Here’s some supporting evidence for the 85 Broads mission. The October issue of Fortune includes “The 50 Most Powerful Women in Business” with eBay President and CEO Meg Whitman in the #1 spot. Hewlett-Packard’s Carly Fiorina takes the #2 position after leading the list every year since it began in 1998.
Reviewing the complete list (subscription required), I noted eight companies with two women each on the list. I take this as a good sign that not all of these powerful women are anomalies within their organizations. However, I also took a look at the August 2004 list of “The 25 Most Powerful People in Business” and found that only two women (Fiorina and Whitman) made that list. (A third woman appears on the list, but as part of Fidelity’s inseparable father/daughter team, so I’m not sure how to count her.)
Clearly, we still have a long way to go. I look forward to the day when there’s no need for a list that seems to say, “She’s really smart, for a girl.”