The number of women holding senior leadership positions in mid-market businesses globally has hit 31 per cent despite the COVID-19 pandemic affecting economies around the world, according to Grant Thornton’s annual Women in Business report.
Francesca Lagerberg, global leader at Grant Thornton International Ltd, says: “Passing the 30 per cent of women in senior roles globally is an important milestone for businesses, but not the end goal. Those businesses that want to reap the benefits of a better gender balance must continue to take action to enable women to realise their ambitions.”
Another encouraging finding is the type of leadership roles women are occupying. Grant Thornton’s research reveals higher numbers of women across operational C-suite roles compared to last year, with the proportion of female CEOs up six percentage points to 26 per cent, female CFOs also up six percentage points to 36 per cent, and female COOs up four percentage points to 22 per cent. Additionally, 69 per cent of respondents agree that in their organisations, new working practices as a result of COVID-19 will benefit women’s career trajectories long term.