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business ownership and Corporate Leadership

 

Women owned businesses and corporate leadership position representation is an important element of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Wisconsin and has been growing significantly in the past decade. According to U.S. Census Bureau and the document: “Corporate Leadership, Milwaukee Women, Inc. Power of 3”; the following graphs will demonstrate the financial gains of companies with at least 3 or more women on their board of directors in regard to performance.

 

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Financial Performance  Women Directors  Gender Diversity

Financial Performance

Return on Sales (ROS), Return on Investment (ROI), and, Return on Equity (ROE)

Companies with sustained high representation of women board directors (three or more women board directors in at least four of five years) significantly outperform those with sustained low representation (zero women board directors in at least four of five years).

  • Catalyst, Quick Take: Women on Corporate Boards, (December 21, 2018) 
  • 2017 Report on the Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin 
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Business Owners (SBO), 2012 and 2007 
  • Corporate Leadership, Milwaukee Women, Inc. Power of 3. (2018) 

Women Directors

  • Women held 17% of public company Director seat positions in Wisconsin in 2016. This is up from 10.8% in 2005. They also held 16% of private company director seat positions in 2016. 
  • The percentage of women on boards of Wisconsin top 50 public companies increased to 18.9% from 17.6% in 2017. 
  • 12 of Wisconsin’s top 50 public companies have 3 or more women directors – an increase of 33% from 2017. 
  • Over half of the Wisconsin top 50 public companies, 52% (26/50) now have two or more women board members, compared to only 6% (3/50) in 2008. 
  • 30% (15/50) of Wisconsin’s top 50 public companies have 3 or more women executives. 
  • 20% (10/50) of Wisconsin’s top 50 public companies do not have any women executives. 
  • Catalyst, Quick Take: Women on Corporate Boards, (December 21, 2018) 
  • 2017 Report on the Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin 
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Business Owners (SBO), 2012 and 2007 
  • Corporate Leadership, Milwaukee Women, Inc. Power of 3. (2018) 

Gender Diversity

This is referring to the percentage of female directors on the board of directors 

  • Catalyst, Quick Take: Women on Corporate Boards, (December 21, 2018) 
  • 2017 Report on the Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin 
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Business Owners (SBO), 2012 and 2007 
  • Corporate Leadership, Milwaukee Women, Inc. Power of 3. (2018) 
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