Progressing
On Monday, April 30th, 2012 the Wall Street Journal published the article: “More Women are Primed to Land CEO Roles”. Based on the their blogs, authors Joann S. Lublin and A. Kelly Eggers have followed this topic for a couple of years, and their conclusion was rather stimulating.
It is true that only 35 women hold the top job at Fortune 1000 companies as of 2012. Yet, this is progress. As recent as 2009, when the first African-American woman became CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Ms Ursula Burns at Xerox Corp., there were only 22 CEO seats held by women, a welcome movement in the right direction.
About 73% of Fortune 500 companies now have at least one female executive officer, although women make up only 14% of all executive officers, quoted the article from research firm Catalyst Group. Even better news is that according to a McKinsey & Co. study for WSJ, 24% of senior vice presidents at 58 big corporations are women. The WSJ article then highlighted ten women — an incomplete list of course — who are likely to land a role of CEO in the coming years. These women represent the pipeline of the future. Not one was a Latina.
Similarly the Fortune October 17, 2011 issue named that year’s “The 50 Most Powerful Women”. Not one was a Latina.
Why? Aren’t qualified Hispanic female business executives around? Are they known? Even if they are now at senior executive positions at publicly held corporations, have they had the profit and loss management experience considered ‘de rigueur’ to even qualify for the pipeline? Have they even been considered for such experiences? What would it take to compete for top posts in the near future?
Continue reading: Latina Leaders: An Untapped Business Asset
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