Catalyst Census Posts Solid Gains in Percentage of Women Corporate Officers in America's Largest 500 Corporations

Catalyst for Women 
Thursday, 11 November 1999

Women Continue to Lag Far Behind Men in Line Officer Positions

NEW YORK, November 11, 1999—Women represent 11.9 percent of corporate officers (1,386 out of a total of 11,681) in America's 500 largest companies as of March 31, 1999, an increase of nearly 37 percent since 1995, according to the 1999 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners. Women top earners have more than doubled since 1995—growing from 29 women (1.2 percent of all top earners) in 1995 to 77 (3.3 percent) in 1999—though the numbers remain relatively meager. Companies with two or more women officers increased 28 percent, from 220 (or 44 percent) in 1995 to 282 companies (or 56 percent) in 1999.

The Catalyst Census reports that men hold 93.2 percent of line officer jobs—the jobs with profit-and-loss responsibility that very often lead to the top spots—while women fill the remaining 6.8 percent, up from 6.2 percent last year. Nearly half (47.3 percent) of all corporate officer positions in the Fortune 500 are line officer jobs.

Catalyst President Sheila Wellington notes that "Until more women move into line positions, you won't find women in many corner offices. Unfortunately, we're not making great strides here. Women's lack of access to line jobs is the final obstacle to advancement."

This year women hold 5.1 percent of "clout" titles, those that wield the most influence and policy-making power, up from 2.4 percent in 1995. Catalyst defines clout titles as: Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Vice Chairman, President, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Executive Vice President, and Executive Vice President.

Seventy-two companies have at least one female corporate officer who is a top earner (up from 44 companies in 1995); five companies have two women top earners: Arrow Electronics, Avon Products, Inc., Conectiv, Times Mirror, and Washington Mutual. More than 85 percent of the 500 companies lack a woman among their five highest earning officers.

For the first time, Catalyst obtained data about women of color corporate officers from 340 of the 500 companies. There is not good news on that front. Of the 340 companies that shared their data, there are only 105 women of color—a mere 1.3 percent of the total officer pool and 11.2 percent of all women corporate officers in the reporting companies.

Fourteen companies stand out along the three key metrics measured by this census: 1) corporate officers, 2) corporate line officers (a subset of corporate officers), and 3) top earners. These 14 companies all have at least 25 percent women corporate officers and 15 percent women line officers (doubling the national percentages of 11.9 and 6.8 percent, respectively) and at least one woman top earner.

For more information, or to contact Catalyst for Women , see their website at: www.catalystwomen.org