Boardroom

Yesterday the Australian Financial Review published a report on executive salaries in Australia. The paper provided us with pages and pages of analysis of the post-GFC public outcry over executive salaries, and into the industrial relations debate that has reared its head again since the Qantas fleet was grounded. But amongst all this analysis, the paper overlooked a glaringly obvious and disturbing issue.

The AFR no doubt knows that IR reform, which goes hand-in-hand with the old CEO executive remuneration versus union bargaining for pay increases chestnut, is shaping up to be a key battleground in the next election campaign. However, the newspaper completely overlooked the issue of gender and executive salaries.

The list of 287 companies and roughly 300 or so individuals that make up Australia’s highest paid CEOs and Executive Chairman comprises just eight women. The statistics here are almost as alarming as the fact that there was entirely no mention of this in the commentary.

Continue reading "I am woman, hear me roar… except in the boardroom" »