Employers in Australia and New Zealand are hiring more women into top jobs
Employers in Australia and New Zealand have nearly twice the global average when it comes to female CEOs, according to a new report.
The representation of female CEOs is 13 per cent for ANZ, compared to the global average of seven per cent, according to Heidrick & Struggles.
“It is great to see that ANZ is well ahead of the global average for gender diversity, showing we’ve made promising progress. However, we are reminded that there is still a lot of work to be done,” says Graham Kittle, managing partner of Australia at Heidrick & Struggles.
“The ANZ region, like everywhere, has had two years of disruption and, on the whole, CEOs have done exceedingly well given the circumstances, with the vast majority of organisations performing despite these challenges.
“We are entering a new period where high interest rates, inflation and low investment are starting to bite, so the role of the CEO is absolutely critical for ongoing stability in the region.”
Renewed interest
With Australia borders reopening, there has been a renewed interest in international executives who bring a global perspective and diverse thinking, says the executive search firm.
And ANZ companies are hiring more non-nationals than in previous years, with the figure growing from 15% in 2021 to 22%. More than half of those have cross-border experience.
The region also has fewer CEOs under the age of 45 — 21% against a global average of 25%, says Heidrick & Struggles.
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Becoming a CEO
Becoming a CEO in ANZ is now a faster process than in previous years, with the average time taken to progress from the previous role to CEO taking 6.6 years — compared to the prior year’s 11.
However, there has also been a dip in higher education, with 44% of the CEOs holding an advanced university degree — well below the global average of 62%, says the executive search firm.
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