That’s especially true when you consider the fact less than 5% of CEOs on the ASX 200 are female.
So gender imbalance was always going to be an issue for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in sorting out a “senior business delegation” to join him in the United States, during his trip to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week.
The tour is set to celebrate “100 years of mateship” and there are some excellent mates heading along, including billionaires Anthony Pratt and Kerry Stokes, according to the Australian Financial Review today.
Other chiefs making the trip according to the AFR include CBA boss Ian Narev, Rio Tinto’s Jean-Sebastien Jacques, Wesfarmers’ Rob Scott, Orica’s Alberto Calderon, Lendlease’s Steve McCann, Glencore’s Peter Freyberg, Seek’s Andrew Basset, and Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s John Denton.
The most senior businesswoman on the list appears to be Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott.
And thankfully by extending the invitation to state leaders, a couple more women will also make an appearance including NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
They’ll meet with DJ Gribbin, a former Macquarie Group banker turned Trump infrastructure adviser, as well as a large number of US governors. They’re due to all discuss infrastructure, energy and innovation.
A White House statement on the meeting states that the, “Leaders will celebrate 100 years of mateship through war, peace and prosperity, charting the course for the coming century of partnership.”
So who is going to run the country while so many of our top leaders are overseas?