{"id":211231,"date":"2024-03-08T07:20:45","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T07:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/08\/international-womens-day-a-look-at-women-leading-europes-top-companies\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:21:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:21:03","slug":"international-womens-day-a-look-at-women-leading-europes-top-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/08\/international-womens-day-a-look-at-women-leading-europes-top-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"International Women’s Day: A look at women leading Europe’s top companies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For years, women have fought their way to the top. Those who\u2019ve succeeded have become trailblazers in their own right. <\/p>\n

Take private equity giant Ardian\u2019s CEO Dominique Senequier, who was among the first women<\/a> to be admitted into her university, \u00c9cole Polytechnique. Allison Kirkby of telecoms company BT became the first female CEO<\/a> in the company\u2019s 178-year<\/a> history last month.<\/p>\n

When investigating Europe\u2019s most powerful and influential women for International Women\u2019s Day, we found a common thread\u2013the wealth of experience they bring. <\/p>\n

We discovered around 35% of Fortune<\/em> 500 Europe\u2019s<\/a> female CEOs and half of the European women on Fortune<\/em>\u2019s Most Powerful Women<\/a> list are aged 55 and over. From that group we found accomplished experts across industries\u2014from commodities to financial services and pharmaceuticals\u2014who\u2019ve spent several decades in the corporate world now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To recognize their sizable achievements this International Women\u2019s Day, Fortune <\/em>curated a handpicked selection of female leaders at the helm of European companies, aged 55 and above. We drew upon our flagship lists\u2014Fortune<\/em> 500 Europe and Most Powerful Women\u2014while also keeping an eye out for other up-and-coming leaders.<\/p>\n

This inaugural list will be the first of many,\u00a0highlighting the greatest female business leaders in continental Europe and, arguably, the world. While the list is not exhaustive, it sheds light on how female leaders are shaking up today\u2019s world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However you look at it, there\u2019s an unacceptably low number of female CEOs in Europe. When Fortune <\/em>launched its debut list of Europe\u2019s top 500 companies based on revenue last year, we found only 7%<\/a> were run by women. That\u2019s a tiny fraction, and reveals how much more work we have ahead of us.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an obvious business case for doing so\u2014women-led companies have shown higher profit margins<\/a> and are linked to greater climate-related investments<\/a>, consultancy The Pipeline found in a study of FTSE 350 companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For all those on the path to become future leaders, Netherlands-based Achmea\u2019s executive board chair, Bianca Tetteroo, shared the following words of wisdom: \u201cDare to jump into the deep end. What\u2019s the worst thing if it doesn\u2019t work out?\u201d.<\/p>\n

Explore 5 spotlighted executives along with two up-and-coming leaders we have our eyes on, and the full list below.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: The list below combines data from both the Fortune Europe 500<\/a> and the Most Powerful Women<\/a> lists, as captured in 2023. Revenue and other data were captured at the time of the list creation and may not reflect the latest data available.<\/em> <\/p>\n

The Callouts<\/h2>\n

Our team curated a hand-picked group of European female CEOs who\u2019ve blazed the trail for the next generation of leaders.\u00a0Meet them below:<\/p>\n

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