Despite strong entry-level numbers, women hold under 30% of CPO roles. Industry leaders at Procurement LIVE unpack how to bridge the executive divide

Despite women accounting for almost half of graduates entering procurement, only a quarter to 30% of Chief Procurement Officer roles globally are held by women.

At the team level, progress is more visible, with global research from Oliver Wyman finding more than 60% of CPOs report increases in women on their teams in recent years. But senior representation remains low, with women holding just 25% of procurement management committee seats.

Similarly, Gartner’s benchmark Women in Supply Chain Survey further highlights this.  Its 2024 survey of 214 supply chain leaders showed that women comprise 40% of the total supply chain workforce, while VP-level representation has slipped to 21%. C-level roles remain equally low (19%).  In 2025, only 17.4% of tracked external C-suite moves were women, and just 8% of CPO appointments. 

Read more at: https://procurementmag.com/news/closing-procurements-female-leadership-gap