U.S. Boards Now Prioritizing Experience to Navigate AI & Tariff Challenges

Faced with rising complexities from artificial intelligence breakthroughs and shifting trade policies, corporate boards in the United States are increasingly choosing seasoned professionals over youthful or diversity-based candidates for new board appointments. According to data from Spencer Stuart, the average age of new S&P 500 directors has climbed to 59.1 years, with nearly 30% coming from CEO or financial executive backgrounds.

This shift highlights how boards are recalibrating their priorities, seeking executives who can steer firms through strategic pressures like AI integration, tariff volatility, and macroeconomic uncertainties. Recruiters say these demands have pushed boards to favor candidates with proven leadership and crisis management experience, even if that trend slows momentum in boardroom diversity.

Women comprised 38% of new independent director appointments in 2025, down from 42% in 2024, while minorities made up 17%, slipping from 26% the previous year. Some boards are reportedly leaving vacated seats unfilled rather than seeking replacements, which analysts say further dampens diversity gains.

Several high-profile firms have responded to the trend: 3M added an outside CEO as a board member, and Meta Platforms brought in two tech leaders, though such moves remain exceptions.

The message is clear — in an era defined by AI disruption, tariff uncertainty, and global instability, many organizations believe that experience trumps novelty in the boardroom.