Number of female CEOs ‘ridiculously low’
‘I think that good old-fashioned sexism has a much more pertinent role’ in the poor figures
New York — The number of female CEOs at the top 500 US companies hit a high last year of 27 women, according to research that experts said shows a glass ceiling remains firmly in place. The survey found men in 95% of the top CEO jobs in 2017, despite more women getting higher education and joining the workforce, along with efforts to advance women in business. The Conference Board, a business research group, used the S&P 500 to determine the number of women at the helm of large companies. The amount of female CEOs has increased by one since 2016, marking the highest number since the board began counting 17 years ago. The figure of 5% for female CEOs remains “ridiculously low”, said Matteo Tonello, MD of corporate leadership at The Conference Board and a co-author of the report. “Women do not advance through the ranks, especially at the top.”
The number of female CEOs has actually dropped in recent months to 24, said Anna Beninger, senior director of research and corporate eng...
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