Women make up 28% of the corporate executives, 41% of the senior managers and 49% of all the managers at this insurance firm. While many female employees take advantage of a traditional formal mentoring program, others find their advisors through an online system that makes its matches according to each person’s shared professional interests as well as desired experience levels. To provide its women employees with an even wider base of support, the company has spent the past year strengthening its alliances with external groups that promote the advancement of women, ranging from the Society of Women Engineers and Women in Technology International to Catalyst. The company’s Women’s Leadership Initiative facilitates valuable sponsorship opportunities for women at the assistant VP level and above, which could help them move into the most senior roles at the firm.

Chairman, President & CEO: Roger Crandall

Executive VP: Debra Palermino

% of senior managers who are women: 41%

% of corporate executives who are women: 28%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 50%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 31%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 34%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: 50%

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 40%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 27%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: <1%

Change was on the agenda for this insurance firm in 2010. Not only did it add manager diversity training and introduce a scorecard to track the hiring, retention and promotion of female employees, but it also launched the Women’s Leadership Initiative, a program that provides its top female performers with the connections, visibility and skills training they need to boost their careers. Those who take part attend lectures on work life balance, personal branding and networking and may receive mentoring from peers and senior leaders. If moms need to arrange care for their kids, they can turn to the firm’s two on-site child-care facilities, available at headquarters and in Enfield, CT, or its seven near-site centers. New mothers get 16 job-guaranteed weeks off, with six weeks of partially paid maternity leave or a $5,000 adoption benefit.

President & CEO Roger Crandall

Executive VP Debra Palermino

Women managers/execs 42% 

Women among top earners 32% 

Women hires in 2010 48% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 2 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? No

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 85%

MassMutual’s employee moms learn how to reduce stress and boost wellness with advice from its new telephone-based health coaching service.

Dawn Reesman was six months pregnant when she scored a gig as a training consultant at this Springfield, MA–based insurance firm last June. From the moment this mom-to-be entered headquarters, she felt supported: “My manager was very accommodating about my weekly doctor’s appointments and my need to lie down twice a day.” Medical parking passes gave her access to choice spots at the office, while an on-site clinic meant she could get her blood work done at any time. When the big moment came, Dawn took a week of vacation and six partially paid weeks of leave. After she returned, a renovated Mothers’ Room was available for pumping.

Chairman & CEO: Stuart Reese

VP, Diversity & Inclusion, Corporate HR: Lorie Valle-Yanez

Women managers/execs: 43%

Women among top earners: 32%

Women on board of directors: 13%

Women corporate executive hires in 2008: 44%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year: 37%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year: 15%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement: 5%

Formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance: No