Greece sees decline in female leadership and CEO representation

Sofia Kounenaki-Efraimoglou, First Vice President of EBEA, has highlighted a significant decline in female representation within Greece's top business leadership roles. Citing the Grant Thornton ‘Women in Business 2026’ study, she noted that the percentage of women in senior management positions in Greece fell from 30.7% in 2025 to 27.1% in 2026.

The decline is even more pronounced in executive roles, where the share of women serving as CEO or Managing Director dropped from 20% to just 12.6%. Furthermore, female participation in innovative startups is limited to only 6%, while their presence in new businesses stands at approximately 15%.

Kounenaki-Efraimoglou identified access to financing as a primary obstacle. She pointed out a paradox where, despite international studies showing women often exhibit better repayment behavior and lower credit risk, many still struggle to access formal funding. She emphasized the need for a comprehensive ‘funding corridor’ to support women from microcredits for startups to investment capital for international expansion.