Each quarter, this podcast releases our research data on the demographic makeup of IT leadership, broken down by race and sex. By surveying public websites, we’re looking to track the change over time.
This quarter, we surveyed 300 companies and four thousand three hundred thirty six humans. 48% vendors, 48% technology providers. This quarter, we found that 88.0% are White, and 3.2% are Black. The breakdown is also 78.4% male. The data remains similar between vendors and tech providers, and while last quarter was slightly different, this quarter nearly the same. When we look at publically traded or Fortune 100 companies do the numbers improve for women, remaining at 26%. The racial divide remains within 2 percent.
This data is essentially identical to the data reports for 2024.
Why do we care?
Because despite the surge in DEI initiatives, AI-driven hiring platforms, and public commitments to equity, the face of IT leadership hasn’t materially changed. We’re entering a time where this is not prioritized. From a data perspective, it’s a new test. Does this harden into the status quo further, or do we see changes… in either direction?
Homogeneous leadership limits perspective, reduces creativity in problem-solving, and undermines efforts to design for broad user bases—especially in global markets. The language may change. The politics will shift. But inclusive leadership remains a strategic imperative, not a social luxury. Retreating from that is a short-term play with long-term costs.