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 Every year the number of women in the workforce grows by approximately 1 million. - Catalyst |
Leading the Future: PINK Magazine and the Forté Foundation Celebrate the Female Leaders of Tomorrow with First "Next 20" LIST December/January Issue is Call to Action to Corporate America and Focuses on The Reality of Today's Business Landscape ATLANTA, November 29, 2005 – Today there are 20 women at the helm of the country's top 1,000 revenue-producing companies. While it's encouraging to see these women excel, the statistic begs the question: why aren't there more women in the top positions? Who are the next 20 (or perhaps more) women who will hold the top executive spots in large publicly traded companies? To help answer these and other questions, PINK magazine teamed up with the Forté Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of women business leaders, to identify the next generation of women poised to be leading CEOs. PINK's "Next 20" special supplement in the December/January issue highlights the women who will shape the corporate world for years to come. With the help of Forté, PINK perused more than 200 nominations to find 20 extraordinary women who are best positioned to become CEOs of America's most prestigious companies. "PINK and the Forté Foundation have similar goals – to showcase women in business and encourage more women to lead," said PINK President and Founding Publisher, Genevieve Bos. "We have collaborated on what we hope will be an annual list of women positioned for greater influence and power." "These women are not only primed to lead America's corporations into the 21st century, but tomorrow's workforce of women into the C-suite through role modeling and mentorship," said Elissa Ellis, Executive Director of Forté. "We are shining a spotlight on these amazing women to give the future generation of women business leaders hope that reaching the highest positions in business is possible despite the battle against outdated stereotypes, boys' networks and work/life balance challenges." PINK and Forté sought nominations from many sources including top business schools, major nonprofit women's groups, leading headhunters and other consultants in various industries. Nomination criteria were based on the Executive Performance Model developed by Leadership Worth Following and included, among other qualities, the capacity, commitment and character to lead – which mirrors what leading corporations look for in their top executives. "At GE we have dynamic women in senior jobs who are focused on exceeding their commitments to our customers and shareholders. Showcasing great female leaders in a respected forum like PINK will inspire others and create new opportunities," said John Rice, vice chairman of GE, president and CEO of GE Industrial. "The number of female CEOs at America's 1,000 largest corporations is disappointing. I applaud PINK and Forté for chartering this special study. The 'Next 20' is a goal that can and should be rapidly exceeded," said Larry Johnston, chairman, CEO and president of Albertsons Inc. "Not only are women the most powerful driving force in our economy, they are also powerful business leaders. Their ability to mentor, collaborate, drive teamwork and lead by example produces better teams and delivers superior business results." CEO and Founding Editor of PINK Cynthia Good agrees and challenges the corporate world to take notice of these exceptional women and the myriad others who exemplify the values and skills of the PINK "Next 20". "We're very excited about this special edition of PINK because not only does it embrace the advancements achieved by women, but also it looks at the challenges still facing women leaders as they strive for success." In addition to the Next 20 Female CEOs list, Good's 'must-read' recommendations are: COVER STORY "Sweating the Small Stuff" "Thai Together" The issue also includes information about today's hot entertaining, fashion and health topics as well as other news and regular sections. About PINK About the Forté Foundation |
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