Female Leaders Embrace Disruption, Trust Data and are Realistic About Future Growth: KPMG International

- KPMG's first Global Female Leaders (GFLs) study shows female business executives are well-prepared for the challenges of the digital age, with more than three-quarters (77 percent) seeing technological disruption as more of an opportunity than a threat. Half of GFLs (51 percent) believe their company to be the disruptor of their sector, rather than being disrupted by competitors. This finding, among others, presents a striking contrast to the recently launched KPMG 2018 Global CEO Outlook, where only 15 percent of the respondents were female (reflecting the current under-representation of women in CEO roles). But there are also differences with a majority of GFLs (77 percent) who are very confident about growth potential for their company, down from 90 percent of their largely male counterparts. "Digital transformation begins with a comprehensive understanding of our clients' current and future needs," said Susan Ferrier, Global Head of People, KPMG International. "The Global Female Leaders interviewed appear strongly positioned to drive growth and profitability for their companies." Comfortable with digitalization, technology and data   "Digital transformation offers unlimited opportunities for businesses," explains Angelika Huber-Straßer, Head of Corporates at KPMG in Germany. "However, the speed in which decisions have to be made, for example, in response to customer expectations, is constantly increasing. Female leaders possess the skills and the strength to lead their companies through these disruptive and exciting times." Largely optimistic about growth potential, growth strategies and headcount  Confident about success factors, quotas and expectations   GFLs are agile and know their strengths; however, they still see the need for cultural changes in order to support gender equality. Ferrier adds, "Women's voices are essential in bringing a more diverse and inclusive perspective. The Global Female Leaders interviewed understand that leadership in the digital age must embrace diverse workforces to achieve enhanced business performance." About KPMG's 2018 Inaugural Global Female Leaders Outlook   The survey covers 699 Global Female Leaders from 42 countries and from 14 industry sectors. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents come from companies that have more than US$500M in annual revenue, the others (62 percent) come from companies with under US$500M. The online survey was conducted between 6 March and 13 April 2018. NOTE: Some figures may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding. Click for more details on the Global CEO Outlook and the Global Female Leaders Outlook, http://www.kpmg.com/ceooutlook or http://www.kpmg.com/gflo. About KPMG   KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 154 countries and territories and have 200,000 people working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Europe and Asia:Brian Bannister KPMG International +44(0)[email protected] Americas:Amy Greenshields KPMG International [email protected]