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Women in Corporate Leadership: Breaking Down Barriers with Training and Inclusion

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) has announced its "Top 30 Companies for Executive Women" list, highlighting the lack of training and bias as major obstacles for women reaching the top slots in corporations. Avon Products topped the list for the sixth consecutive year, with companies like Scholastic, Liz Claiborne, and Wellpoint also making the top ten. These corporations prioritize women in leadership roles, with Avon having female CEOs and Scholastic boasting an 80% female workforce. NAFE head Betty Spence emphasizes the importance of moving women into profit-and-loss responsibility and cites companies' focus on training and job rotation as key factors in their success.

Key Takeaways:

  • Avon Products has been named the top company for women by NAFE for the sixth consecutive year, followed closely by Scholastic, Liz Claiborne, and Wellpoint.
  • Companies like Avon and Scholastic have implemented extensive leadership development programs, including international women's leadership forums, career development programs, and family-friendly policies to attract and retain women.
  • Women hold various senior positions at companies like Liz Claiborne and Scholastic, with women dominating lower levels and women dominating upper levels except for the top spot.
  • Betty Spence, head of NAFE, notes that bias is a significant factor in the lack of women in CEO positions in the corporate world, with only eight women chief executives running Fortune 500 companies.
  • Companies like Avon and Scholastic have made a concerted effort to address bias and promote women's advancement, including providing training and support for women in leadership roles.
  • Debby Fuller, director of human resources at Scholastic, emphasizes the importance of family-friendly policies and maternity leave programs in attracting and retaining women employees.
  • Companies that prioritize women's advancement are likely to benefit in the consumer marketplace, where women drive 80% of purchases, according to Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO of Small Business Television.
  • The number of women in leadership positions is attributed to the company's culture and the lack of bias.

Statistics:

  • Avon Products has revenues of nearly $6 billion and is one of the world's largest direct-selling companies.
  • Scholastic Corporation has approximately 80% female employees and is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books.
  • There are only eight women chief executives running Fortune 500 companies, according to Betty Spence, head of NAFE.
  • Women consumers drive 80% of purchases, as stated by Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO of Small Business Television.
  • NAFE's "Top 30 Companies for Executive Women" list is based on a comprehensive application that focuses on the number of women in senior ranks, programs, and policies supporting women's advancement.

Sources:

  • The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)
  • Avon Products
  • Scholastic Corporation
  • Liz Claiborne
  • Wellpoint
  • The New York Times Company
  • IBM
  • Prudential Financial
  • Betty Spence, head of NAFE
  • Debby Fuller, director of human resources at Scholastic
  • Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO of Small Business Television

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