Women made up just 9% of CEO appointments across the globe last year, down from 11% the year before. Financial services firm Russell Reynolds’ Global CEO Turnover Index called the trend a leadership pipeline issue, noting that women accounted for 7% of outgoing CEOs (up from 6%). “This is not a CEO selection problem. Until more women are given meaningful P&L roles earlier in their careers, the outcomes we see at CEO level are unlikely to change,” says Nick Fletcher, Australia-based RRA’s technology practice leader. “Boards and leadership teams need to be far more deliberate (in) designing leadership pathways.” Turnover, the report adds, should be deliberate and planned, not “episodic or reactive.”
