Grant Thornton named one of 2019 “Top 70 Companies for Executive Women” by the National Association for Female Executives

CHICAGO — Grant Thornton LLP has been named one of the 2019 NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women by the National Association for Female Executives, the seventh time the professional services firm has been named to the list.

NAFE’s “Top Companies” recognizes U.S. corporations where there is a strong focus on best practices that demonstrate effectiveness in moving women to senior ranks, including mentoring, sponsorship, involvement in employee resource groups and leadership development training. In addition, the list highlights company benefits, including flexibility, corporate culture, and CEO involvement in advancing women. The NAFE Top 70 Companies is featured in the April/May issue of Working Mother.

“Grant Thornton is focused on the advancement of women, including providing networking opportunities, development programs and flexible benefits, and we’re honored to once again by recognized by the National Association for Female Executives for these efforts,” said Brenda Wagner, chief people and culture officer of Grant Thornton. “We are proud to have a number of women serving in partnership and leadership roles. Our firm and our clients are reaping the benefits of their talents.”

“In 2019, a woman’s journey up the corporate ladder still differs from a man’s, but the Top Companies stand out in their application of remedies,” says NAFE president Dr. Betty Spence. “They are models of how to progressively move women into senior roles, as reflected in their strong representation in the leadership ranks.”

“The 2019 NAFE Top Companies continue to tell a progressive story about what organizations are doing to move women up into executive positions,” says Subha V. Barry, president of Working Mother Media. “While the results are encouraging, there is still much work to do. There are still too few women serving as CEOs, managing large asset portfolios, and seated on boards of directors, but the NAFE Top Companies are paving the way for the advancement of women."

Highlights of the 2019 NAFE Top 70 Companies include:

• Female representation among CEOs at the NAFE Top 70 companies increased five percentage points to 19 percent this year, outpacing the S&P 500 at 4.7 percent.
• The percentage of women on the boards of directors at the NAFE Top 70 companies increased two points to 32 percent, up from 30 percent in 2018. S&P 500 held steady year over year at 21 percent.
• Female executives responsible for divisions worth more than $1 billion increased from 21 percent to 26 percent in the past year.

About the 2019 NAFE Top 70 Companies

The Top Companies application includes more than 200 questions on topics including female representation at all levels, but especially the corporate officer and profit-and-loss leadership ranks. The application tracks and examines how many employees have access to programs and policies that promote advancement of women and how many employees take advantage of them, plus how companies train managers to help women advance. To be considered, companies must have a minimum of two women on their boards of directors, a U.S.-based CEO, and at least 1,000 U.S. employees.

About NAFE

The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), founded in 1972, serves members with networking, tools, and solutions to strengthen and grow their careers and businesses. Working Mother magazine publishes the annual NAFE Top Companies list. NAFE.com provides up-to-date information, a community for women in business, and access to member benefits. NAFE is a division of Working Mother Media, owned by Bonnier Corporation.