In 2019, when reviewing a list of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, less than 5% are women—in fact, there are more men named David that are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies than there are women CEOs.

As we discussed, when leadership at the executive level is diverse, companies are more profitable. So why aren’t more companies making sure their senior team is diverse?

Discussion Prompt

Take a look at 2019’s Fortune 500 list (alternatively use this list of S&P 500 companies) and choose any company that has a CEO who is part of a minority group. This could be Tim Cook at Apple, or Mary Dillon at Ulta, or anyone else of your choosing. Then, go out to that company’s website and determine the diversity of that company’s senior team (hint: any publicly traded company is likely to list information on their top three executives in the shareholder’s section).

How did your company do in 2019—did they perform better than in 2018 and 2017? Do they have any space on their careers page dedicated to diversity? Answer these questions in your paper.

Write a paragraph about the company’s diversity initiatives and if you feel they are benefitting the business.

Grading

Share your opinions below and respond to two of your classmates’ thoughts.