Not for profit Catalyst has kept a close eye on the progress of women in their initiative Catalyst CEO Champions For Change, releasing the results of a recent five year period. Over sixty prominent CEOs pledged to elevate more women, including women of color, onto their board of directors and other senior leadership positions. The report titled Catalyst, “Progress in Action: Catalyst CEO Champions For Change,” quantified the headway being made by women.
Collectively the Catalyst group outperformed global peers for female representation in their 2018 leadership pipeline. Boards saw the greatest increase, going from only 22.6% female representation in 2013 to 30.7% by 2018. Managers had the lowest increase, but it also has one of the highest initial starting points. Women’s representation in managerial roles rose from 36.7% in 2013 to 37.4% through 2018 in Champion companies.
Steve Demetriou, CEO and Chair of Jacobs lead this effort to diversify in more ways than one. His efforts, along with the other Champion companies, have significant progress in advancing women of color as well. Their representation in senior-level and executive management positions climbed from 4.1% in 2013 to 5.8% in 2018. Women of color’s representation in the boards of Champion Companies grew from 3.8% to 5.2% in the same timeframe.
“We are living in a time where people expect the business community to reflect what society looks like, yet we are still far from gender equality in the workforce,” said Lorraine Hariton, President and CEO of Catalyst. “Jacobs and the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change have taken concrete steps to create change for women, including women of color, in the workplace. These leaders exemplify the immense power of action, and we are proud and honored to be working alongside them.”
