Goldman Sachs reportedly plans to axe DEI criteria for board members

Goldman Sachs is planning to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) criteria for its board of directors when identifying prospective candidates, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The major investment bank is planning the change in the aftermath of a September 2025 request from the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a conservative nonprofit group, the WSJ reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Goldman’s board’s governance committee currently selects potential qualified candidates using four main criteria, one of which is a broad definition of diversity that includes things such as perspectives, background, professional and military experience, as well as “other demographics” — a category that lists various DEI considerations, according to the outlet.

The report comes after NLPC had submitted a proposal to Goldman Sachs in September which urged the bank to scrap the DEI criteria, and the activist organization had requested for the proposal be included in the Wall Street giant’s proxy statement, the anonymous sources told the WSJ.

Goldman Sachs had notified the NLPC that it plans to terminate the DEI criteria, and the two parties signed an agreement under which the NLPC will withdraw its proposal, the WSJ reported. The bank’s board is projected to approve the revised language sometime later in February, the same sources told the outlet.

A Goldman Sachs spokesperson declined to comment. The NLPC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The committee now intends to nix the “other demographics” category, which includes race, gender identity, ethnicity and sexual orientation, from its criteria, the anonymous sources said, the WSJ reported.

Goldman Sachs reportedly eliminated a diversity pledge it made to refuse initial public offering (IPO) business from companies that had fully white, male boards, Bloomberg reported in February 2025. Moreover, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon had previously claimed that DEI was a “top priority” for the Wall Street titan, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

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