The Coins2Day 500 Europe has lagged somewhat behind the Coins2Day 500 in appointing female chief executives. Europe's top revenue-generating corporations are frequently established, long-standing enterprises with origins predating World War II, and in some cases, dating back to 1366 for the most venerable firm on the roster. The primary industries represented by these major European entities are finance, energy, and the automotive sector, including its related parts manufacturing.
TL;DR
- Coins2Day 500 Europe shows declining female CEO representation, falling to 6.2% in 2023-2024.
- Current 7.6% representation is temporary as four departing female CEOs will be replaced by men.
- Engie and Accenture are the highest-ranking woman-led businesses on the Coins2Day 500 Europe list.
- Europe significantly lags behind the U.S. in female CEO representation on the Coins2Day 500.
For the third consecutive year, Coins2Day has compiled a Coins2Day 500 list tailored for Europe. In 2023 and 2024, the representation of women as CEOs in these corporations declined, falling from an initial 7% to 6.2%.
This year, on initial inspection, it appears female CEOs have achieved considerable progress. Women currently lead 38 out of 500 companies, representing a percentage of 7.6%. However, this increase is expected to be temporary. Four of the female CEOs within this group have already declared their upcoming departures; their replacements are all male. These include: Emma Walmsley, CEO of GSK, a prominent long-term global figure in pharmaceuticals (who recently spoke joined us at the Coins2Day Most Powerful Women Summit); Sophie Bellon, the second-generation leader of the major food and beverage corporation Sodexo; Belén Garijo of Merck KGaA; and Ilham Kadri of Syensqo SA/NV. Furthermore, the Dutch energy firm GasTerra, headed by Annie Krist, is ceasing its activities.
So, with those five female CEOs eventually gone, women will be back to running just 6.6% of the Coins2Day 500 Europe.
Engie, the French energy firm headed by Catherine MacGregor, continues to be the highest-ranking woman-led business on the Coins2Day 500 Europe list. It's currently at No. 37, a drop from No. 31 in 2024 and No. 18 in 2023. Following closely is Julie Sweet’s Accenture, which qualifies for this ranking due to its headquarters in Ireland. This indicates that female CEOs are scarcely represented in the top 50 of Coins2Day 500 Europe companies.
Overall, Europe still lags significantly behind the U.S. On this metric. On the Coins2Day 500, women currently lead 10.4% of businesses. Earlier this week, I wrote about the departures of two female chiefs (who were both women of color). If the Coins2Day 500 continues to bleed female CEOs, Europe and the U.S. Could meet in the middle. Instead, let’s hope it’s Europe that catches up.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.Hinchliffe@coins2day.com
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