The New York Times Company’s Leadership Excellence program helps high-potential midlevel employees to become more effective innovators and strengthens their management skills, eliciting better work results and accelerating their careers.

To shape lasting careers at this legendary media company, women can take part in its formal mentoring program or join seven employee affinity groups that host mentoring circles. The popular REACH mentoring program for diverse senior-level managers recently spawned an initiative that finds its alumni advising the next generation of potential leaders; in 2012, 44% of those they counseled were women. Aspiring executives also forge important connections by participating in the company’s “Medici teams,” work groups of employees with varied backgrounds and experiences who collaborate to develop innovative business approaches and solutions.

CEO: Mark Thompson

Chief Diversity Officer & VP, Corporate HR: Desirée Dancy

% of senior managers who are women: 36%

% of corporate executives who are women: 43%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 33%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 43%

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

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 25%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 23%