This year Catalyst implemented a change in methodology to facilitate a focus on companies’ top leadership and simultaneously provide a more reliable comparison across companies and industries.
Since 2006, the reports have gathered public data from annual reports, proxy statements, and company websites. These sources are updated at different times and are designed for various audiences, leading to inconsistencies across companies.
For 2009, Catalyst gathered public data only from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) annual filings submitted by June 30, 2009. For insurance companies that do not file with the SEC, Catalyst obtained data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) regulatory database of key annual statements submitted by June 30, 2009. Data collected by the SEC and NAIC comply with federal or state requirements governing the content and timing of the filings, resulting in more equivalent comparisons across companies.
Catalyst is confident that with these changes we have captured a more precise measure of women’s representation in top positions across the Fortune 500 population.