Private Companies
- The compiled data from numerous aggregator services found 7 examples of women who have been appointed to lead large private companies since 2020.
- We found 61 examples of women CEOs in charge of large private companies, hired before 2020.
- Women CEOs make up 7.4% of CEOs in companies that fall into the $1 Billion + annual revenue category, based on data collected from numerous aggregator services.
- 3% of private company boardroom seats are held by women of color.
Women lead in both public and privately held companies. Since 2020, private companies have stepped up in both board seats and CEO leadership. Looking at board diversity within private companies can provide insight into the current representation of women at the top. Private companies overwhelmingly utilize their own networks and referrals to find new professionals to fill their board seats, according to CrunchBase. Our stark findings for recently appointed female CEOs of private companies tells us that the lack of female representation within privately-held boards likely depends on and feeds into the lack of female CEOs in the private sector.
The most significant barrier to female leadership is the actual lack of females in leadership. The best advice I can give to women is to go out and start something, ideally their own businesses. If you can’t see a path for leadership within your own company, go blaze a trail of your own.
– Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle