Women are making it into senior leadership. Reaching the board remains a different challenge

Women are reaching senior leadership positions, but the path to the boardroom remains uneven, according to a new report.

The report, developed by the International Women’s Board Directors (IWBD) in collaboration with Wilton & Bain, draws on 36 Industry Committee meetings across nine sectors, bringing together senior executives, board members and emerging leaders to examine the challenges women face as they progress into more senior roles.

Across industries, limited access to influential networks, gaps in sponsorship, bias in hiring and promotion, and a lack of visibility continued to shape women’s advancement.

Sponsorship emerged as one of the most consistent themes. While mentorship can provide guidance and career support, the report distinguishes it from sponsorship, in which senior leaders actively advocate for women, create opportunities, and help position them for advancement.

Visibility was another recurring issue. The report points to perceptions of women’s commitment following pregnancy, as well as the different ways assertive male and female leaders are perceived, as factors that can affect how women are recognized for leadership opportunities. It recommends stronger personal visibility through authentic storytelling, public speaking, digital presence and thought leadership.

The challenges also vary across industries. In technology, the report highlights gaps in the leadership pipeline, promotion bias and the importance of informal networks. In healthcare, women can plateau at middle-management levels, with internalised bias and self-doubt also affecting progression. In retail, gender bias can influence customer engagement and negotiations, while a lack of visible female role models can further limit advancement.

The report also argues that the definition of board readiness is changing. In finance, leadership increasingly requires capabilities beyond technical expertise, audit experience, or traditional job titles. In HR, clearer definitions of the skills and experience expected at board level could help create more transparent pathways for potential candidates.

AI fluency is also emerging as a leadership differentiator. The report frames AI skills as extending beyond administrative use to areas such as decision-making, innovation, executive communication and thought leadership, while emphasising the continued importance of emotional intelligence, judgement and awareness of bias.

Sustainability is similarly shifting from a compliance issue to a broader strategic business priority, adding another area of expertise for leaders preparing for board-level roles.

The report outlines several pathways to advancement, including mentorship and sponsorship programs, university partnerships, board-readiness initiatives, leadership acceleration and formal talent monitoring.

It also points to more structured approaches to selection, including gender-balanced shortlists, standardized scoring and diverse interview or selection panels, alongside regular monitoring of representation.

Other recommendations include cross-functional rotations and executive shadowing to broaden leadership experience, as well as funding for women-led innovation.

Across the findings, the report identifies three recurring areas shaping women’s progression: sponsorship, visibility and competence. It argues that advancing to the boardroom increasingly requires women to have access to influential advocates, greater visibility and a broader understanding of what board-level leadership now entails.