Beth Comstock, a Nike Inc. director, says she picked up ideas inthe shoemaker's boardroom about doing business in India byappealing to that country's love of cricket. Now she's taking whatshe learned back to her day job as General Electric Co.'s marketingchief.

Comstock shows how women are breaking through a path traveled bymen for decades in male-dominated boards: They're increasinglywelcomed as directors at corporations such as HoneywellInternational Inc. and General Dynamics Corp. without having servedas a chief executive officer at another company. And like men,they're getting critical experience out of it.

Last year 34 percent of new female directors didn't have a CEOjob, up from 6 percent in 2008, said Julie Daum, a recruiter atSpencer Stuart and an advocate for placing more women on boards.Opening up spots is important because it helps break the gendergap. If boards focus on CEO directors, they'll leave out many womensince fewer have that background.