LAST UPDATE | 11 Sep 2023

NEARLY ONE IN five chief executive officers in companies in Ireland are women, a new report by the CSO has found.

The Gender Balance in Business Survey 2023, released today, revealed that 19% of CEOS are women, which is a 6% increase on the figures for 2021.

The report found increases in female representation across the board.

The number of female chairpersons increased by 5%, up to almost 19%, along with members of Boards of Directors, where women account for one in four positions.

Individual industries also saw increases.

“Other service activities” – including arts, entertainment, recreation and personal services – was the highest, at 43.5%.

This was followed by hospitality and finance, 36.8% and 33.9% respectively.

The lowest amount of representation is found in construction, at 13.4%, but this is still an increase on the 2021 figure of just over 9%.

Central Statistics Office Central Statistics Office

The figures show that women are less likely to have occupied positions for longer periods of time.

More women had been appointed directors in the short term – one to two years – than had been in the position for over five years.

The same was true of chairpersons – 44% of women had been appointed in 2023, while 13.4% had sat on a board for longer than five years.

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, said that the news showed “significant improvement” since 2021, and that the figures relating to female CEO’s were “particularly welcome”.

“However, despite these significant improvements, today’s report also demonstrates how much further we still have to go,” he said.

“This is a battle that needs to be won in every business, if we are to see women rise to their full potential across the labour force and if we are to ensure that their skills and talent are both recognised and employed to their fullest extent.

“One of the greatest constraints on our economy is the talent that has been overlooked merely because its possessor is a woman, we must not keep making that mistake.”