Women CFOs continue to be a minority in Argentina, especially in local companies. Breaking the ceiling requires sponsorship, flexibility and culture.
In our executive searches and conversations with Argentine companies there is evidence that is repeated: women continue to be a minority in financial management positions. In the universe of companies and large national groups, female CFOs are the exception. When they do appear, many come from careers developed almost exclusively within multinationals, where growth paths and leadership development programs are more structured.
The numbers help put the issue in perspective. According to Grant Thornton’s Women in Business 2025 report, 44.6% of financial positions (CFO) in medium-sized companies around the world are occupied by women. Although this figure marks progress, it is far from reflecting the reality of large corporations or the Argentine market. In our country, the total percentage of women in management positions reaches only 34.9%, and within the financial universe, female representation is even lower, especially in local groups or professionalized family businesses. At the regional level, South America leads with 37.2% of women in management positions, exceeding the global average of 34%, but still far from the expected parity.
Why is this happening? In practice, we observe several factors that explain this. Women who manage to reach the top financial level tend to have built their careers within multinational organizations. These offer more predictable trajectories, with rotation processes through key areas, mentoring programs and professional development structures that are rarely replicated in local companies. On the other hand, in the Argentine context there are many professional family businesses or national capital groups. There, promotion processes continue to depend largely on informal networks, personal contacts and a level of total availability that penalizes women in stages of high responsibility (such as motherhood and family care) if there are no real flexibility and co-responsibility policies.
Today, CFO searches include profiles with experience in issuing Negotiable Obligations, capital market management, mastery of exchange rate coverage, reporting in dollars, and credibility with banks and top financial management. In addition, it is valued that they can lead M&A processes, have contact with shareholders, and manage young teams in transformation contexts. It is a technical function, one of trust and visibility, where exposure and networking continue to be decisive factors, and where women often do not find the same access or sponsorship opportunities as their male peers.
Breaking that glass ceiling is a business imperative. Global evidence shows that a more diverse leadership improves decision-making, innovation, financial performance and the ability to attract and retain talent. In fact, almost a quarter of mid-sized companies surveyed by Grant Thornton say their gender equality strategies have made them more innovative, while a similar proportion say they have improved their ability to make decisions and attract investors.
However, to transform this statistic into a sustained reality, concrete actions are needed. Companies must start by mapping their internal talent, identifying women with financial potential and offering them real exposure to results management and P&L management. It is key to design sponsorship programs that allow them access to strategic projects, visibility before the board of directors and positions with a direct impact on the business numbers. It is also necessary to review selection processes to ensure balanced shortlists and build organizational cultures where flexibility and co-responsibility are part of the strategy.
Additionally, expanding the female talent pool outside traditional circuits—for example, through partnerships with universities, mentoring programs, and professional networks—can be an effective way to accelerate change. For national companies, this is a challenge and an opportunity: create conditions that allow more women to develop their careers and reach financial management positions without depending exclusively on multinational structures. Learning from the models that work in other markets and adapting them to the Argentine context can be the first step to building a new scenario.
Glue Executive Search
Source: Ambito
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