Board Focus: Now You Want Us Older?

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Call it a return to the gray-haired set.

After decades of preferring board directors who are at least sixty years old, many firms in recent times targeted those age 50 or younger. In fact, 14% of last year’s new directors were in that age range, an uptick from the year before. But it appears that the youth movement may be ending—and fast—as boards try to keep up with constant business turmoil. “Boards want as much experience as fast as possible,” says Jane Edison Stevenson, global vice chair of Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO Services practice. “Being in your sixties is not as bad as it was five years ago if you’re looking for board appointments.”

Indeed, the average age of board directors is 61, and experts say it may climb in the coming years. Already, many companies have loosened (or ditched) age limits or are allowing exceptions for certain older board members to stay on. Roughly two-thirds of companies in the S&P 500 index mandate retirement for board members when they turn 75, up from age 72 six years ago. A Boardspan report in July found boards are placing greater weight on leadership experience—particularly from seasoned operators with experience during periods of volatility—even pulling talent from the board itself to ensure there’s a familiar face in the C-suite. “Boards continue to value experience, especially when it comes to navigating complex regulatory environments, stakeholder expectations, and business transformations,” says Marina Ferreira, senior client partner in Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO Services practice in São Paulo.

Boards have certainly noticed the record number of CEOs exiting in 2024 and 2025, and are pushing for more seasoned directors. As more first-time CEOs come into the position, boards have had to step up to supplement their lack of experience, says Tierney Remick, co-leader of Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO Services practice. “Even when leaders do have experience, it’s better to have a collective talking about the right next step than just one person,” she says.

Of course, the shift could backfire, and there are plenty of signs that companies don’t necessarily equate experience with age. To reduce risk, many boards strive for multigenerational membership, which ensures a variety of perspectives and mindsets. In some cases, Remick says, “it’s a lot harder to take the experienced set and build a mindset for today.”

What’s more, even seasoned leaders don’t feel as confident about navigating today’s environment as one might assume. In a recent Korn Ferry survey of 250 CEOs and board members, directors’ confidence in their organization’s ability to manage unexpected risk peaked at 11 to 15 years of experience, with 60% of respondents feeling confident. For board members with more than 20 years of experience, confidence dropped to 36%.

Even if the familiar can offer psychological comfort—a common and natural default for boards and C-suites—Ferreira notes it’s important to build complementary boards. Younger board members often still hold executive positions, which means they’re exposed to the most current challenges and changes facing companies. “The trade-off is that their availability may be limited,” she says. “On the other hand, older board members tend to be fully dedicated to board work and bring extensive experience, but may not be as close to the day-to-day realities.”

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