Women on average occupy one-fifth of spots on the management teams of Finland’s top 40 companies, according to an investigation by Yle.
Firms' gender ratios, however, vary greatly.
Women are entirely missing from the management teams of engineering company Metso Group and mobile phone maker HMD Global, which produces Nokia-branded phones. However, pension companies Elo, Varma and Ilmarinen had the highest proportion of women in management positions, accounting for about 50 percent of members.
In Finland, women managers tend to work in communications and human resources but rarely in business management or managing director roles.
“Human resources and communications are fields where women have had good opportunities to get ahead,” headhunter Mimma Silvennoinen told Yle, adding that men have only recently taken an interest in HR, bringing the role into the board room.
The Finnish Chambers of Commerce network told Yle it’s concerned that women are often relegated to support functions on management teams, such as legal affairs, communications, HR, and finance. Male business managers are meanwhile heading up product units and service development.
“Women have maintained a very traditional role in the corporate world. More women are joining management teams, but very few of them are heading up top positions,” said Leena Linnainmaa, outgoing vice managing director of the Finnish Chambers of Commerce.
Silvennoinen said she encourages women to seek out middle management positions as stepping stones to the C-suite.
Two female CEOs in Finland’s top 40
Just two of Finland’s 40 largest companies are headed by women. Swedish-born Annica Bresky is forest company Stora Enso’s newly-appointed president, whereas Satu Huber is the CEO of the Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company.
Linnainmaa said women like 44-year old Bresky, who studied aquatic and environmental engineering, are important role models for girls and women.
“Society should encourage girls to study math and technical subjects. Employers should make it a strategic goal that women and men have the same opportunities for advancing in their careers. Women also need to expand their knowledge base and take on new challenges,” Linnainmaa said.
As a headhunter, Silvennoinen said it has been years since she was last requested to recruit a man for a job.
“These days, companies often say they’re hoping to find a woman.”