Facebook to add at least one woman to its board (rumor)

Facebook has reportedly hired executive-recruiting firm Spencer Stuart to help it add new directors, including at least one woman, to its board of directors. The company is specifically looking for individuals who can add diversity to its all-male board, though it won't add anyone until after it goes public, according to people with knowledge of the matter cited by Bloomberg. Both Facebook and Spencer Stuart declined to comment.

The most qualified individual to add would of course be Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. That being said, if she hasn't been added by now, one has to wonder why she would be once Facebook is a public company.

Facebook's board of directors currently includes former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz, Jim Breyer of Accel Partners, The Washington Post Company chairman and CEO Donald E. Graham, Peter Thiel of Clarium Capital and Founders Fund, as well as Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (the board's chairman).

Earlier this year, the California State Teachers' Retirement System told Facebook that a board of directors of seven members is unacceptable, not only because it is small, but because it only features men. This was followed by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce applauding Facebook for updating its IPO filing to include minority-owned banks as underwriters.

Last month though, The Face It Campaign launched, telling the world that Facebook should not go public with a board of directors that does not feature any women. Soon after, the women's rights group Ultraviolet asked Facebook to put women on its board.

If this rumor proves true, all these groups will get what they want, but not exactly when they want it.

See also:

• Happy International Women's Day 2012 from Facebook
• Women more likely than men to click on Facebook ads
• 85% of women are annoyed by their Facebook friends
• Women use Facebook more than any other Android app
• Facebook adds former White House Chief of Staff to board
• Facebook adds Netflix CEO to board of directors