Forbes Women Are Closing The Gap: More Forbes Women Are Reaching Directorship Level Than Forbes Men

• 36% more Forbes women have reached directorship level than their male counterparts, and 6% more are founders and CEOs of their own companies.
• Twice as many Forbes women are board members as Forbes men.
• Forbes women are making a greater contribution to the UK’s employment pool – 31% of Forbes women employ between 10 to 50 people, compared to just 18% of Forbes men.

Joining the ranks of Forbes’ acclaimed 30 Under 30 list is no mean feat. In fact, the media group receives over 20,000 nominations for the award every year. Now new research by comparison website University Compare has revealed some of the biggest career and educational trends of UK winners.

Researchers used data extraction techniques to scrape the LinkedIn profiles of almost 500 UK winners, before anonymising and analysing the data to identify key insights for aspiring young professionals.

The research has found that British women are closing the gap on their male counterparts, moving the needle on important professional and academic trends, including the number of Forbes women in leadership roles.

More women in the UK’s Forbes 30 Under 30 are directors than men

University Compare’s research shows that more female winners of the Forbes 30 under 30 are reaching directorship level than their male counterparts. Today, 36% more Forbes women are directors and 6% more are founders and CEOs.

The research also found that Forbes women are twice as likely to be board members than Forbes men. Forbes women often employ larger workforces, too, with 31% of Forbes women employing between 10 to 50 people in comparison to just 18% of Forbes men.

Most of the UK’s Forbes 30 Under 30 studied business at university

Forbes men and women studied the same top five degrees at university. The most common were business (13.9%), engineering (13.7%) and computer science (13.4%), followed by finance (11.9%) and management (9.3%). Among the least common degrees were dance, equine studies and aviation.

The research also found that while similar proportions of Forbes men and women complete a Master’s degree, Forbes women spend longer in further education, with 23% more completing a doctorate.

The top 10 universities attended by the UK’s Forbes 30 Under 30 are:

https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/16957495/

Most of the UK’s Forbes 30 Under 30 work in computer software

The most popular industry for Forbes winners (both male and female) is computer software (12.2%). For men, the next most common industry is financial services (7.2%), and for women it’s marketing and advertising (7.5%). The least common industries are venture capital (0.8%), health and fitness (0.8%) and education (0.6%). Interestingly, only 59% of those on the Forbes UK list studied a subject at university that directly informed their subsequent careers.

Forbes women have more LinkedIn followers on average

In terms of recognition from fellow working professionals, Forbes winners have roughly 5,600 LinkedIn connections on average, 10 times more than most users on the platform. Forbes women also build more connections with their peers, garnering over 1,600 more followers on average than Forbes men.

Owen O’Neill, founder of University Compare, said:

“With more women taking leadership roles within traditionally male-dominated spaces, we feel this is not only testement to the individuals’ hard work but also the increased accessibility within the workplace and further education for women.

At Uni Compare, we believe higher education offers aspiring young professionals a platform to grow in confidence and develop the tenacious spirit needed for a successful career.”