Global Business Landscape to Benefit from More Women in Leadership Positions

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Monday, 23 June 2025

There is an urgent need for gender parity in workplaces across the globe. Although women’s representation in the overall workforce has increased dramatically over the past few years, yet a lot of ground remains to be covered. Women remain to be grossly under-represented in leadership roles. 

Globally, women form less than one third of all leadership roles. Although women in EMEA and LATAM constitute more than 40 percent of all entry level positions, yet their numbers dwindle as they move up the seniority ladder.  

The highest numbers of women in leadership come from France (34%) and Sweden (37%). On the contrary, United Arab Emirates (20%), Germany (23%) and the Netherlands (26%) are lagging behind the average.

It still remains exasperating to see women being underrepresented in leadership positions even after witnessing the stark benefits of having more women leader. We are however hopeful that the global corporate world will course correct and welcome more women in leadership roles. Till then it is imperative that we highlight the success stories of women leaders who have successfully overcome the gender hurdle at work. 

One such name is Gladys Narula, Founder, Execore Spectrum. Emphasizing people-focused approach in organizations to foster strong, lasting relationships, Gladys Narula enables businesses to replace obsolete methods to navigate change effectively. With extensive experience at Credence Interactive, Dun & Bradstreet India, and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, complemented by an Executive Postgraduate Diploma from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, she has developed a robust foundation aligning organizational goals with the capacity for execution, tackling behaviour, cultural, and systemic barriers.

 We also feature an interaction with Fang LIU, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, Zeekr. Fang is a seasoned legal expert specializing in capital markets, M&A, corporate governance, compliance, and regulatory strategy. She drives innovation while ensuring adherence to complex legal frameworks, supporting Zeekr’s vision for cutting-edge technology solution and sustainable mobility. Her leadership strengthens the company’s global expansion and commitment to ethical, sustainable and forward-thinking practices.

In this month’s special edition we also feature Juhaina Albahrani, a seasoned professional that brings with her a wealth of experience and a comprehensive grasp of the conventional and Islamic banking, financial services and asset management industries, along with extensive training in conventional and Islamic accounting principles and a clear understanding of what the central bank and other regulatory bodies expect of their stakeholders. Currently employed with Alubaf Arab International Bank as Head of Financial Control. Earlier, she served as Director at EY, Bahrain where her client portfolio included some of the leading banks based in Bahrain. 

This month also read an interaction with Gay Carr, the Group Chief People Officer at Gushcloud International, with over 24 years of experience in operations and HR. She specializes in talent development, HR strategy, and global expansion, having pioneered shared services and led HR initiatives across multiple regions. Read on and let us know your thoughts.