Women in Business 2020

78% of mid-market businesses globally are actively working on removing barriers to gender parity at senior levels according to the latest research from Grant Thornton’s International Business Report. 

The number of businesses driving initiatives such as ensuring developmental opportunities (34%), creating an inclusive culture (34%) and flexible working (31%), have all seen an increase across all those measured by the report. However, progress for the representation of women in senior leadership positions has stalled. Women currently hold 29% of senior leadership positions – the same as last year. 

Francesca Lagerberg, global leader, Grant Thornton International Ltd says: “If we want to continue to see more women in senior positions, businesses need to be intentional. Policies that ensure diversity of thought at the decision-making table, that address equal opportunity in career development and bias in recruitment and develop inclusive cultures can’t just be a nice to have – they are a must. Once implemented, these policies must be enforced and regularly reassessed to judge their effectiveness. When that is combined with real commitment from senior leadership, only then will real transformational change take place.”

2019’s significant findings

• 29% of senior management positions within mid-market companies globally are held by women;
• 87% of businesses have at least one woman in senior management;
• 78% of mid-market businesses are actively working on their gender balance. Common initiatives include: creating an inclusive culture (34%); ensuring equal access to developmental opportunities (34%); enabling flexible working (31%), reviewing recruitment processes (26%); mentoring/coaching (26%); reward for senior management linked to targets (23%); gender quotas (22%); unconscious bias training (21%);
• The number of women at CEO level has increased from 15% in 2019 to 20% in 2020, while those in CFO roles has dropped from 34% in 2019 to 30% in 2020.

Women at Grant Thornton Malta

Grant Thornton Malta is a member firm of Grant Thornton International, a global network of over 56,000 professionals in 143 countries. The female presence is particularly strong within the Maltese firm, with 61 women out of a total of 111 employees. Women feature at different levels within the organization, which is led by 8 Partners, 2 of whom are women. 11 female employees also occupy managerial positions and more will be promoted as they progress through their career. With over 40 years industry experience, Grant Thornton Malta focuses on providing a full range of services including assurance, tax, advisory, specialist financial services and capital markets support (including digital and crypto assets), corporate, trustee and outsourcing services to clients ranging from public companies, multi-nationals, and government agencies to entrepreneurial businesses across a broad spectrum of industries.