German DAX company Merck now has female leader
Belen Garijo has taken over as CEO at German pharmaceuticals giant Merck. She s the first woman to singlehandedly run a DAX 30-listed company. DW talks to a diversity expert to put the move in perspective.
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How to negotiate more successfully as a woman
Glass ceilings and gender equality
In 2015, the German legislature passed a law mandating a 30% quota for women on supervisory boards of listed companies. Aiming further down the corporate ladder, this past January, the German cabinet greenlit a bill to force more gender equality on company executive boards after a voluntary system didn t bring about enough change.
If approved, the law will make it mandatory for listed companies to appoint one female board member if it has at least four members. Companies that the government has a majority stake in will be held to even tougher standards. Currently, only around 16% of DAX board members are women.