A name like ‘David’ is the best option for a high-profile career in politics or big business.
If you want your future offspring to get into politics, or on the board of an ASX 200 company, think carefully about the names you choose.
In the 45th Parliament, there are eight MPs named Andrew, that’s almost as many female Liberal MPs in the lower house, according to research by Hutch Hussein published by Fairfaix.
Other than Andrew, it helps to have a name like David, Steven, Anthony or Christopher. There are more men with such names then there are women across both houses of Parliament.
Seeing this research I was quickly reminded of research we published on Women’s Agenda back in 2015, finding there are more men named Peter leading ASX 200 companies than there are women, by diversity consultant Conrad Liveris.
At the time, he found women held 23 of the 400 CEO and Chair positions across the ASX 200. In comparison, 26 of such positions were held by men named Peter, 23 by men named Michael, and 22 by men named David. It’s research that has been quoted extensively. As Broderick said at the National Press Club during her closing speech as Sex Discrimination Commissioner: “If you look at companies run by a Peter, a Michael, or a David or an Andrew, they outnumber those run by women four to one.”
Back in our 45th Parliament, which formally opens today, there are five more female MPs than there were in the previous parliament, which is good news. The problem is that very few women are in the governing party. Labor has 42 female MPs, while the Liberal Party’s numbers have dropped from 22 to 18. The Nationals have three women, while Pauline Hanson from One Nation, and Rebekah Sharkie and Skye Kakoschke-Moore from the Nick Xenophone Team, further boost the female numbers.
Diversity beyond gender is tough to find, with researcher Hutch Hussein saying the names showcase the “Anglo stranglehold” that has Parliament.
So call yourself ‘Peter’ if you want to be in big business, and ‘Andrew’ if politics is more your thing. Ultimately, ‘David’ might be your better bet.
