CEW, Bain & Company
Take It from the Top: Accelerating Women’s Representation in Executive Leadership A deep dive into how Australia’s leading organisations foster gender balance on their executive teams18 July 2022
Organisations that commit to gender-balance targets are almost three times as likely to achieve gender-balanced leadership teams. Nearly 60% of ASX300 companies have committed to gender-balance targets.
Bain & Company and Chief Executive Women (CEW) interviewed 22 Australian companies that are outperforming the ASX300 average in terms of gender-balanced leadership teams. We identified five accelerators that increase women’s representation in executive leadership.
Organisations of every size and industry can accelerate gender balance through the five accelerators. While the interviews were conducted in Australia, the findings can be applied globally.
The five accelerators are:- Executives must be committed and accountable.
- Commitments must translate into actions—for everyone.
- Targeted talent management unlocks equal opportunities.
- Succession plans must be deliberate and long term.
- Recruiting must be equitable.
These accelerators are a consolidation of practical, “tried and tested” practices that lead to a step change in gender balance in multiple organisations.
Download report: Accelerating Women’s Representation in Executive LeadershipWhy Don't Women Get Cool Jobs? Women in Stem report in partnership with BCG
Download report: Why Don't Women Get Cool Jobs?
CEW Senior Executive Census 2021
Download report: CEW Senior Executive Census 2021
CEW and Bain & Company: Equitable Flexibility: Reshaping our Workforce
Download report: Equitable Flexibility: Reshaping our Workforce
Now in its fourth year, The Chief Executive Women ASX200 Senior Executive Census continues to track the annual progress of female representation in the Executive Leadership Teams (ELTs) of Australia’s biggest public companies.
Download report: CEW ASX200 Senior Executive Census
As we look to rebuild the Australian economy, affordability of child care looms as one of the key factors in parents’ ability to secure their desired place in the workforce.
Parents of young children who want to contribute more to household income too often find themselves considering an insufficient financial reward when taking on extra work, once out-of-pocket child care costs are deducted. This occurs across all family income levels. In particular, it is currently women’s workforce participation that suffers most when child care is unaffordable.
2020- FLEX FOR SUCCESS: 5 Practices That Build a Flexible Workforce
CEW in partnership with Bain & Co and WGEA. Covid-19 has forced changes in the workplace that both illustrate the value of flexibility and create an opportunity for a permanent shift.
Download report: Flex for Success: 5 Practices that Build a Flexible Workforce
2020 CEW The Case for Change
CEW advocates for change in key priority areas to achieve our vision of a society where women and men have equal economic and social choice and responsibilities. We are presenting the case for change by reviewing the current status of women in Australia in leadership, economic security, workforce participation and workplace flexibility. CEW is working to remove the barriers to women’s progression and ensure equal opportunity for prosperity.
2019 CEW ASX200 Senior Executive Census
The ASX200 Senior Executive Census measures year on year progress towards gender balance in the executive leadership teams (ELTs) of Australia’s largest listed companies.
In addition to an aggregate measure of gender balance, the Census highlights the proportion of women in ‘line’ roles and ‘functional’ roles in ELTs. Line roles are those that directly drive key commercial outcomes in a business and usually involve profit and loss accountability. Line roles represent the most significant pipeline for the ASX200 CEOs of the future.
3 in 4 AUSTRALIAN MEN SUPPORT GENDER EQUALITY,
BUT MOST OF THEM DON’T ADVANCE IT
Bain & Company and Chief Executive Women’s seventh report on gender parity in Australia examines which men are taking action and why others may not.
In the workplace, while most men (76 percent) are gender equality supporters, few (17%) prioritise taking action. This is the key finding from Bain & Company and Chief Executive Women’s (CEW) seventh Australia gender parity report, Better Together: Increasing Male Engagement in Gender Equality Efforts in Australia.
Bain & Company and CEW surveyed almost 2,000 Australians across more than 14 industries to understand the current levels of male engagement with gender equality initiatives, the most effective motivators to increase it and the barriers preventing uptake.
2018 CEW Building the CFO Pipeline
According to CEW's annual ASX 200 Executive Census, only a small number of women hold ASX200 Chief Financial Officer (CFO) positions (9% in 2017 and 12% in 2018). This is despite a large number of women entering the workforce with a finance background.
In 2018, CEW interviewed 10 ASX CFOs and four former CFOs, whose insights have demonstrated that whilst many organisations are actively creating pipelines for female finance talent there are still gaps. This has demonstrated that proactive leadership is needed to increase the women in senior financial roles in the foreseeable future.
The report provides practical recommendations for both Boards and Senior Executives to assist them in building the female finance pipeline.
2018 CEW ASX200 Senior Executive Census
Analysis of the gender composition of executive leadership teams is important because it indicates the progress of women to the most senior ranks in corporate Australia.
This Census measures the number of women in ASX200 executive leadership teams as well as the proportion of women in ‘line’ roles and ‘functional’ roles. Line roles are those that directly drive key commercial outcomes in a business and usually involve profit and loss accountability. Line roles represent the most significant pipeline for the ASX200 CEOs of the future.
The results of the 2018 Senior Executive Census were compared with the baseline results set by the 2017 Senior Executive Census. The 2018 Census demonstrates the progress made by ASX200 companies in increasing female representation in their executive leadership team in the year to August 2018.
CEW ASX200 Senior Executive Census
Analysis of the gender composition of executive leadership teams is important because it indicates the progress of women to the most senior ranks in corporate Australia.
While the Australian Institute of Company Directors conducts a quarterly report on women’s representation on public company boards, there is currently no regular reporting on the gender composition of ASX200 executive leadership teams.
This Census measures the number of executive women in ASX200 executive leadership teams and also highlights the proportion of women in ‘line’ roles and ‘functional’ roles. Line roles are those that directly drive key commercial outcomes in a business and usually involve profit and loss accountability. Line roles represent the most significant pipeline for the ASX200 CEOs of the future.
- Would you recommend your organisation as a place to work? Why / why not
- Would you recommend your organisation as a place where women can progress to senior leadership? Why / why not
- Would you recommend your manager as someone to work for? Why / why not

- Not enough visible, committed leadership
- Unintended cultural barriers
- Under investment in sustained change management