Rosenzweig Report 2020 Shows Setbacks for Women in Leadership as Top Political, Business, Creative Voices Demand Change

Justin Trudeau, Alyssa Milano, A.R. Rahman and a host of others lend their voice to pioneering report in its 15^th year. Key metrics 'disappointing', spurring calls to action from leaders and influencers around the world.

NEW YORK, March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Marking its 15^th consecutive annual publication, a corporate report on women in leadership has grown into a much broader springboard for global discussion on equality, justice and diversity.

The Rosenzweig Report is inspiring disparate voices from around the world calling for greater attention to fairness and human rights.

Alyssa Milano, Actor, Producer, Designer, Activist put it this way: "Obtaining dignity, respect and advancement for women is not just a woman's issue, it's a human rights issue. It requires including men and welcoming their help to change behaviour and perceptions. Jay Rosenzweig, through The Rosenzweig Report and his support for the #MeToo movement, shows that men can be important and effective allies and advocates for real change."

"As a musician and as one who travels the world practicing my art form, I have observed that collaboration and inclusion makes for better music and for better societies," says Grammy and Academy Award winner, A.R. Rahman. "The Rosenzweig Report plays an important role in that regard because it tells us how far we have come, while also reminding us of how much further we have to go."

And, as Mr. Rahman notes, there is definitely further to go.

The latest Report indicates that Corporate Canada slipped back a notch in terms of women gaining access to senior level positions at Canada's 100 largest public companies. There are fewer female senior executives than a year ago.

One of those who weighed in on the report is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"We cannot afford to backslide on the progress we have made on hiring, promoting, and retaining women at the highest levels in our workforce," says Mr. Trudeau. "That's one of the reasons why tracking numbers around diversity is so important. Canada will always lead by example. After all, diversity is our strength. But to ensure the advancement of diverse women in positions of senior corporate leadership, we all need to work together. Not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it is also the smart thing to do."

Mpumi Nobiva, an internationally acclaimed humanitarian who is board director of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, also commended the Report. "Women struggle on many fronts, including in the business world," says Mr. Nobiva. "The Rosenzweig Report serves a vital role by charting women's ability to advance to senior positions in business and serves as an inspiration to do better."

To read this year's report and what other leaders say, click here.

Jay Rosenzweig, managing partner of Rosenzweig & Co., is deeply gratified by the international attention the report now receives.

"When we started this many years ago our intent was to spur change at the top when it comes to women in leadership positions in the corporate world. We believed that creating awareness could act as a catalyst to create greater gender equality," Mr. Rosenzweig says. "Rapid change has been elusive, and this year's numbers are disappointing, however my personal belief is that this is a moment in time where technological forces and social pressure are setting up the 'perfect storm' for a massive leap forward. But it will take bold and courageous leadership to get there. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to seize the opportunity. To have all of these powerful voices come together as a call to action is encouraging. We can't sit on our laurels if we are to achieve our dream when leaders will simply be leaders, not male or female leaders."

This year's findings see a dip of 1.97 percentage points in the number of women in top corporate jobs in Canada: from 9.96% to 7.99% year-over-year. The number was 4.62% in the inaugural Rosenzweig Report in 2006.

Some other key takeaways from this year's Rosenzweig Report:

• Of the 538 Named Executive Officers (NEOs), 495 are men and 43 are women.
• Of the 100 largest companies, 35 have at least one woman in a top leadership role, down from 42 the previous year.
• In the 25 largest companies, there are now 9 female NEOs, down from 11 the previous year.
• The most common female NEO job title is CFO.
• In the corner office, there are three women CEOs this year, same as last year.

The report is available free of charge here.

Rosenzweig & Company is a global leader in talent acquisition, executive search and emerging tech advisory.

For inquiries, please contact Jordan French at [email protected]. 

SOURCE Rosenzweig & Company