K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
Women make up almost half of the workforce in the United States, but they lag far behind men in leadership positions. Unsurprisingly, the percentage of women drops even more the higher in corporate ranks one climbs. In 2021, they held just over 20% of C-suite positions on the S&P/TSX composite index. Only 15% of Fortune 500 companies are led by female CEOs. The pandemic forced more women than men out of the workforce, so we may see these trends continue into the foreseeable future.
Of course, the problem isn’t confined to the workplace -- it starts much earlier in life. To see more female leaders in tech, you need more females in tech, period. Young girls often feel discouraged from pursuing their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in middle and high school, but fortunately we are starting to see some changes. In India, where I serve in a leadership role at Exterro’s Coimbatore office, 43% of STEM graduates are women.
Unfortunately, closing the education gap hasn’t yet leveled the playing field in the professional world. In India, only 14% of STEM workers are women. In the US, the situation is improving, but it isn’t that much better, with women making up 27% of STEM workers. Many women experience persistent challenges dealing with “bro culture,” which no doubt discourages them from persisting in positions.
Fortunately, not all companies have this issue. Exterro, a legal technology industry leader operating in e-discovery, privacy compliance, and digital forensics, has a long-standing commitment to female leadership. I joined as chief data scientist in 2014, and have recently added the title of chief research and development officer. Michelle Spencer, our CFO, has been with the company since 2018. When we decided our company needed a general counsel, we added Jenny Hamilton, and most recently, when we had to replace our chief customer officer (another woman), we did so by hiring Debora Jones as our new chief operating officer.
Continue reading: https://www.informationweek.com/it-life/what-can-we-do-to-address-the-gender-gap-in-tech-leadership-
Of course, the problem isn’t confined to the workplace -- it starts much earlier in life. To see more female leaders in tech, you need more females in tech, period. Young girls often feel discouraged from pursuing their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in middle and high school, but fortunately we are starting to see some changes. In India, where I serve in a leadership role at Exterro’s Coimbatore office, 43% of STEM graduates are women.
Unfortunately, closing the education gap hasn’t yet leveled the playing field in the professional world. In India, only 14% of STEM workers are women. In the US, the situation is improving, but it isn’t that much better, with women making up 27% of STEM workers. Many women experience persistent challenges dealing with “bro culture,” which no doubt discourages them from persisting in positions.
Fortunately, not all companies have this issue. Exterro, a legal technology industry leader operating in e-discovery, privacy compliance, and digital forensics, has a long-standing commitment to female leadership. I joined as chief data scientist in 2014, and have recently added the title of chief research and development officer. Michelle Spencer, our CFO, has been with the company since 2018. When we decided our company needed a general counsel, we added Jenny Hamilton, and most recently, when we had to replace our chief customer officer (another woman), we did so by hiring Debora Jones as our new chief operating officer.
Continue reading: https://www.informationweek.com/it-life/what-can-we-do-to-address-the-gender-gap-in-tech-leadership-
