GM Boosts Board Diversity by Adding Whitman, NBA Executive

(Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co. added former Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman and National Basketball Association executive Mark Tatum as directors, increasing the diversity of its board.

Tatum, who is Black and Vietnamese-American, is the first person of Asian descent and second African-American member of the board. Whitman’s addition brings the number of female directors to seven. One director is Hispanic. The appointments, announced Thursday, increase the size of the board to 13 members.

By bringing on Tatum, GM joins a growing number of companies adding Black directors since the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd. From June 1 to the end of February, 112 African-American members were added to 114 boards in the S&P 500, according to executive recruiter Russell Reynolds Associates. Still, 122 companies don’t have a Black director, the company said in a February report.

GM is one of five companies in the S&P 500 with a majority-female board, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The S&P 500 has only one member with an all-male board, Monolithic Power Systems Inc.

With the addition of Whitman, 64, the carmaker adds another director with experience and connections to Silicon Valley. GM took on former EBay Inc. CEO Devin Wenig three years ago.

Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, is responsible for the league’s global business operations. The 51-year-old brings marketing expertise to the boardroom.

GM’s directors will stand for election at the annual shareholders meeting on June 14.

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