This financial services company offers its employees a dazzling array of training and development programs, but knowing that the most significant lessons often take place outside the classroom led the company to consider solidifying such relationships for its female executives: Pathways to Sponsorship is an initiative through which female directors and VPs receive mentoring from more senior executives, who may eventually serve as their work sponsors. Initial results have been promising, with participants experiencing twice the usual number of job movements or promotions within a year of the program’s launch.

Chairman & CEO: Kenneth Chenault

Executive VP, HR: Kevin Cox

% of senior managers who are women: 34%

% of corporate executives who are women: 32% 

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 47%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 42%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 33%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: --

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 17%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 15%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: --