A new study reveals that more large companies in the U.S. are run by men with the names John, Robert, William or James than the total number of women CEOs.
For each women CEO of S&P 1500 companies there are four men CEOs named John, Robert, William or James, according to a study conducted by the New York Times.
New York Times has created its own index and called it the Glass Ceiling Index, which shows how many women hold top positions at large companies compared to men with those names. Thus, having an index score of 4.0 for large companies.
A glass ceiling is a political term used to describe "the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements."
Meanwhile, a recent study by Ernst & Young found that for every one women on the board there were 1.03 men called James, Robert, John and William on the board.
Justing Wolfers of NYT says, "Most companies understand that an all-male board looks bad, and so most of them appoint at least one woman, although only a minority bother to appoint more than one. Far fewer of these large firms -- currently one in 25 -- are run by a woman serving as C.E.O."
According to Catalyst.org, women currently hold 4.8 percent of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies. There are 24 women CEOs out of 500 companies.
The study also reveals that the U.S. has had six Presidents named James, five named John and four named William. "Thus, even if Hillary Clinton were to be elected, the Glass Ceiling Index would be 15."
Nevertheless, as a whole, the ratio of Jims-Bobs-Jacks-Bills to women in the U.S. is 0.12 to 1.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.