Women are progressing when it comes to infiltrating the male-dominated ranks of the wireless industry but that progress seems to stop short of the C-suite, where men outnumber women at a very high rate.
While women historically have held C-level positions in human resources or corporate communications, it’s still rare to find women in high-ranking operational or technical roles at wireless firms. There are a few exceptions: Rima Qureshi, Verizon’s EVP and chief strategy officer; Callie Field, T-Mobile’s president of business; and Lori Lee, CEO of AT&T Latin America and global marketing chief, among others. And while this is a big improvement from the early days of wireless, the industry still has a long way to go.
This lack of diversity in the C-suite, however, isn’t just a problem for the telecom industry, it cuts across all industries. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, women are dramatically under-represented in leadership roles in corporate America. S&P Global Market ranked the 20 highest paid S&P 500 CEOs and found that 19 of them are men. The only female to make the list was Patricia Kessler Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corp.
But women aren’t only missing from the C-suite, they are also missing from the board of directors of public companies. According to the Women’s Business Collaborative, which tracks board seats, in December 2022, 32.1% of board appointees to public companies were women and 67.8% were men.
Embrace the opportunity
Beyond the C-suite and corporate board rooms, we are definitely seeing more females in leadership positions at telecom companies than ever before.
I recently attended the Women in Wireless Leadership Luncheon hosted by the Wireless Infrastructure Association in Washington, D.C., where the room was packed with female professionals seeking tips from industry executives on how to advance in their careers and make their workplaces more diverse.
In my more than 30 years of writing about the telecom industry, I’ve attended several women in wireless networking events and even moderated a few panel discussions dedicated to bringing attention to the need for more female leadership. But what made this event different from those in the past is that I finally think the message is being heard at all levels of every organization. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that studies, such as this 2021 Harvard Business Review analysis, suggest that companies with female executives are generally more profitable, more socially responsible and offer better customer service.
During the luncheon, Mignon Clyburn, former acting chair of the FCC, urged attendees “to embrace the opportunity to soar” but also to remember the women who have paved the way. Clyburn also called out the men in attendance, saying that it is “up to the men in the industry to support all of us.”
FCC Chief of Staff Narda Jones told the group that while there has been progress in gender diversity in the FCC, which is currently chaired by Jessica Rosenworcel, there are still “far too many rooms where I am the only one —the only person of color and the only woman.” Jones urged those in attendance to strive for change because “the only way to build a better industry is by changing this.”
During a panel discussion that I moderated, we delved further into the theme of gender diversity with representatives from wireless operators and wireless infrastructure firms sharing insights from their careers and providing tips for navigating the workplace.
Evelyn Clough, director of network operations at SBA Communications, encouraged attendees to “think like a man” when they apply for a job. Clough said that recently she had two open management positions on her team but no women were applying because they didn’t meet all of the qualifications listed. Clough said that most men will look at the same list of criteria and apply for the job even if they don’t meet every qualification.
And Karen Rohrkemper, senior vice president of network implementation and operations for Crown Castle, said that her company is encouraging female employees to consider field work by exposing them to these types of jobs and allowing them to see what field jobs entail. Rohrkemper said that this type of exposure is resulting in more women applying for field jobs, which traditionally have been dominated by men.
It's good to hear anecdotes like those shared by Clough and Rohrkemper because it shows that progress is being made. We often hear from company leaders that the reason women haven’t yet infiltrated the C-suite is because there isn’t a strong pipeline of female candidates for jobs. But from looking around the room at the Women in Wireless Leadership luncheon last week, I can’t help but feel that soon that pipeline of candidates will be dominated by some of these up-and-coming female leaders.