Glass Ceiling Intact in Australia Where 7% of CEOs Are Women

The number of female chief executive officers at Australia’s biggest companies rose by just three over the past year, according to lobby group Chief Executive Women, which is calling for better succession planning to further boost numbers. The tally of female CEOs at S&P/ASX 200-listed companies rose to 14 from 11 in 2017, according to a report released Tuesday, helped by the appointments of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.’s Elizabeth Gaines and Jeanne Johns at Incitec Pivot Ltd. While that 7 percent compares favorably to S&P 500 or FTSE 100-listed companies, on 5 percent and 7 percent respectively, further progress won’t be made until more women are appointed to “line roles” such as chief operating officer or heads of business units, the report said.