For more than two decades, Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR) has tracked the progress of women in senior management across mid-market businesses worldwide. The 2026 findings show that global progress is slowing and the pace of change varies across markets. Vietnam, however, continues to report comparatively robust female representation in senior leadership roles.
Current status: Vietnam outperforms global and regional benchmarks
Globally, women hold 32.9% of senior management positions in 2026, slightly lower than 2025 (34.0%) but broadly consistent with levels observed in recent years. The Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) region stands slightly below the global average at 31.8%.
In Vietnam, women account for 38.6% of senior management roles in 2026, up 1.2pp from 37.4% in 2025, maintaining a level consistently above both global and regional averages in recent years. This suggests that female participation in senior leadership within the Vietnamese mid-market is relatively well embedded.
Notably, none of the surveyed businesses in Vietnam reported having no women in senior management in 2026, in contrast to the global figure of 5.7% of businesses that still report all-male senior leadership teams.
This suggests that, at a minimum, female representation at leadership level is now embedded across Vietnamese firms in the survey sample, rather than being concentrated in a small group of frontrunners. In comparison with broader Asia-Pacific patterns, where representation remains uneven across markets, Vietnam’s results point to a relatively widespread baseline of inclusion.
At the same time, 19.6% of businesses in the Vietnamese market report having only one woman in senior management. This indicates that while the presence of women at the leadership table is increasingly common, depth of representation within leadership teams remains an area for further progress.
CEO representation: A notable development in 2026
The most pronounced shift in 2026 is observed at Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) level. Specifically, women hold 39.1% of CEO roles in mid-market firms surveyed in Vietnam this year, a marked increase from 12.5% in 2025 and 22.5% in 2024. While year-to-year movements should be interpreted with due consideration to changes in survey composition, the scale of this increase signals a meaningful strengthening of female presence at the very top of corporate leadership.
In comparison, women account for 23.8% of CEO positions globally, 21.2% across Asia-Pacific, and 24.2% within ASEAN in 2026. Vietnam’s figure therefore sits well above these benchmarks, suggesting that the country’s progress at CEO level is not merely keeping pace with regional and global trends, but moving ahead of them.
Taken together, the data indicates that female leadership in Vietnam is extending beyond senior management participation into roles that carry ultimate accountability for enterprise direction - including strategy setting, governance oversight, and capital allocation. This shift matters, as representation at CEO level often shapes organizational priorities, culture, and long-term performance outcomes.
DE&I commitment – Driver of gender diversity progress
The slight decline in women’s representation at senior level in 2026 suggests that progress has become harder to sustain. Yet this does not appear to reflect a withdrawal of intent. Globally, 92.7% of mid-market firms report having DE&I initiatives in place, and 75.8% say they remain committed to their gender equality programs. This commitment is grounded not in ideals, but in business pragmatism. Mid-market firms globally report that gender-balanced leadership drives sharper decision-making, strengthens innovation and accelerates growth.
In Vietnam, firms likewise report tangible operational benefits associated with DE&I strategies. IBR data shows that the most frequently cited impacts include:
- Employees feeling they work in an inclusive environment (40.0%)
- Employees feeling they are treated equally (34.4%)
- Improved attractiveness to clients, partnerships and investors (27.8%)
- Increased progression of female employees into senior leadership roles (25.6%)
- Stronger retention of female senior leaders (21.1%)
Furthermore, the 2026 findings show that Vietnamese mid-market firms are actively reassessing their DE&I strategies, increasingly influenced by market and supply chain dynamics.
In 2025, 81.5% of firms in Vietnam reviewed their DE&I initiatives, exceeding the global mid-market average of 74.8%. The motivations, however, different in Vietnam, reviews are primarily externally driven, with 41.3% responding to changes by organizations they supply into and 33.3% citing pressure from within their supply chains. Globally, by contrast, 48.4% of firms conduct reviews as part of their annual process, alongside influence from senior leadership and broader shifts in the DE&I conversation. The difference indicates that, in Vietnam, DE&I reviews are more often driven by external business relationships, particularly within supply chains, while globally they are more commonly conducted as part of structured internal governance processes.
Sustaining progress toward gender parity
The 2026 findings indicate that global progress toward gender parity in senior management remains gradual and uneven across markets. Nevertheless, while representation edged down this year, it remains broadly consistent with levels observed in recent years. However, maintaining forward momentum will depend on consistent and deliberate effort.
In Vietnam, survey results reflect comparatively strong female representation at both senior management and CEO level. Firms are continuing to review their gender equality strategies and are reporting measurable organizational and reputational benefits. Sustaining progress will depend on reinforcing the link between gender parity initiatives and long-term business performance.
To support sustained progress, Grant Thornton recommends mid-market businesses:
We close with a clear message: The global economy benefits from a healthy mid-market, and the mid-market is healthier when it invests in and promotes the benefits of gender-balanced leadership. The mid-market performs best when its leadership reflects the world it serves and that includes equal representation of women.
