WE United announced the launch of its inaugural Lead Forward Report, an analysis consolidating publicly available research and data across the technology and electronics sectors.
The report examines six key areas influencing leadership progression: C-suite and board representation, pay equity and compensation, women in STEM and technology, DEI-related corporate initiatives, entrepreneurship and access to funding, and policy and legislation.
Leadership progression
The Lead Forward Report examines contributing factors of an interconnected system that determine who advance into senior level roles.
“Leadership progression is not a single-variable issue, it is systemic,” said Jackie Mattox, Founder and CEO of WE United. “When we look at representation, compensation, and opportunity in isolation, we miss the broader truth that multiple factors compound over time. This report is a call to action for leaders to think holistically and align decisions with long-term business goals. Balanced leadership is not only a values-based conversation, but also an essential leadership discipline for sustainable success.”
This is the first time WE United has published a report of this kind, and the organisation intends for it to become an annual release.
Key findings
Among the figures highlighted in the report, women currently hold 29% of C-suite roles in corporate America, a number that has remained unchanged for the second consecutive year. In tech, women earn around 84 cents for every dollar earned by men, which amounts to an annual gap of roughly $15,000. Women represent 26.7% of the global tech workforce, while all-female founding teams received 2.3% of venture capital funding.
The report also points to areas where progress is visible. One of the studies included in Lead Forward found that women now hold 49% of CFO roles globally, reflecting a significant year-on-year increase. Representation has also improved in some technical and AI-related skill categories. At the same time, women remain underrepresented in senior executive roles, retention challenges in tech continue, and funding outcomes remain uneven.
Looking ahead
For WE United, Lead Forward extends the organisation’s wider work across mentorship, leadership development, community building, and its two annual Leadership Summits. The report adds a data-led dimension to that work and is intended to become an annual benchmark for tracking how leadership and workforce trends evolve across the technology sector.
