Today’s #ThursdayThoughts come from new research confirming a pattern I’ve observed across many boardrooms: while female board representation is increasing, persistent gender pay gaps persist at the executive level.

I’ve seen this firsthand.

Companies add women to their boards, often to meet disclosure requirements, but those women are frequently assigned to governance, ESG, or nominating committees rather than to Compensation or Audit committees. Meanwhile, compensation committees remain male-dominated, and the directors who join often lack the financial expertise to credibly challenge executive pay recommendations.

This is where the Power of Three applies most critically.

On Compensation Committees, one woman is often isolated and outvoted. Two women can raise questions but often lack the votes to shift outcomes. Three or more women create the critical mass needed to challenge gendered assumptions about performance, risk-taking, and pay structures.