For those wanting more female CEOs, look to a growing trend among CFOs.
When Royal Dutch Shell appointed Jessica Uhl as its next chief financial officer last week, the move continued an ongoing pattern. More and more, women are holding the position of CFO. Data from MSCI reveals that of 2,470 big global companies, 203, or just over 8%, had a female chief financial officer at the end of September this year—up from 6.8% in 2015.
The phenomenon is promising in and of itself, but it could eventually have even larger implications. The shift is happening at a moment when the CFO job is transforming into one that’s more strategically and operationally important than in the past, Benjamin Finzi, managing director at Deloitte and leader of the company’s CEO program, told the Financial Times. As a result, the role of chief financial officer is increasingly viewed as a prime breeding ground for CEOs, so women who hold the CFO title may have a better chance of being tapped for the corner office.