Men Are Replacing Women as CEOs in a Step Backward on Diversity
- Only three of 19 female CEOs succeeded by women since 2009
- A total of 62 women have led Fortune 500 companies since 1972
Men Replacing Female CEOs Presents Diversity Challenge
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When Mondelez International Inc. said Wednesday that Chief Executive Officer Irene Rosenfeld was retiring, it was no surprise that the food company also announced that she would be succeeded by a man.
Since 2009, 19 female CEOs of Standard & Poor’s 500 companies have stepped down. In only three of those cases was she replaced by another woman, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Rosenfeld, 64, will retire in November and be succeeded by Dirk Van de Put, who currently leads McCain Foods.