Women leaders shaping the future – increasingly influential in the business world

In recent years, female-led businesses have shown dynamic development. According to OPTEN data, the number of companies that have exclusively female owners or management and have achieved billion-dollar sales is still over a thousand. Although the number of businesses nationwide is showing a decreasing trend, women continue to be decisive players in the economic space. This is particularly evident in the case of businesses with sales between 10–100 million and 100 million–1 billion forints, where the presence of female managers has increased, even despite the decrease in the number of companies. In addition, the rise of a business culture that prioritizes sustainability (ESG) is also contributing to the increase in the number of female managers.

The data shows that women are primarily active in the management of medium and small businesses, but it is noteworthy that they also play a decisive role in almost half of companies with billion-dollar sales. This not only means that more and more women are at the helm of businesses, but also that companies managed by female leaders are successful and competitive.

Generational differences are also clearly visible in the proportion of female entrepreneurs. While the proportion of women among the youngest, Generation Z entrepreneurs is only 36 percent, this proportion reaches 54 percent in the case of the older, veteran generation. This can be partly attributed to the different weight of family roles, as younger women often strive to create a balance between motherhood and career. At the same time, it is also evident that as time goes on, more and more women are entering leadership roles and proving their mettle in the business world.