Women Corporate Directors

What Women Corporate Directors does

Women Corporate Directors (WCD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It is the world's largest membership community of women corporate board directors, with more than 2,600 members serving on over 4,000 public and private boards globally, organized through 56 chapters across five continents (North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa & Middle East). Members include board chairs, CEOs, and C-suite executives at companies on indices such as the S&P 500, FTSE 250, DAX, and Nikkei; eligibility is restricted to women currently serving as corporate directors at companies with minimum annual revenue of US $100 million.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its core infrastructure is a Salesforce-backed member portal for applications, renewals, event registration, and board opportunity listings, with payments processed through Affinipay, Authorize.net, and PayPal, and web analytics via Google Analytics. The product portfolio is membership-centric and comprises vetted membership access, exclusive board opportunity listings, the annual WCD Global Institute and Regional Institutes (e.g., WCD Europe Institute), the WCDirect webinar series, committee-specific Peer Exchanges under Chatham House Rule, the Boardroom Beyond podcast, WCD Visionary Awards, and 56 local chapter networks. Sub-brands include WCDirect, Boardroom Beyond, BoardNext, and the WCD Global Institute.

WCD's revenue model rests on three recurring streams: individual membership dues (US: $1,150 first-year, $950/year thereafter; international rates set by chapter), tiered corporate sponsorships (Global Lead Sponsor KPMG; Global Executive Sponsor Pearl Meyer; Global Strategic Sponsors S&P Global and Vinson & Elkins; Global Supporting Sponsor Equilar; partners Fordham Gabelli and Kirkland & Ellis), and tax-deductible donations ($1,000-$10,000+ tiers). Go-to-market is community-led: members are recruited through chapter-based networks, sponsor referrals, and word-of-mouth, with a vetted application gating membership to maintain the quality of the peer community. The organization has 11-50 employees and reported a leadership transition in 2026 with the appointment of Erin Dwyer as CEO following Cynthia Brinkley's tenure as Interim CEO/President.

Name

Women Corporate Directors

Legal name

Women Corporate Directors Education and Development Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://wcdglobal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women Corporate Directors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization connecting more than 2,600 women corporate directors serving on over 4,000 boards globally through 56 chapters across five continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Nonprofit Membership

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

Keywords

• Board director membership
• Corporate governance education
• Executive peer networking
• Board opportunity listings
• Director community events

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuart

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from individual women corporate directors. US members pay $1150 USD first-year fee, then $950 USD/year. International members pay chapter-based rates that vary by region.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors pay for various sponsorship tiers (Global Lead Sponsor, Global Executive Sponsor, Global Strategic Sponsor, Global Supporting Sponsor, WCD Partner) to gain visibility and access to WCD's network of board directors and C-suite executives.
3. Donations: Individual donations at various tiers ($10,000+ Visionary, $5,000+ Premier, $2,000+ Supporter, $1,000 Friend) to support WCD's mission. WCD is a 501(c)(3) foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WCD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization for women corporate board directors, providing a global community of 2,600+ members serving on 4,000+ boards across 56 chapters. Members pay annual dues to access governance education (Global Institute, Regional Institutes), Chatham House Rule Peer Exchanges, WCDirect virtual programming, exclusive board opportunity listings, and peer networking events. The foundation supplements membership revenue with corporate sponsorships and donations.

Product overview

Women Corporate Directors (WCD) is a membership organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services for women serving on corporate boards. The core offering is membership access to a global network of over 2,600 women directors serving on more than 4,000 boards worldwide. The product portfolio includes flagship events (WCD Global Institute, WCD Visionary Awards), regional programming (Europe Institute, Regional Institutes), virtual and peer programming (WCDirect Events, Peer Exchanges), content platforms (Boardroom Beyond podcast), member services (Board Opportunities listings), and local chapter networks (56 global chapters across 5 continents). The WCD Virtual Chapter provides online access for members without nearby in-person chapters. Sponsorship tiers (Global Lead Sponsor, Global Executive Sponsors, Global Strategic Sponsors) support the organization's operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BoardNext: A program or initiative referenced for prospective board members; the page was not found at time of scraping, and the organization is no longer accepting new BoardNext applications.
• WCDirect
• Boardroom Beyond
• WCD Global Institute
• WCD Visionary Awards
• WCD Peer Exchanges

