Women in Leadership: Progress, Challenges & Opportunities
Despite ongoing efforts to increase diversity in leadership, women remain significantly underrepresented in boardrooms worldwide. According to the 2024 Deloitte Women in the Boardroom report, women hold only 23.3% of board seats globally. Research shows that gender-diverse boards contribute to stronger strategic decision-making, better compliance, and increased innovation, but these benefits require a critical mass of at least three women on a board.
While progress is being made, true leadership parity remains decades away. Currently, only 8.4% of board chairs and 6% of CEOs are women, with projections suggesting full parity may not be reached until 2073 for board chairs and 2111 for CEOs. Regional differences are stark—while France leads with 44% female board representation, Argentina lags at 7.5%.
What’s Next?
To accelerate progress, companies must focus on building a strong pipeline of female C-suite executives, particularly at the CEO level. Many barriers to advancement remain, including structural corporate challenges and cultural biases, which limit the growth and potential of businesses that fail to leverage female leadership talent.
As an executive search firm, we are committed to connecting top female talent with leadership opportunities and supporting organizations in building diverse, high-performing teams.
How does your company approach diversity in leadership? Let’s discuss how we can help you attract and retain top female executives.
Get in touch with us to explore leadership opportunities or to discuss your hiring needs.
Best regards
Your AltoPartners Switzerland Team
Read more:
