Girls undergo boards earlier than turning into CEOs

That’s what Korn Ferry research shows. Trajectory is important to develop skills

Seven out of ten executives who arrived at CEO position had previous experience in advices. The conclusion is a survey by global consultancy Korn Ferry with 21 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies with operations in the United States. The study, brought forward to the Valuewas carried out in the first half of 2022.

“Being part of career-long boards helps women develop leadership skills, increases market visibility and prepares them to manage their own collegiate bodies when they become CEOs,” explains Milene Schiavo, Senior Principal at Korn Ferry Brazil. “Seventy percent of respondents show that it is essential to go through advice before arriving at the C-suite [alto escalão].”

“Joining career-long boards helps women develop leadership skills, increases market visibility, and prepares them to manage their own boards when they become CEOs” — Photo: Pexels

The survey, with the objective of analyzing the progress of female managers in command positions in the last five years, also showed that female participation has increased in the group of Fortune 500 corporations. .

In Brazil, the last major survey on the number of women on boards indicated 246 women on Level 1, Level 2 and Novo Mercado boards. According to the Brazil Board Index 2021, from the Spencer Stuart consultancy, women represent 14.3% of the total number of board members at these levels, of which 1,478 are men. The proportion has been growing: in 2019, 10.5% were women and, in 2020, 11.5%. The study analyzed 211 companies listed on B3 and 1,724 board positions.

For Brazilian organizations that still do not have women at the top, Schiavo’s recommendation, from Korn Ferry, is to start work from the “base”. “It is necessary to increase the number of women [nos quadros] from the beginning, to identify the potential of female employees and put development programs in place”, she highlights. Structuring an inclusive environment is also part of the planning. “Like, for example, establishing entry and progress goals and medium and long-term compensation systems for teams.”

For the executives, the consultant’s orientation is to invest in a network of relationships and support. “Women need to learn to network more and understand the relevance of this movement in their careers,” she says. “And they should also surround themselves with mentors, who help them along the way.”

Source: Value