By MDX Advisory Team
April 23, 2026
Do you know the CEO of DBS Group, GXS Bank and YouTrip are all women? Tan Su Shan (Group CEO, DBS Group), Pei Si Lai (Group CEO, GXS Bank) and Caecilia Chu (Co-founder & CEO, YouTrip) are all stellar performers with solid track records before assuming their current roles. As of December 2025, women held 25.8% of board positions at the Top 100 SGX-listed firms, surpassing the Council for Board Diversity’s (CBD) target of 25%1. In the public sector, women continue to lead the charge, occupying 36.1% of board seats across 65 statutory boards1. Is the rise of women to senior positions today just a trend or is there more to it?
The famous 1992 book ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’ written by John Gray shred light on how man and woman are different psychologically, emotionally and in the way we communicate, but how does these differences translate to strengths for a woman in the C-suite? Recent 2025–2026 studies suggest it is not about being “better than men,” but about bringing a different, often neglected, set of cognitive tools to the organisation. Here are 3 areas:
Singapore’s economy is defined by rapid digital transformation, acute talent crunches, and an urgent push towards internationalisation. Having more women leaders in the senior management team is a practical lever for SMEs to scale their business and for better risk mitigation. Research consistently indicates that companies with greater gender diversity in executive roles tend to outperform their peers in profitability, innovation, and long-term sustainability.2
Superior Financial Performance3
Higher Profitability
Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25–27% more likely to experience above-average profitability compared to those in the bottom quartile.
Reduced Risk
Companies with diverse boards are associated with lower volatility in returns, better risk management, and more stable financial performance.
Superior Financial Performance3
Higher Profitability
Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25–27% more likely to experience above-average profitability compared to those in the bottom quartile.
Reduced Risk
Companies with diverse boards are associated with lower volatility in returns, better risk management, and more stable financial performance.
Enhanced Innovation and Decision-Making4
Broader Perspectives
Diverse management teams bring a wider range of life experiences, perspectives, and approaches to problem-solving, reducing the likelihood of “groupthink”.
Better Decision-Making
Gender-diverse teams also make better business decisions up to 73% of the time, leading to tronger, more sustainable results.
Enhanced Innovation and Decision-Making4
Broader Perspectives
Diverse management teams bring a wider range of life experiences, perspectives, and approaches to problem-solving, reducing the likelihood of “groupthink”.
Better Decision-Making
Gender-diverse teams also make better business decisions up to 73% of the time, leading to tronger, more sustainable results.
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References:
Anwar, S. (2026). It is not just about numbers: international evidence of women leadership index and corporate performance. Universitas Airlangga.
Brandazza, D. (2024). Women CEOs: Leadership for a Diverse Future. S&P Global.
Chung, A. M. (2026). Male allyship to advance women’s leadership in global health academia: A qualitative study. PMC.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13082618/
Javeed, A. (2026). Inclusive leadership and financial–marketing decision-making in crises: gender diversity and brand resilience. Frontiers in Psychology.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1730375
Jing, Z., Hou, Q., Zhang, Y., & Zhao, Y. (2022). The Relationship between Female Leadership Traits and Employee Innovation Performance—The Mediating
Role of Knowledge Sharing. Sustainability, 14(11), 6739. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116739
Malamateniou, C. (2026). “Lead like a woman”: strengthening healthcare, medical imaging, and oncology through female leadership. City Research Online.
Shouman, L. (2026). Empowering Women Across Generations: AI-Enhanced Learning for Inclusive Leadership Development. MDPI. Shouman, L. (2026). Empowering Women Across Generations: AI-Enhanced Learning for Inclusive Leadership Development. MDPI.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/16/2/9
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