Thriving in a Male-Dominated Workplace (HBR Women at Work Series)

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How One Biotech Company Narrowed the Gender Gap in Its Top Ranks

by Cynthia Burks

In 2007 there were five times as many men as women in officer roles at Genentech, and female directors (the level preceding officers) were leaving at twice the rate as their male counterparts. To achieve equitable representation among men and women in leadership positions and stem the flow of departing talent, we rethought and revised our recruiting, professional development, and succession planning processes. Today, because of those efforts and a top-down commitment to change, men and women are nearly equally represented among our overall employee population and in officer and director roles.

The journey began in 2007 at a town hall meeting, where Art Levinson, ...