The Executive Women of New Jersey, in commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the organization’s ground-breaking A Seat at the Table report, announced the companies on the 2023 Honor Roll — an honor bestowed on companies that have 35% or more women in senior governance positions.
The organization’s A Seat at the Table report was designed to be an instrumental tool to promote and track diverse representation in corporate leadership — one that aims to ensure equal access for women in the boardroom and executive leadership roles.
This year’s honorees will be recognized at EWNJ’s A Seat at the Table Corporate Gender Diversity Awards Breakfast, to be held at 8 a.m. Oct. 26 at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park. (Get tickets here.)
A look at those on the Honor Roll, presented alphabetically:
- ADP
- AdvanSix
- American Water
- The Children’s Place
- CompoSecure
- Essential Properties REIT
- Johnson & Johnson
- Merck & Co.
- Organon & Co.
- PMV Pharmaceuticals
- Prudential Financial
- Public Service Enterprise Group
- PTC Therapeutics
- Quest Diagnostics
- Universal Display Corp.
- Verisk Analytics
- Zoetis
EWNJ President Courtney McCormick said the biennial report has served its purpose over the years.
“We humbly recognize that our biennial report has been a key motivator for companies to diversify their top leadership, which is why we’re proud to celebrate 10 years of perseverance and progress with this year’s Honor Roll,” she said. “Companies are realizing that businesses perform better when women are in top leadership positions, something our research has consistently found to be true.
Go to event
To register for the A Seat at the Table Corporate Gender Diversity Awards Breakfast, click here.
“Each report illustrates our state’s economic well-being and the growing presence of women in top-tier corporate positions. When companies acknowledge the value of diversity, it sets off a positive chain reaction that goes beyond the confines of the boardroom. This influence permeates organizational culture and leaves an undeniable mark across New Jersey.”
This year’s Honor Roll modernized its qualifying criteria, choosing to go by a pure percentage play, which better represents impact, regardless of overall board size. Previously, companies were honored for having three or more female board members, regardless of the total size of the board.
Susan K. Dromsky-Reed, president-elect and chair of the Seat at the Table Committee at EWNJ, said the impact of the honor roll will be felt by generations of women.
About EWNJ
Founded in 1980, EWNJ is the leading senior-level executive women’s organization that is committed to increasing the number of women serving on corporate boards and in the top leadership of New Jersey corporations.
In addition to the Seat at the Table report, EWNJ hosts an array of events designed to offer women executives prime networking opportunities, to amplify gender diversity advocacy efforts and to raise funds for its work, including our Graduate Merit Award Program, which is focused on establishing a pipeline of women leaders.
“Today’s progress sends a powerful message to generations of women, especially young women leaders, that their ambitions are not only supported, but encouraged,” she said.
“When EWNJ began recognizing companies a decade ago, corporate boardrooms were largely male. Our original benchmark served as an attainable standard for companies at the time. However, since that time, boards have made significant strides in prioritizing gender diversity.”
The need to shine a light on board membership remains strong, Dromsky-Reed said.
“The 10-year anniversary of our A Seat at the Table report marks the perfect time to modernize our metric and set the tone for years ahead,” she said. “While progress is being made, there is still much more that can be done to increase equal opportunity for women ascending the corporate ladder. I extend my congratulations to the 17 companies and look forward to recognizing them at this year’s breakfast.”
