Women in Supply Chain

In recent years, company after company have launched initiatives to close the much discussed supply chain talent gap. After all, the supply chain has become an increasingly critical component of business strategy and business transformation, and the capabilities required for the future are very different from those required in the past. The ability to recruit, develop, retain and advance great leaders will put companies at a competitive advantage in their ability to innovate, create value for customers and improve supply chain performance.

A key to closing the gap is recognizing and unleashing the untapped potential of women in today’s supply chain. But, it’s not just women in the trenches at the line or supervisory level, but also the untapped potential of women in senior leadership roles. The results of our research indicates that while women make up 35% of the supply chain workforce, the representation of women at progressive levels of leadership drops precipitously and is only about 5% at the most senior levels. Yet, we know definitively that having more women in leadership roles fuels innovation as well as financial and operating performance. In today’s competitive environment, advancing women’s leadership in supply chain is a business imperative.

Gartner and AWESOME (Advancing Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education) recently partnered on the “Women in Supply Chain Survey,” the first study designed to assess the current status of women leaders in supply chain and develop insights into initiatives that can improve their level of attraction, development, retention and advancement. The results of the study include foundational data about the status of women in supply chain that allows us to track progress, and provide insights about goals and initiatives that companies are putting in place to increase diversity in senior supply chain leadership roles.

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