The highest-scoring companies are committed to propelling women through the ranks, giving them P&L power—and a leg up to the top.


ABBOTT
This pharma giant concentrates bottom-to- top on advancing women: Over the past five years, it filled 61 percent of entry-level science positions with women. Abbott has also increased the number of women in executive positions by 41 percent in that time, with a 94 percent retention rate of executives. Stellar performer Heather Mason rose from hospital representative in 1993 to her current post as SVP of Abbott Diabetes Care, generating $1.5 billion in sales last year. The company also invites high-potential female employees to participate in a sales/marketing program that teaches them how to manage the P&L of its international operations. Senior execs attribute their success to mentoring and to the company’s “respect for women.”

AETNA
This health insurance company emphasizes succession planning metrics for women in key leadership posts. All departments must complete action plans for building pipelines of women and people of color to be candidates for future positions. Women hold the majority of P&L positions reporting to the president (five of nine). Aetna’s Talent Manager platform offers online visibility to promising talent, with employees being encouraged to post their skills and work experience into a searchable database for hiring managers within the company. Another key to Aetna women’s success: the Next Generation of Leaders rotational development program, designed to develop P&L leaders.

AMERICAN EXPRESS
Thanks to the efforts of Susan Sobbott, president of American Express OPEN, this global financial services company has a strong commitment to women-owned businesses. Working with high-potential female entrepreneurs to help them reach $1 million in revenues, OPEN offers mentoring, marketing, money and technology resources in conjunction with the nonprofit Count-Me-In. OPEN also works with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) to help women’s businesses access federal contracts. Internally, Amex has launched a three-day leadership-training intensive, Women Rule. SVP of Card Operations Michelle Clark broke through the glass wall between staff and line positions: From finance and risk management, she now oversees the American Express Service Center in Greensboro, NC.

FLEISHMAN-HILLARD
This premier international PR agency is new to the NAFE Top Companies this year and already ranks in the Top 10. Women manage an impressive 80 percent of U.S. offices, including its three top revenue producers: New York,
St. Louis and Washington, DC. Six female regional presidents oversee operations for Central, Mid-Atlantic, East and Southwest areas, as well as for Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and Asia; and four of the six worked their way up from junior account service roles. The firm’s P&L development opportunities include a general managers orientation, fundamentals of financial management and a leadership institute for managers offering a Harvard Business School case-based approach to strategic management.

GENERAL MILLS
An internal survey last year found that only 13 percent of women perceive a glass ceiling at this leading food manufacturing company, a dramatic drop from 75 percent in 2003. Case in point: the rising number of women in top spots. Women now hold 42 percent of all P&L officer positions and run half of the $1 billion-plus operations. They’re also gaining international experience, one of the keys to the corner office: Women hold four international managing director and ten director/VP-level expat assignments. NAFE member Kim Nelson, president of the Snacks Division, with $1.1 billion in sales, was recently promoted to SVP.

IBM
A leader in the advancement of women, this multinational computer, technology and IT consulting company created a Global Women’s Task Force in 1995 that led to initiatives resulting in a 592 percent increase in female executives. New programs include GM Accelerator to prepare women for general manager positions and an executive assessment initiative that ensures women’s visibility throughout the executive pipeline. IBM’s 40 global women’s councils support advancement: Examples are the Super Women’s Group, for virtual and on-site networking, and the India Women’s Council, which brings women together for the annual Winspiration Conference. Both are run by top women.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON
Women make up nearly half the workforce at this vast health-care company, holding over a quarter of P&L positions. Additionally, two women rank among the five top earners. To support senior-level women who are moving into global assignments or who already oversee international programs, J&J offers weeklong study at Smith College that prepares them to move from specialist to strategist in culturally diverse environments. Women are also sent to the Smith-Tuck Global Leaders Program to train for the particular leadership challenges they may face when taking on global assignments.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL
Over the past decade, this worldwide operator and franchisor of hotels has more than tripled its female bench strength, and the number of women serving as full-service general managers has increased by 69 percent. In addition, more than 500 Marriott hotels are women- and minority-owned franchises.

Marriott continues to recruit women and people of color and then develop their talents. Violeta Vera Seidell, who broke the glass wall that too often divides women in finance from P&L positions, today serves as VP in the Lodging Program Management office, overseeing a multimillion-dollar P&L. She joined the company nearly two decades ago as a financial analyst.

OFFICE DEPOT
The numbers tell the story at this giant supplier of office products and services. A commendable 40 percent of all Office Depot employees are female, as are 35 percent of senior managers. What’s more, 38 percent of direct reports to the CEO are women. Monica Luechtefeld, the company’s e-commerce guru, boosted her title and workload this year; she’s now EVP of e-commerce and direct marketing, overseeing direct marketing for the North American Business Solutions Division. Office Depot offers women P&L training, and last year, half of the participants in formal succession planning were female. The company supports women business owners by offering a weekly Webcafe webinar and conferences for female entrepreneurs that help them certify their businesses.

WELLPOINT
As one of seven NAFE Top Companies with a woman at the helm, this health-care company shines. In fact, Angela Braly is the only woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 50 company. She leads a strong female bench that includes
Dijuana Lewis, president and CEO of the Comprehensive Health Solutions Business Unit; Krista Bowers, SVP & President Senior Business & Consumer Marketing; and many women who are presidents and general managers throughout the organization. Making sure that bench stays strong is the Executive Excellence program, offering 18 months of accelerated executive leadership development to prep high-potential employees for VP—women made up a third of the participants last year. Women receive additional support from a new cross-functional mentoring and networking program.