Women hold 24% of CEO pipeline roles, but only 8% of promotions. what happened?
Female leaders have increasingly landed their roles that traditionally serve as launchpads in corner offices. record11% of Fortune 500The company is currently led by women. But behind that milestone is a more calm truth. Women are still facing steep climbs to the top, and often need to take more steps and record more experiences than men who are seen as ready.
According to2025 Female Power Gap CEO ReportFrom the EOS Foundation, a charity focused on promoting gender and racial equity in leadership, S&P 100 women currently account for 24% of CEOs’ most common “launchpad” roles, including chief operating officers, presidents and department heads. However, they account for only 8% of CEO appointments from these positions.
This gap is not due to lack of qualifications. This data shows that women are more, if not equal, if not greater, than male CEO candidates. In fact, 32% of female CEOs have been promoted to CEO seating after taking an additional step as president.
“I can only speculate that there is a bias in that final selection process,” says Andrea Silvert, president of the EOS Foundation.luck.
Silbert explains that unconscious bias can emerge in a often subtle but consequential way before and after the CEO selection process. One example is the implicit expectation that women must prove themselves in additional proof of their positions as president before they are considered CEO responses. She says that this extra step serves as a form of risk reduction that is rarely needed by men, reinforcing the notion that women need to be overprepared to be considered equally qualified.
During the actual selection process, gender assumptions regarding leadership can place female candidates at a disadvantage. “We’ve heard, ‘He has more possibilities.’ I’ve heard that “she has no executive presence.” I’ve heard women say high-pitched at the worst of the day,” Silvert says.
The structure of the C-Suite also plays a role. Women are increasingly invading C-Sweets, but continue to focus on roles that rarely lead to the top, such as Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief Sustainability Officer. Reports show that women account for 76% of Chro positions and 56% of CMO roles.
In contrast, roles with direct financial and operational oversight are an easier path to a CEO seat. Women are often silent on functions heading towards non-P&L, but retain 19% of the CFO role. This is a position considered the main gateway to CEO. The CFO to CEO pipeline is more common among women than men. Ten percent of female CEOs followed that route compared to only 6% of male CEOs.
Ultimately, for women aiming to become CEOs, the data shows that there is a high likelihood of success for women with extensive experiences in P&L.
“Even women who reached CEO through the CFO route often took on the role of P&L. That’s another way companies ensure that women have rounded experience of being qualified for 110% of their jobs when they are appointed.”
For an aspiring female CEO, silvert and panty advice is clear. Pursuing the role of P&L early, speak up about your ambitions, and intentionally approach your career.
“You can’t bow your head and work hard,” Silvert says. “You need to build a brand, network and drink coffee with the right people. My friend said, “It’s a campaign to break the glass ceiling.” ”
This story was originally introduced Fortune.com