‘If you take your foot off the pedal at all, you will start to stall’: Women in C-suite roles have stagnated, and the reasons go beyond the pipeline
Women’s share of roles in both the C-suite and at the board level has stalled at about 30%, marking the first decline in women’s board representation in more than a decade.
The progress of women reaching senior executive positions has slowed, according to experts, who point to a challenging labor environment and limited professional support as contributing factors. At the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in California, Kelly Baker, a senior executive from Thrivent, pointed out that organizations are not prioritizing the development and recruitment of women into leadership roles.
The number of Fortune 500 companies led by women has increased to 11.2%, up from 7.4% six years ago, but the representation of women in the C-suite and on boards has stagnated at around 30%, marking the first decline in over a decade. Toni Townes-Whitley, a former CEO and Nasdaq board member, attributes this decline to a shift in focus away from diversity and inclusion discussions, as well as negative rhetoric challenging women both externally and internally.
Only 36% of women in the workplace have considered becoming a CEO, despite having the skills and experience to do so. Hayden Brown, CEO of Upwork, reflects on the need for more inclusive language and role models for women. While more needs to be done at the organizational level, a positive trend is the increasing adoption of AI, which has created a demand for adaptable leaders with knowledge of emerging technologies.
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