Women Directors Increase At Largest U.S. Firms

The number of women on boards of directors of the largest public companies in the U.S. has increased 23% over the last five years. Today 11.1% of all directors at such companies are women, says a study by Catalyst, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women in the workplace. What's more, 38% of the companies researched by Catalyst have two or more women on their board of directors compared with just 29% five years ago. The companies with the highest percentage of women directors: Golden West Financial Corp. (55%); Avon Products Inc. (46%); Beverly Enterprises (44%) and Gannett Co. Inc. (40%). The two industries with the highest percentage of women directors: soap/cosmetics, 23.9%; and savings institutions, 21.6%.