Elsevier CEO Kumsal Bayazit shines as #2 Best CEO for Women

In a global list of 100 top CEOs for large organizations, Elsevier’s Kumsal Bayazit has emerged as a true powerhouse, clinching the coveted title of the #2 Best CEO for Women opens in new tab/window in the 2023 Comparably Awards.

Kumsal was also 9^th on the list of Best CEOs for Diversity opens in new tab/window, while Elsevier’s senior leadership ranked 11^th among Best Leadership Teams opens in new tab/window.

This distinguished ranking showcases the top-rated companies as determined by employee sentiment ratings using comprehensive data spanning nearly 20 distinct workplace categories, such as gender, ethnicity, age, experience, title, industry, location and education. The reviews for Best CEOs for Women were provided by female employees who evaluated their CEOs anonymously on Comparably’s platform over the past 12 months. For the Best CEOs for Diversity, the reviews by all employees in the system were analyzed. The final data set — a culmination of an impressive 15 million ratings spanning 70,000 companies — represents the collective voice of a diverse global workforce from companies large and small.

As the world takes note of Kumsal’s remarkable achievements, the recognition serves as a resounding testament to her solid drive to ensure that Elsevier is a great place for everyone to work. Kumsal, who has made it her personal mission to advance gender equity by establishing Elsevier’s Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, said:

These awards are special because they were voted on by our people. However, they come as no surprise, as Kumsal has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a steadfast dedication to fostering inclusion and diversity within Elsevier. Her visionary strategies have not only driven impressive growth but have also cultivated a thriving work culture that empowers and uplifts women within Elsevier and beyond.

Driving inclusion beyond our borders

Under Kumsal’s leadership, we are not only building an inclusive workplace — we’re finding ways to drive progress in the wider world of science, technology and medicine. For example, last year, Elsevier colleagues created the world’s most advanced 3D female anatomy model, taking a major step towards tackling the unconscious bias that exists in the medical profession. And this year, they released a model with diverse skin colors and facial features to tackle racial bias in healthcare.

As the leader of our 3D4Medical product team, Irene Walsh was the one who pitched for this project to be added to the Elsevier roadmap, and then to oversee its delivery.

Beyond this, we partner with organizations around the world to provide opportunities for women in STEM and promote equity in areas such as career progression, participation in the research ecosystem and integrating the sex-and-gender dimension in research. For example, our gender reports provide data by discipline and country on how representation of women is evolving, identifying gaps and where there is real progress. They are used by policymakers and academic leaders around the globe.

In fact, the unique combination of driving equity inside and outside our company was noted when Elsevier won the 2022 Women of the Future Corporate Award. After accepting the award, Mirit Eldor, EVP for Strategy, Secretary of Elsevier’s Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board and Executive Sponsor of Elsevier’s Gender Equity Taskforce, commented:

It was an incredibly proud moment to meet and celebrate with so many impressive women contributing to society in so many ways. The judges commented that it is unusual to see a company with such a strong focus on improving gender equity both internally and externally — this is what made us stand out.

With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Kumsal has humbly redefined leadership. Her visionary approach and remarkable achievements have propelled our organization to unprecedented heights. Elsevier, under her inspiring leadership, continues to set new benchmarks for excellence and serves as a beacon of hope for women in our workplace and gender equality in the broader corporate and research landscape.