Gender Diversity Matters to the Financial Performance of Corporations

Years of climbing the ranks in corporate America have given me a unique perspective about the legitimate issues women continue to face when trying to advance their careers.  Incorporating a robust Gender Diversity initiative remains a challenge for many corporations, government agencies, academia and nonprofit organizations. The opportunity to change the culture of our workplace and communities is not always easy. The working world we live in today is rapidly changing with more women entering the workplace.  50% of today’s workforce is made up of women, of which 37% are Mid-Level Managers and 26% hold Vice Presidents positions. That number will continue to rise as more women enter the workplace and aspire to advance into higher levels of leadership.  Yet, the discouraging fact remains an issue; women are not advancing!  A Wall Street Journal article recently highlighted a report by Catalyst, Inc. stated that only 11 chief executives of Fortune 500 companies are women, down from 15 in 2010. (more…)