Products and services

• WCD Membership
• WCD Global Institute Flagship annual in-person event of Women Corporate Directors and the largest gathering of women corporate directors in the United States, bringing together members, corporate sponsors, and governance leaders for multi-day programming.
• WCD Regional Institutes Regional in-person events produced by WCD in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America (including the WCD Europe Institute), providing governance education and peer exchange tailored to each region for WCD members.
• WCD Peer Exchanges Members-only peer gatherings conducted under the Chatham House Rule, enabling women corporate directors to engage in candid, confidential, off-the-record dialogue on board-level challenges and best practices.
• WCDirect Virtual Programming WCD's ongoing virtual programming series for members, providing online governance education, expert-led sessions, and peer connection throughout the year.
• Boardroom Beyond Podcast Podcast produced by Women Corporate Directors featuring conversations with women directors and corporate governance leaders, available to members and the broader public.
• WCD Board Opportunities Service Member-exclusive service that curates public and private company board openings and surfaces them to qualified WCD members, supporting the pipeline of women into corporate board seats.
• WCD Visionary Awards Awards program run by Women Corporate Directors that recognizes and celebrates women corporate directors and corporate partners who have advanced the cause of women on boards, presented in connection with WCD's flagship programming.
• S&P 500 Global Directors' Summit Summit-level programming event produced by WCD in connection with its Institute calendar, convening members and senior governance leaders.
• WCD Global Chapter Network Network of 56 WCD chapters — including a WCD Virtual Chapter and chapters in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America — that deliver in-person and online local programming, peer exchange, and networking for WCD members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members serve on 4,000+ boards globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered primary/flagship, core and supporting.

• KPMGprimary/flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerKPMG serves as the Global Lead Sponsor of WCD. As one of the world's leading professional services firms and the fastest-growing Big Four accounting firm in the United States, KPMG provides significant sponsorship support, thought leadership, and access to its network of audit committee and governance professionals. KPMG professionals also serve on WCD's Board of Directors.
• Pearl MeyercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPearl Meyer serves as a Global Executive Sponsor of WCD. As the leading advisor to boards and senior management on compensation and leadership consulting, Pearl Meyer provides sponsorship support and thought leadership on executive compensation topics for WCD members.
• S&P GlobalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerS&P Global serves as a Global Strategic Sponsor of WCD. As a leading provider of essential intelligence, data, and technology, S&P Global supports WCD's mission and provides governance-related insights to the membership.
• Vinson & Elkins LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVinson & Elkins serves as a Global Strategic Sponsor of WCD. The law firm provides legal counsel and top-tier service to sophisticated corporate clients and supports WCD's programming and events.
• EquilarsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEquilar serves as a Global Supporting Sponsor of WCD. With a robust database of nearly 3M public corporate board members, executives and candidates, Equilar provides visibility for WCD members in search functions for diverse directors.
• Gabelli School of Business at Fordham UniversitysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University serves as a WCD Partner, supporting the organization's mission to advance women in corporate governance.
• Kirkland & EllissupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerKirkland & Ellis serves as a WCD Partner. As a global platform of approximately 3,500 lawyers in 20 cities, the firm provides elite legal advice and supports WCD programming, including hosting a Public Company Directors Forum.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: A global nonprofit working to advance women in leadership through research, advisory services, and inclusion initiatives. Comparable to WCD in mission focus on women's leadership advancement, though Catalyst's broader scope includes pipeline development and corporate consulting rather than serving seated directors directly.

Direct peers

• Lead Director Network: An invitation-only network of lead independent directors, presiding directors, and non-executive board chairs from major public companies. Comparable to WCD as a curated peer network for high-level corporate directors seeking confidential peer exchange and governance thought leadership.
• Private Directors Association (PDA): A nonprofit membership organization for directors of family-owned and closely-held private companies. Directly comparable to WCD's private company focus, providing peer groups and educational programming for directors serving in non-public-company boardrooms.
• International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN): A global membership organization focused on corporate governance standards, investor stewardship, and director effectiveness. Comparable to WCD in its global footprint and mission to advance board excellence, with overlap in board education and policy advocacy.
• National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD): The largest US membership organization for corporate directors, providing education, certification, and a private board community. Directly comparable to WCD as a membership-driven governance body serving public and private company directors, though NACD's membership is gender-neutral.

Emerging players

• Director's Institute (The Directors College): A governance education and certification body serving corporate directors. Comparable to WCD as a provider of director-focused executive education and governance credentials, complementing WCD's Peer Exchanges and WCDirect programming.
• 2020 Women on Boards: A nonprofit campaign and membership community dedicated to increasing the percentage of women on corporate boards. Comparable to WCD as a women-directors advocacy and networking organization, with overlapping programming but a smaller, US-centric footprint and a more activist orientation.

Others

• Equilar Diversity Network: A board and executive data platform with a database of nearly 3 million profiles, used by companies and search firms for diverse director identification. Comparable to WCD as an enabling ecosystem participant for board placement, and currently a sponsor and distribution partner of WCD.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wcdglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womencorporatedirectors
• Xx.com/womencorpdirs

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women Corporate Directors