Scores of Men Retiring From Boards Open Record Seats to Women

Women hold a third of S&P 500 board seats for the first time ever after scores of men gave up their directorships in May, a long-elusive goal that’s been touted as a baseline for lasting change.

The percentage of female directorships increased to 33.2% from 32.8% in May, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, as 10 companies upped the number of women on their boards. The threshold was passed during the peak season for annual meetings when many directors retire: Men vacated four times as many seats than women, the data show.

Advocates have posited for almost two decades that ...