The UC Davis Graduate School of Management in partnership with the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives is proud to publish the third annual "UC Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders: A Census of Women Directors and Executive Officers."
Our study details the presence of women at the very top of the 400 largest publicly held corporations headquartered in the state. Our findings paint a disappointing picture of female representation on the boards and in the executive suites of these high-profile companies.
It's clear that women continue to be an untapped resource. The same innovative thinking that drives the world's eighth largest economy is not propelling women into top leadership positions at the largest public companies in the Golden State.
The census findings were released on Oct. 16, 2007, at the Professional BusinessWomen of California's fourth annual conference in Sacramento.
• Women hold only 10.4% of the board seats and highest-paid executive officer positions.
That’s one woman for every nine men in the top leadership roles at these 400 high-profile
public companies.
• 122 (more than 30%) of California’s 400 largest public companies have no women in a top executive position
or on the board of directors.
• Half of the 400 companies have no woman among their executive officers.
• 47% percent have no woman in the boardroom.
• And only 13 of these 400 companies have a woman CEO.
- San Jose Mercury News (Front Page - October 16, 2007)
- Cool Firms (ahem, Apple?) Promote Women to the Top
(Op-ed by Dean Nicole W. Biggart, San Jose Mercury News Oct. 16, 2007)
- Sacramento Bee (October 16, 2007)
- Los Angeles Times (October 17, 2007)
- Orange County Register (October 16, 2007)
- KGO-TV - ABC-TV Bay Area (October 16, 2007)
- News10 - ABC-TV Sacramento (October 16, 2007)
- San Diego Business Journal (October 17, 2007)
- Science Daily (October 17, 2007)
- News10 - ABC-TV (October 17, 2007)
- Vacaville Reporter (October 17, 2007)
- Sacramento Business Journal (October 16, 2007)
- East Bay Business Times (October 16, 2007)
- Silicon Valley/San Jose Businss Journal (October 16, 2007)
UC Davis Graduate School of Management and the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives have partnered to join ION, the InterOrganization Network. ION is a consortium of eight regional organizations in the U.S. that advocate that advocate for the advancement of women to positions of power in the business world, especially to boards of directors and executive suites of public companies. These organizations, often in collaboration with a university partner, publish annual census reports on the status of women directors and executive officers in public companies in their respective geography.
Other ION members:
Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives (FWE&E) - A exclusive and highly-valued professional, educational and social organization for women entrepreneurs and executives and their eco-system partners who are actively engaged in high-tech, high-growth companies.
BoardMatch - FWE&E's placement service that identifies and recommends experienced and qualified women for openings on public and private company boards.
State of California Commission on the Status of Women - Established in 1965, the only state agency specifically dedicated to protecting the interests of California women. The commission works to ensure that women have equal rights and opportunity and that enacted legislation does not discriminate against women or otherwise undermine their status or their opportunities.
Catalyst - A national research and advisory organization working with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work.
