This marks the fifth year for Report on Business magazine’s annual benchmark of gender diversity in corporate Canada. The good news is that the number of publicly traded companies with more than 30% women in executive roles has crept up to 97 from 90 last year—and 73 back in 2020. Overall, the list has an average of 45% female execs. Troublingly, however, the number of women occupying the top job has notched down once again. Read on to see a list of this year’s companies where Women Lead Here.
OUR METHODOLOGY
To create the 2024 Women Lead Here list, Report on Business magazine assessed approximately 500 publicly traded companies in Canada with annual revenues greater than $50 million. Companies were evaluated from October to November 2023 on their executive teams. Our researchers evaluated each company’s top three tiers of executive leadership while measuring the ratio of female-identifying to male-identifying individuals at each tier. Tier 1 is CEO or equivalent, Tier 2 is C-suite, president or equivalent, and Tier 3 is generally EVP, SVP or equivalent. In the assessment process, we contacted each evaluated company by email to confirm the accuracy of data. We then applied a weighted methodology. We considered the company’s profitability, revenue growth and three-year return. The diversity of an executive team was also considered, as was the year-over-year comparison of female representation in the company’s executive ranks. We then assigned each company a score and applied a final screen to the top quintile: Companies with fewer than 30% of overall executive roles held by women were excluded, as were companies with only one woman-identifying executive. Research by Fiona Collie, Liza Agrba, Claire Robbins and Allan Tong