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Print Edition StoriesFriday, December 12, 2008
How We See It
Women losing ground in top tech roles
MHT managing editor Rodney Brown on NECN: 22 tech companies give back to community
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It’s a sad irony that in a week where Mass High Tech was welcoming nominations for its Women to Watch awards program, two pieces of research highlighted how far the tech sector still has to go in bringing women into its executive ranks and its board rooms.
Anyone who has been around tech for a couple of decades has seen the number of women at tech events growing steadily. With the Women to Watch awards (submit a nomination at our website) we recognize bright and energetic women who are poised to lead their industries. Yet, too few women are reaching the upper levels of the corporation.
The Boston Club, an association of business executives that works to open executive level doors for women, released its annual census of directors and executive officers in the 100 largest Massachusetts public companies, a sector dominated by tech firms. Women hold 11 percent of board seats and 9.2 percent of executive officer positions. In an age when those numbers should be increasing, both actually slipped from 2007. Another study by Babson College showed that on a worldwide basis entrepreneurship is still dominated by men.
Does the shortage of women executives in tech stem in part from the fact that there still are more men entering tech from college? Yes, and we must encourage young women to enter science and tech. At the same time the executive networks — call it the old boys network if you’d like — needs to make diversity a priority. But it’s up to everyone who has the opportunity to make sure we shine a light on the accomplishments of women leaders.
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