Since the wave of protests in response to the killing of George Floyd erupted across the country and the world, the demand for Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) has dramatically increased beyond the 50% of Fortune 500 companies that already had one in place (63% of those adding the position in the last three years), according to Fortune magazine. Public response to recent social unrest have put the CDO in the spotlight and in demand.
However, CDO turnover is high with an average tenure of about three years, according to a Wall Street Journal article. Reasons a CDO moves on includes a lack of resources, unrealistic expectations, cultural pushback against change and inadequate support from senior executives.