Australia records a drop in female executives

The number of women in senior management positions at Australian firms has fallen by 6 per cent since 2004, according to a new international study.

The Grant Thornton International Business Report placed Australia sixteenth in the world for its proportion of companies with female managers, a drop from ninth in 2004.

The three top performing countries were the Philippines, China and Malaysia. Countries to report a fall in the number of women in senior roles included Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and the US.

Grant Thornton Victoria CEO Kathleen Bailey-Lord describes the findings as grim. She suggests many women are frustrated by barriers to senior roles and are choosing to start their own ventures.