Women are just 26% of the employees at this scientific products company, but they represent 19% of corporate executives and 34% of senior managers. To help spawn the next generation of stars, management recently increased the number of women who can receive executive coaching or participate in WOMEN Unlimited, an external initiative that promotes networking and mentoring by senior talent. The top 3% of all executives may take part in the company’s accelerated Leadership Development Program, which propels their careers by offering an entire year of specialized training, team projects and high-level courses (including one taught by Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman).

Chair & CEO: Ellen Kullman

Senior VP, HR: Benito Cachinero-Sanchez

% of senior managers who are women: 34%

% of corporate executives who are women: 19%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 23%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 22%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 12%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: 21%

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 0%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 25%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: --

As a top executive, Linda J. Fisher juggles numerous responsibilities. She is a single mother who adopted both of her children as infants and yet, even with her busy work schedule, Linda finds the time to be very present with her children while commuting between her offices in Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware.

Since joining DuPont in 2004, Linda has served as a role model to working mothers in DuPont on how to effectively balance life’s responsibilities. Linda finds the time to provide counsel and support to the women in DuPont with whom she has the opportunity to connect—and can often be found actively promoting causes that advance women.

Prior to joining DuPont, Linda served in a number of key leadership positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she most recently served as the Deputy Administrator. In that capacity, she oversaw the administration of the Agency’s $8 billion budget and directed the regulatory, policy and enforcement responsibilities of the Agency’s 12 national programs and ten regional offices.

Today, her charge is to advance DuPont's progress in achieving sustainable growth; DuPont safety, health and environmental programs; the company's global product stewardship, regulatory affairs and government affairs and government marketing programs.

Linda is also a member of the board of directors of the Covanta Holding Corporation and Resources for the Future and has served on the board of several non-profit organizations including, The National Parks Foundation and The World Wildlife Fund.

Building on its long history of innovation, this scientific-products company continues to blaze a trail through its industry by promoting the use of alternative work schedules. Among other things, it recently formalized its telecommuting policy and added extra flexibility training for managers and supervisors, which led the utilization of remote work to increase significantly in 2010. Compressed weeks are equally popular, with 60% of workers turning to them at some point last year. When surveyed, employees say that the company’s flexibility is its most satisfying asset, but its paid leave isn’t bad either, ranging from 21 to 41 days per year. What’s more, the company just expanded its health coverage, increased its per-child adoption aid (now $5,000, up from $3,000) and widened the scope of its leadership programs.

Chair & CEO Ellen Kullman

Senior VP, HR Benito Cachinero-Sanchez

Women managers/execs 26% 

Women among top earners 22% 

Women hires in 2010 21% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 6 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 80%

DuPont employees who work at least 20 hours per week are eligible for health insurance.

There is a wealth of child-care options available to parents at this scientific-products company. In addition to an on-site center at headquarters, which has room for 200 kids, employees can access 10% discounts at a national child-care chain. In Delaware, northern Maryland, southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, parents get 80% of their backup care subsidized, up to $300 per year, and they may use those funds to reimburse friends and family or pay established providers. Moms who need to travel overnight for work are fully reimbursed for their childcare costs. If they need help saving for other types of care, parents can deposit up to $5,000 in the company's pretax dependent-care accounts annually. Increasingly, however, mothers opt to work from home when their kids need their time: In 2009, 15% of employees telecommuted.

Chair & CEO Ellen Kullman

Director, HR, U.S. Region Debra Alesantrino

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 48%

Women among top earners 21%

Women on board of directors 25%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 100%   

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 1%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 1%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 40%

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? Yes

*Percentages reflect number of women participants versus company’s total female workforce.

Parents who need significant time off to care for sick kids can take job-guaranteed leaves of absence and still retain full benefits.

In the manufacturing world, tight production schedules can make flexibility difficult to realize. But at this Wilmington, DE–based scientific products company, workers are increasingly being encouraged to switch shifts, compress their schedules or flex their hours as needed. In a recent staff survey, nearly half of all employees said they use a regular flexible arrangement, while most professional workers have been given the technology they need to work remotely. Leading by example are the directors of the part-time employee network, the majority of whom have worked reduced schedules for more than ten years. All new parents may request 24 weeks off to welcome a new addition to their families; birthmoms receive six weeks fully paid, while adoptive moms get four paid weeks, plus $3,000 in assistance.

CEO: Ellen Kullman

Director, HR, U.S. Region: Debra Alesantrino

Women managers/execs: 28%

Women among top earners: 23%

Women on board of directors: 25%

Women corporate executive hires in 2008: 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year: 27%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year: 20%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement: 40%

Formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance: No