Women still account for fewer than 5 per cent of the chief executive positions in the US, UK and Europe, according to new research that suggests efforts to diversify corporate leadership may be stalling.
The study by Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm, found that women held 4.9 per cent of the top roles across 13 countries, with female representation in the chief executive position ranging from 6.9 per cent in the US to zero in Denmark and Italy.
In some countries, the percentage has fallen in the past year. In the UK, the number of women holding FTSE 100 chief executive positions has slipped from seven to six, just below the number of CEOs named Dave or David. The number of FTSE 350 chief executives dropped from 15 to 12.
> Read the full article on the Financial Times website
By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson
Source: Financial Times
At a recent training I was facilitating, I invited people to ask me anything anonymously using polling technology. While the questions always give me great insight into where people are struggling with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), this question seemed more universal: “What do I do if my manager is not inclusive?”
Our society’s tendency to look to men for expertise is one of the things that holds women back in our careers. But we can all help give women’s knowledge and accomplishments greater visibility, which will cause people of all genders to view women as experts and turn to women for expertise more.
Right now, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under growing scrutiny. Some companies are pulling back from DEI initiatives amid nervousness around shareholder activism and possible investor or customer pushback. Highlighting the benefits of DEI to an organization’s performance and the wellbeing of employees is the best way to address this negativity.
