Women in Leadership in PR

Earlier this month, the World Economic Forum sponsored a panel discussion on "Women and Economic Decision-Making," with a focus on closing the gender gap at the highest levels. At a subsequent roundtable sponsored by PRWeek and MSLGroup, senior communications executives – including myself -- took a look specifically at the role women play at the top levels of PR – both at agencies and in-house.

It's not that doors to the PR profession have been closed to women. Quite the contrary! For as long as fI've been in public relations, women have been ... everywhere.

In 2010 Ragan.com reported that 73% of the 21,000 members of PRSA were female. Another estimate, from the chair of the PR department at Syracuse University, put the percentage of women in the industry at 85%.

Until recently, the problem hasn't been equal representation of women in PR ... it's been the domination of men at the highest levels of leadership. An estimated 80% of upper management in PR is male. And that has led to a significant earnings gap.

According to a recent PRWeek Agency Business Report, an increasing number of top firms have women in their most senior roles. As that number increases at both agencies and in corporations, I have every expectation that the earnings gap will close ... ultimately good news for everyone in our business.