UC Davis: Women CEOs gaining ground in California ... but slowly

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A new study from UC Davis looks at the number of public companies led by women in the state of California.

Allen Young

Staff Writer- Sacramento Business Journal

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The number of female CEOS in California's largest 400 public companies grew by one person this year – from 13 to 14 – according to a new study from the University of California Davis.

The change was not the result of one new company hiring a female CEO but rather from some companies losing top female executives and others hiring them.

The gender imbalance hasn't changed much since 2006, when 11 women were chief executives of the top 400 companies.

Some other highlights from the study:

• Women in the highest paid positions are also making about a quarter less as their male counterparts. The median value of annual compensation for top male executives was nearly $1.8 million. The median for women was $1.3 million.
• The number of companies with zero female executives and board members dropped to 101 this year from 107 last year.
• In counties containing at least 20 of those top public companies, San Mateo County had the greatest percentage of highest-paid women executives at 16.3 percent, and Los Angeles County had the fewest at 7.7 percent.

Last year, the California Legislature passed a resolution calling for more female leaders in public companies, the first of its kind in the U.S.

Allen Young covers state legislation, regulation and contracts, as well as economic news, international trade and economic development for the Sacramento Business Journal.