Cologne – November 06, 2026 -- The share of women holding executive-level positions among surveyed professionals in Germany's chemical and pharmaceutical industry rose to 27 percent, up from 23 percent in the previous survey, according to the VAA Equal Opportunities Survey 2025.
VAA survey records four-point gain in executive-level roles among women
VAA, the association representing specialists and managers in chemicals and pharma, conducted the survey in summer 2025. It was the eighth edition. VAA has run the poll on the professional situation of female and male specialists and executives every five years since 1990.
More than 1,100 VAA members took part, roughly one-third of them women. The 27 percent figure refers to women among the participants who hold executive-employee status.
AllBright 2026 report shows DAX board share of women at 28.5 percent
The AllBright report 2026, published at the end of October, found that the 40 DAX companies increased the share of women on their management boards to 28.5 percent. The gain follows two years of stagnation, and the report describes it as slight.
VAA board member says the talent pipeline determines future board diversity
VAA board member Dr. Monika Brink of Boehringer Ingelheim called the DAX increase a positive development. She cautioned that progress is not yet secured after two years without movement. The AllBright report measures boards, not the career base that feeds them, she noted.
Brink said companies must start earlier and build up leadership talent if they want more women on management boards. She pointed to VAA connect, the association's women's network, as one instrument targeting that pipeline.