
05 Mar Women In Technology Leadership: A Fresh Look At Bias
It’s an exciting time to be in high-tech. In the fast-paced world of a high-growth tech company, change is a constant in almost every aspect of the business.
But there is one characteristic of Silicon Valley that does not seem to be changing ― the decidedly small number of women in leadership roles in tech companies. A 2016 study by Fenwick and West showed that the largest 150 Silicon Valley public companies averaged only 14% women directors and an average of only 0.8 women executive officers.
The correlation between having women in leadership roles and improved financial outcomes has been well-studied. Over a decade ago, a Catalyst studyfound that, among F500 companies, having women in leadership roles was associated with a 35% increase in the return on equity and a 34% increase in total return to shareholders.