Progress at the board level has been more consistent than progress in the executive suite,” Murray-Brown noted. “That tells us where the bottleneck really is.”
The “broken rung” problem
Much of the discussion centered on what researchers often call the “broken rung” — the first step from entry level roles into management — which disproportionately affects women and limits their long term leadership trajectory.
Citing national data, panelists noted that while women make up roughly half of entry level corporate hires, they account for less than a third of C suite roles. For women of color, the drop off is even more dramatic.
“To change who’s in the boardroom and the C suite, companies have to focus much earlier in the talent pipeline,” said Christy Copeland, co-leader of Spencer Stuart’s Automotive, Heavy Duty and Mobility Technology practice. “If that first promotion isn’t equitable, everything downstream is affected.”
There are a couple of pieces that need to go into fixing the broken rung issue. Murray-Brown said they have to keep “ringing the alarm” around it, but the other is informing their own work, asking questions like “What do you do about it” and “How are we helping corporations not only see it, but do something with it?
“I think for us it’s an opportunity to work with the chief human resource officers at these corporations to help them support talent optimization for their organization and saying, “Here’s where you may be losing talent, this is what it looks like, and we can help you with doing that.”
What boards are prioritizing
Copeland shared insights from Spencer Stuart’s most recent board recruitment data, showing that CEO experience remains the top credential sought by corporate boards, followed closely by digital and technology expertise, particularly in artificial intelligence, data analytics and cybersecurity.
Global experience and financial expertise also rank high, while turnover continues to be a limiting factor. Only about 7% of board seats change hands annually, meaning opportunities for new directors — including women — can take years to materialize.
“That low turnover explains why the numbers don’t move faster,” Copeland said. “Boards are changing — just very slowly.”
Advocacy and intention matter
Panelists Amy Sparks, former president and CEO of manufacturing supplier Navarr, and Christine Sitek, a former General Motors executive, both stressed the importance of advocacy, sponsorship and intentional career planning.
“Boards don’t just happen to you,” Sparks said. “You have to say out loud that you want to serve, and you have to let people know what you bring to the table.”
Sitek echoed that sentiment, adding that many board roles are filled through relationships rather than formal searches.
“People don’t pull you along because you’re lucky,” she said. “They pull you along because they know your work and trust your judgment.”
Both panelists also rejected the notion that nonprofit boards are not a viable pathway into corporate governance, noting that nonprofit service can provide governance experience while expanding professional networks.
Finding — and using — your voice
When asked about confidence in the boardroom, both executives acknowledged that imposter syndrome often follows women into their first board roles.
“The first meeting is hard,” Sitek said. “You’re learning the people, the culture, the issues. But they invited you into that room for a reason.”
Over time, she said, directors find their footing by listening, contributing selectively and building relationships beyond the board table.
Sparks added that learning when to step back — rather than operating as an executive — is a critical adjustment.
“Governance is different from management,” she said. “Your value comes from perspective, not from running the day to day business.”
Looking ahead
Despite the challenges, panelists expressed optimism, pointing to increased awareness, better data and more companies taking intentional steps to diversify leadership.
Inforum now partners with more than 100 organizations committed to advancing women leaders, Murray Brown said, and continues to encourage public accountability through its biennial reporting.
“This isn’t about checking boxes,” she said. “It’s about using the full talent pool — and investing in the future of our companies.”
Participating in her first Inforum report as the group’s new leader, Murray-Brown said the organization checks how it “goes about our work,” looking at the report, contributing to change and recognizing that change obviously is slow.
“We’ve been doing this report since 2003, and here’s where we are,” she said. “My realistic lens is how can we change this over the next generation? What are we doing toward that? That is the work.
“But what I’m hoping, because we’re seeing more women … on board, which is fantastic and those are great things, but we don’t want to slip in any way,” she added. “And we can’t wait for two years to figure out if we’re slipping. We have to hold on and get better. So that’s where the sense of motivation for me is coming from is that this is not a moment to rest on our laurels.”
